The Eminent Imams Of Hadith - III

AHMAD

He is Abu Abdullah, Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Hanbal Ash-Shaibani, know by the name Ibn Hanbal. He was a celebrated theologian, jurist and a Hadith scholar. He is also one of the four Fiqh Imam and the founder of what later came to be known as Madhhab Al-Hanbaliya (The Hanbal's jurist school).

Amhad was born at Baghdad in Rabi-ul-Awwal, 164 H. He studied the Hadith and Fiqh together with other Islamic disciplines in Baghdad, then travelled to Ash-Sham and Hijaz for further studies. He was persecuted during the rule of Al-Ma'mun bin Harun Ar-Rashid for refusing to acknowledge the Bid'a of claiming 'the creation of the Qur'an' introduced by the Mu'tazila. He, however, stood firm against all the trials and saved the Sunna from the innovation of the wretched Mu'tazila thoughts. He was the most persecuted and most firm one amongst all the Imam. He is most famous for collecting the Ahadith of Prophet (Salla Allahu Alihi wa Salam) complied in the Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal, which contains 28 to 29 thousand Ahadith. It was said that Ibn Hanbal memorized one million Ahadith.

Ibn Hanbal died in Baghdad on Friday, 12 Rabi-ul-Awwal 241 H.