The Compiler

Abū Abd Allah Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Hanbal bin Halāl bin Asad ash-Shaybānī al-Marwazī al-Baghdādī

He was born in 164H and passed away, may Allah have mercy on him, in 241H. He began seeking out Hadīth when he was 15 years old.

Among his most famous teachers are: Sufyān bin Uyaynah, Abū Dāwud at-Tayālisī, adh-Dhahhāk, Abd ur-Rahman bin Mahdī, Abd ur-Razzāq, Abū Nu’aym, Imām ash-Shāfi’ī, Wakī’ bin al-Jarrāh, Yahyā bin Sa’īd al-Qahtān, and Yazīd bin Harūn.

Among his most famous students are: al-Bukhārī, Imām Muslim, Abū Dāwud as-Sijistānī, Abū Bakr al-Marrūdhī, Hanbal bin Ishāq bin Hanbal (his cousin), Sālih bin Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Hanbal (his son), Abd Allah bin Ahmad bin Hanbal (his son), Abū Bakr bin Abī Dunyā, Abūl-Qāsim al-Baghawī, Abū Zur’ah ad-Dimashqī, Abd ur-Rahman bin Mahdī, Abd ur-Razzāq, Abū Zur’ah ar-Rāzī, Uthmān bin Sa’īd ad-Dārimī, Alī bin al-Madīnī, Qutaybah bin Sa’īd, Imām ash-Shāfi’ī, Abū Hātim ar-Rāzī, Abū Bakr at-Tabarānī, Abū Bakr al-Marwazī, Muhammad bin Yahyā adh-Dhuhlī, Wakī’ bin al-Jarrāh, Yahyā bin Ādam, Yahyā bin Ma’īn, and Yazīd bin Hārūn.

Merits of the Compiler

Ibrāhīm al-Harbī said: “I saw Ahmad as if Allah had gathered for him knowledge of the first generations and the latter ones”.

Harmalah said: “I heard ash-Shāfi’ī saying, ‘I left Baghdād and I did not leave behind a man more virtuous, knowledgeable, or juristic than Ahmad bin Hanbal’.”

Alī bin al-Madīnī said: “Indeed Allah supported this Dīn with Abū Bakr as-Siddīq on the Day of Apostasy, and with Ahmad bin Hanbal on the Day of the Trial”.

Ibn Rāhawayh said: “I would sit with Ahmad and Ibn Ma’īn and we would exchange views. Then I would say, ‘What is its jurisprudence? What is its exegesis?’ All would be silent except Ahmad.”

Al-Marwadhi said: “I heard some of the scholars from Wasit saying, ‘I did not see Yazīd bin Hārūn leave off joking in front of anyone except Ahmad bin Hanbal’.”

Al-Muzani said: “Ash-Shafi’ī said to me, ‘ I have seen in Baghdād a youth who when he says ‘so-and-so narrated to us’, all the people say ‘He has been truthful.’ I said, ‘And Who is he?’ Ash-Shafi’ī said: ‘Ahmad bin Hanbal’.”

It was transmitted from Ishāq bin Rāhawayh that he said: “Ahmad is a proof between Allah and His creation”.

Sālih said: “I said to my father, ‘Indeed Ahmad ad-Dawraqī has gifted me 1,000 dīnār!’ Then he said: ‘Oh my son- the provision of your Lord is best and more lasting’.”

Abd Allah bin Ahmad said: “My father went to Tarsus walking, and made Hajj two or three times, walking, and he was the most forbearing of people in solitude.”

Abbās ad-Durī said Alī bin Abī Fazārah, our neighbor narrated to us: “My mother was bed-ridden for about 20 years, so she said to me one day, ‘Go to Ahmad bin Hanbal and ask him to make Du’a for me’. So I went and knocked for him and he remained in his vestibule and said, ‘Who is it?’ I said, ‘My mother is bed-ridden and she asked me to ask you for Du’a’. Then I heard him saying something as if he was angry and he said, ‘We are more in need of you to make Du’a for us’. So I turned to leave and an elderly woman came out and said, ‘When I left him, he was making Du’a for her’. So I went back to our house and knocked on the door and my mother came out on her two feet, walking.” [Adh-Dhahabī said: ‘This incident was related by 2 trustworthy individuals on authority of Abbās]

Abd Allah bin Ahmad said: “My father went to Tarsus, held the front line there and fought in battles”.

This book contains 2,409 narrations with chains of support. The author arranged it into 58 topics, and it begins with the virtue of Islamic asceticism in general. It then moves on to the asceticism of the Prophets, the Companions, and the Tabi’īn, until the end of the book.

Kitāb az-Zuhd contains traditions which go back to the Prophet, some that end with the Companions, and those that end with the Tabi’īn. There are some traditions which have a high level of authenticity and those which do not. The grades of the narrations will be mentioned, In Sha Allah, with a focus on the comments of Shaykh Shu’ayb al-Arna’ūt and commentary on the Ahadīth by major scholars.

It is worth mentioning that this book has not reached us complete, rather over time a great amount of it has been lost.

The Hadīth

1- Abū Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, said that the Prophet, may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said: “Whoever goes out early in the morning to the Masjid, or returns [at night from it], Allah will prepare a resting place for him in al-Jannah for each coming or going” [(Shaykh Shu’ayb al-Arna’ūt said) Its chain is Sahīh according to the Shaykhayn (al-Bukhārī and Muslim)]

Ibn Battāl mentions in his Sharh Sahīh al-Bukhārī 2/285, that this Hadīth is intended as an encouragement for the Muslims to attend the prayers in congregation.

Ibn al-Uthaymīn mentions in his Sharh Riyādh as-Saalihīn 2/167-168, that the apparent meaning of the Hadīth indicates that the reward also applies when going to and from the Masjid regardless of whether it’s for prayers or to seek knowledge or in pursuit of any virtuous act.

2- Abd Allah [bin Mas’ūd], may Allah be pleased with him, said: “It was mentioned to the Messenger of Allah, may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, that a man slept the whole night until morning broke, and he said, ‘That is a man in whose ear Shaytān has urinated,’ or ‘in whose ears’.” [Its chain is Sahīh according to the Shaykhayn (al-Bukhārī and Muslim)]

The meaning of this narration is differed over. Ibn Qutaybah said that is meaning is that (Shaytān) spoiled him; al-Muhallab, at-Tahāwī and others said that it is a metaphor indicating (the man’s) obedience to the Shaytān, falling under his control and his tightening his knot at the nape saying, “It’s a long night.”; it is said that it means (Shaytān’s) disparagement of the man, contempt and rising over him; it is said about one who despises or deceives a man that he ‘urinated in his ear’, and the basis for that lies in a beast that does that to a lion, as a humiliation to him; al-Harbī said its meaning is that Shaytān overpowered him and ridiculed him; al-Qādhī Īyādh said it is not far from its apparent meaning and the ears are specified since they are the source of attentiveness.

3- Alqamah, may Allah be pleased with him, said: “I asked Ā’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, ‘How was the prayer of the Messenger of Allah, may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him?’ She said: ‘And which of you is able to do what the Messenger of Allah, may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, was capable of? His deeds were continuous’.” [Its chain is Sahīh according to the Shaykhayn]

Badr ud-Dīn al-Aynī in his Sharh Abū Dāwud 5/273 said that Ā’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, used the term ‘Dīmah’ to compare the prayer of the Prophet, may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, to a type of rainfall. ‘Dīmah’ refers to a type of rain that according to al-Qāmūs al-Muhīt, is calm, without thunder and lightning, and is continuous for at least 3 days, oftentimes lasting 5, 6, 7 days or more.

4- Ā’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, said: “The Messenger of Allah, may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, would often say in his bowing and prostrations, ‘Glory be to you, Oh Allah, our Lord, and with Your praise- Oh Allah forgive me’ in explanation of the verse’.” [{Then glorify with praise your Lord and seek His forgiveness; indeed He is Oft-Returning} an-Nasr: 3- an-Nawawi in Sharh Sahīh Muslim: 4/201; al-Bukhāri and Muslim].

Imaam an-Nawawii said in his Sharh Sahiih Muslim 4/202 that the Prophet SAWS would say these marvelous words in the course of eloquently fulfilling what he was commanded in the Ayah. He would say them during bowing and prostration since the state of prayer is the most virtuous. The words ‘with Your Praise’ means ‘by Your granting me Your success, guidance, and favor I glorify You, not by my own might or strength’.

5- Ā’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, said: “The Messenger of Allah, may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, bought from a Jew some foodstuffs on credit and gave him his armor as collateral.”

Badr ud-Dīn al-Aynī said in his Umdat al-Qārī 11/213 that the Prophet, may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, purchased necessities on credit in order to legislate this for the Ummah and to demonstrate humility. The lesson taken from the above Hadīth is the permissibility of its practice by officials, noble born, and rulers, even if they had sufficient funds, in order to demonstrate humility and poverty in imitation of the Prophet, may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and those who followed him in that from the Companions, Tābi’īn, and the righteous. This Hadīth also shows us that doing so should not damage ones honor or be looked down upon.

To be continued in the following issue of Cordoba Lights, In Shā Allah.