Imam Ahmad Bin Hanbal

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah!

 The Musnad by Imam Ahmad

I would like to introduce an Imam of the four salaafus-saaleh and he is the imam which I put on my naqal on most of my method of religious practices. He is the honorable Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal bin Helal bin Asad al-Marwazi of Baghdad whose idea founded the Hanbali school of jurisprudence and one of sunnah ulama. Hanbali school of jurisprudence is a school which influenced the fiqh of people in Hejaz such as in Saudi Arabia. He had also influenced Ibnu Taimiyyah and Ibnu Qayyim. My mum kept a book about all of these honorable imams, and I read some but this article is based from online articles. 

Try to get more books about these imams dear brethren. We must know our imams and teachers. We do not want to be just mere followers who only know how to nod and to shake head, to say this is right or wrong only because our syeikh says so. That makes us regarding our syeikhs a level the same as the God, and in the same time we without any shame accuse people like Christians and Jews for taking their priests and cohens as the God, na'udzubillah.

Family Background

He was originally an Arab of banu Shayban tribe. His family hometown is in Basra, Iraq. His father served as an officer in the Abbasid army based in Khurasan before settled with his family in Baghdad. Baghdad is the place where imam Ahmad was born. Imam Ahmad father died when he was three years old and his mother is a patient mother. I think I must mention about his mother too. Never look down on our mothers, they are teachers although they might not have degree or master or phd. 

His eldest son, became a judge in Isfahan. Imam Ahmad was very close to his sons, especially his eldest son, Saaleh. According to some report, Imam Ahmad always recite surah al-Kahfi. He used to recite the surah over a bowl of water and ordered his son to drink from it whenever his son felt ill. Another son of him, who is 'Abdullah also reported many things about this honorable imam. By the way, he married at the age of 40 years old. So, I wonder why so many people asking me about marriage and suggesting me to get marry now? Even the Arab guy I dunno of which country who read Syeikh Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab book on the Three Principles asked me the same boring question.

Study Life

Imam Ahmad moved to Iraq and study a lot in the city of Baghdad. He completed his Quranic memorization while he was 15 years of age. After that he concentrates on hadith and prophetic tradition especially of prophet Muhammad s.a.w. Later, he always travel to further his study in other area. 

He was interested in the knowledge of hadith and traveled a lot through Iraq, Syria, and Arabian Peninsula to get the knowledge of religion and collecting sunnah of the prophet Muhammad s.a.w. He travels for several years and while returning home, he studied under honorable Imam Syafi'ie on jurisprudence and Imam Syafi'ie also learned from him. According to Abu Zur'ah, Imam Ahmad memorized a million hadith.

Due to that he was a scholar of hadith and sunnah, so he focused more on textual views on religion, and he oppose any kind of bida'ah or innovation. Imam Syafi'ie may Allah be merciful to him, who was also a great scholar in his own right, mentioned:

"I left Baghdad, and I didn't leave behind me a man better, having more knowledge, or greater fiqh (understanding), nor having greater taqwa (piety) than Ahmad bin Hanbal."

Ahmad bin Hanbal spent 40 years of his life in acquiring knowledge about religion, and only thereafter he assume the position of a mufti (guide). How about us? Be shameful, please :'( By this time, he had mastered six or seven Islamic disciplines. This is according to the report by Imam Syafi'ie, one of his own teacher. He became a leading authority in hadith and left an extensive hadith encyclopedia called al-Musnad. This is a living proof of his proficiency and devotion to his discipline and science of religion.

He has a significant contribution in the most balanced critic of hadith in his time. He established himself as the imam in the sciences of the Quran, authoring works in exegesis, and nasikh wal mansukh (science of abrogation). He also knows different modes of Quranic recitations where he prefers some modes and he expressed his disliking for the recitation of Hamza for the exaggerated elongation of vowels. I love simple recitation but accurate pronunciation too :) 

Imam Ahmad became a principal specialist in jurisprudence as he had the advantage of benefiting from some of the famous early jurists and their heritage such as Imam Abu Hanifah, Imam Malik bin Anas, Imam Syafi'ie and many others.

His learning, piety, and faithfulness to sunnah gathered a host of disciples and admirers around him. He further improvised and developed upon previous schools, and becoming the founder of the Hanbali school of jurisprudence. He was also an expert in Arabic language, poetry, and grammar. I read something in the book about this honorable imam that he had also corrected his daughter speech when she talked in colloquial manner. Some scholars for example Qutaiba bin Sa'id trying to compare him to scholars of tabi'in period like Sufyan ath-Thauri, Malik, al-Awza'i and Laith bin Sa'ad. I think all of scholars have their own special traits. We do not have to compare them if they possess knowledge and efforts but we try to emulate good traits that they have. It's better than being a fanatic out of no reason.

Among of His Teachers

1) Honorable Isma'il bin Ja'afar as-Sadiq

2) Abbad bin Abbad al-'Ataky

3) 'Umari bin 'Abdullah bin Khalid

4) Hushaim bin Bashir bin Qasim bin Dinar as-Sulami

5) Honorable Imam Syafi'ie

6) Waki' bin Jarrah

7) Isma'il bin Ulaiyah

8) Sufyan bin 'Uyainah

9) Ibrahim bin Ma'qil

Among His Students

Most of Ahlil Hadith or Sunnah adherents studied under his supervision, his teachers also learned from him. Unlike today, teachers do not learn from students, because of ego. Among Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal students are:

1) Imam Bukhari

2) Muslim

3) An-Nasa'i

4) Abu Dawud

5) Tirmidzi

6) Ibnu Majah

7) Honorable Imam Syafi'ie

8) His sons, Saaleh and Abdullah

9) His nephew, Hanbal bin Ishaq

Mihneh Event

It means inquisition or ordeal, a political attempt of the Abbasid caliph, al-Ma'mun around 883 C to impose his theological views on his subjects. It's including the inquisition on scholars including imam Ahmad bin Hanbal whether Quran is created or not. If we learn STPM (A-Level) Islamic History, we perhaps might a little bit come across this topic.  

All of parties agreed that the Quran is unadulterated Speech of the God. However the issue was whether the Quran is the created or uncreated speech of the God, actually raised by the Jahmites. The position of the al-Ma'mun is that the Quran is created speech of the God. This issue to appear as almost similar to the issue of Christians philosophical and doctrinal arguments regarding the Word or Logos which refers to Jesus Christ and Ewungel (Gospel) around 4th-5th C. The response of those who were inquired is with consequence. Those who reject the doctrine of the Quran is created will be dismissed from public office, will be imprisoned, and flogged. This event lasted for about 15 years, even the successors of al-Ma'amun who were al-Mu'tasim and al-Wathiq. It ends around 861 under al-Mutawakkil, the nephew of al-Ma'amun.

Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal was firm with his position that the Quran is not a created speech but the literal words of the God. No more no less from what is described by the God Himself. It means that we should not go beyond the limit and speculate out of the description given to the us by the God. He was imprisoned and severely tortured until the succession of al-Mutawakkil. Many other fellow ulamas at that time had advised him to just show his agreement with the ruler although they too did not agree with the ruler but Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal responded with a hadith narration that people before him had died with their head being cut with the saw but never give up faith in every aspect. The hadith is recorded in Bukhari 12/281.   

So, this event is a point that makes us the adherents of Hanbali madzhab so strict with sunnah and innovations. But I would like to urge myself, and later brothers and sisters to study first before simply accusing others. Be extremely polite unless we see that something really is wrong like what happened to our honorable imam, Ahmad bin Hanbal. We are not even close to these salaf period imams (Abu Hanifah, Malik bin Anas, Syafi'ie and Hanbali) in term of religious science.     

Death

Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal was struck with severe illness and fever and became very very weak. He never complain about his infirmity and pain until he died. I read in the book, it said that Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal urged people to take care of their own health and pray to the God for health. It is very important. He still asked his son, Saaleh to help him to stand up for prayer service though he was sick. He would pray in sitting posture or lying on his side if he was unable to stand up. 

People flocked to his house upon hearing about his illness. Ruling family also showed their desire to visit this imam and trying to get his permission. Since, he does not want to have any relation with any authority, he denied them access. This imam position is also my position and his personality that I read so much influenced me. I guess that's why those Tabligh kids saw me look like their people that make them decided to 'convert' me into their organization but I don't tie myself to anyone except to the God the Most Highest.

On Friday, the 12th of Rabi'ul Awwal 241 H, this imam passed away after 9 days struck by illness. His age at that time was 77 years old. His death news spread far and wide in the city, many people flooded the streets to attend his funeral. Before he passed away, he seems to be talking to someone. His son asked him and he told his son that satan came to deflect his creed before he passed away. Around 800,000 to 1,300000 or around 2 million people as was estimated by scholars attending his funeral. In the mass, there were about 60000 respectable women attending the funeral of this imam.  

Works

Here are some of honorable imam Ahmad bin Hanbal works found by Ibnu an-Nadim Fihrist. I hope to read and study them all if I have the chance:

1. Kitab al-'Ilal wa Ma'rifah ar-Rijal - The Book of Narrations Containing Hidden Flaws and of Knowledge of the Men (of Hadith), Riyadh: al-Maktabah al-Islamiyah.

2. Kitab al-Manasik - The Book on Pilgrimage Rites.

3. Kitab az-Zuhud - The Book of Abstinence. Edited by Muhammad Zaghlul. Beirut: Darul Kitab al-'Arabi (1994).

4. Kitab al-Iman - The Book of Faith.

5. Kitab al-Masail - Issues in Fiqh.

6. Kitab al-Ashribah - The Book of Drinks.

7. Kitab al-Fadha'il Sahabah - Virtues of the Companions of Prophet Muhammad s.a.w.

8. Kitab Thaa'ah ar-Rasul - The Book of Obedience to the Messenger of the God.

9. Kitab Mansukh - The Book of Abrogation.

10. Kitab al-Fara'id - The Book of Obligatory Duties.

11. Kitab ar-Radd 'ala az-Zindiqah wal-Jahmiyyah - Refutations of the Heretics and the Jahmites. Cairo (1973).

He also wrote exegesis which is said by adz-Dzhahabi as lost and another book called the Musnad which is a compilation of 27 000 checked hadiths. Other is Fadha'il Ahlul Bayt or the Virtues of the Ahlul Bayt. 

Some scholars like Abu Dawud also quoted as saying that he never saw Imam Ahmad mentions anything about the world when sitting with him. He never boast to people with anything good characterized with him. Syeikh Abdul Qadir Jailani, may Allah be merciful to him also mentioned that there is no saint who has the creed as firm as imam Ahmad bin Hanbal. What I read from my mum's book, it says that Imam Ahmad never tie the world to his heart that makes demons or evil genies who possessed a person and making the person insane ran away. They only come back to the city of Basrah after the honorable imam passed away. Other than that, he had asked his son to give back bread given by a baker because he only takes whatever he pays. It is something like that, I would check the book again because all of these scholars have beautiful characteristics which could be emulated by commoners like us. So many things about this scholar, may we learn something beneficial from him, insyaallah.

Sealed with salawat and prayers for mercy, peace, and love, amin!

Chinese Muslim Nationalist Figure: Imam Hu Songshan

Assalaamu'alaikum wa Rahmatullah!

 Imam Hu Songshan

I believe that not many people are familiar with Muslim Chinese who were involved in Chinese Nationalism in China and Taiwan. I know few of them because they are from Western China provinces. I talked with few friends from Gansu since before I return home from pilgrimage season when I was in lower six around 2005. Some of them were the students of International Islamic University (IIUM). Some are the students of Nilam Puri in Kelantan and they speak Malay too. I respect them because they are committed with Islamic teachings although their province is in a country with non-Muslim majority population. 

Why did I put this up? Just a sharing about the history of modern China as many of our brothers and sisters don't know that there are Muslim Chinese in Guomindang movement and I wish that we stop bickering about things that divide us but begin to establish amity among each other. This biography about the imam is only for us to take heed that we should only be a nation, we must treat brothers and sisters equally. Avoid hurting their feelings. We will see how this imam feel when he was in Holy Mecca and why I don't like to talk about difference in negativity but making them as a point for everyone to know each other. Besides, we must also respect our Muslim Chinese brothers and sisters feeling when we talk about assimilation into Malay customs when they revert to the path of prophets and His messengers. Most Chinese elders in Penang Island were actually the followers of Guomindang movement or at least having some sympathy to the movement. They are not Communists. That is why we could see many memorial buildings dedicated to Sun Yat Sen in Penang Island. Nowadays, many of Chinese youths are just like Malay or Indian youth or any other youngsters around the world. They don't care about politics anymore.

For us the Arab descents in Malayan Peninsula, we were also assimilated into Malay mainstream society although we might also have Indian, Siamese or Chinese maternal line. We have no specific identification for our ethnicity like those Huis in China since British in Kedah Sultanate had used their nation-state concept in registration. Some were registered as Malay and identified as Arab descents who had been in the sultanate since few centuries before British came in, some were Arabs since they were new-comers who came from Egypt, Medina, or Mecca, and etc according to flows of migration. In certain part of our community life like marriage, some of us are still practicing endogamy marriage. For my family, endogamy marriage had stopped at my father generation because no more specific elders to enforce the customs. My eldest sister married a Siamese Malay from Perlis, and now my third sister married a Malay from Kedah which is also our beloved state. Most Arab descents in Malayan Peninsula also practiced polygamy but it is very rare now when some of our people are exposed to Egyptian moderate thoughts. Anyway, we would talk about Arabs in Northern Malaysian states separately if He permits it.  

This simple biography I would like to share with brothers and sisters in faith is about Imam Hu Songshan 虎嵩山 who was a member of Muslim brotherhood or Ikhwani. I can't recall his Islamic name but if I am not mistaken, it is like Salahuddin. Imam Hu Songshan is a Hui Chinese and his father was an imam from a sub-group of Naqshabandi sufi order in China. However he is not fond of sufism and he himself destroyed the tomb of his father in Tongxin county in Ningxia autonomous region. He performed hajj pilgrimage in holy Mecca around 1925 but he didn't feel any solidarity feeling with other Muslims as he was treated with racism by other Muslims. So, he decided to be a Chinese nationalist when he returned home in China. Arab nations are also racist and if we do not disband this thaghut (idolatry) from our selves, we are not even a complete nation. I would say that we would just dream off about caliphate until He orders Isa a.s to be the qadhi before He destroys this Universe!

Imam Hu didn't promote any Islamic state anymore but he just rallied for a strong China because he saw that both Hui and Han ethnics were treated the same and abused by foreigners. He rallied with the Chinese government at that time which was under the leading of Guomindang nationalist party toward Chinese unity regardless ethnicity. This is how Chinese people around the world were politically and socially united in the early 19th century. 

Imam Hu opposed foreign imperialism and when Japan invaded China in 1937 during Sino-Japanese war, he issued a guideline for Chinese flag to be saluted during fajr prayer. We could understand the situation at that time needs him taking these measures. 

What I found as interesting in this figure is that he promotes education and independence from foreign power. He encourages the learning of Chinese among Muslim Chinese students. Before that, Muslim Chinese students only learned about Quranic studies and Arabic in their Islamic formal curriculum. He added modern subjects into madrasas system like maths, foreign languages and foreign sciences. Besides they begin to translate Islamic texts into Chinese.

Allah please be in contact with prophet Muhammad s.a.w. and his family and his companion. May Allah bless brothers and sisters in faith. Sealed with prayers for peace, mercy, and love for brothers and sisters in faith.

Imam an-Nawawi

Assalaamu'alaikum wa Rahmatullah!

I actually do not know what to do once I finished my reading and jotting down sources for the research that I'm currently pursuing. And today is actually the day specifically to perform 'amal (practices), making personal supplications and seeking religious knowledge for myself. 

I had chosen the day based on the old tradition. I would either go to the mosque or trying to find majlis (ceremonies) to get some benefit from congregational activities regardless of affiliations. Usually I would do these alone, without any friends nor companies. Because I don't believe people perform the same practices. I found some similarity in few Tabligh kids in my current hostel but they are not here for long and I am not a member of the particular jama'at. I would also not be here for long and I hate to say goodbye to friends especially when I didn't get to know them for long due to time constraint. 

When I was in the first semester I had performed an extreme law that had limited me from the contact with outside world. I did that alternately when I finished my first degree too. It is totally a hermit life and I performed that since I have no one in common. I would only be in contact with people when I visit the mosque or musalla. I could not recruit people like other movements since I became a beginner again so I would feel comfortable performing practices and whatever I believe alone to avoid from quarrels. 

People today actually believe that only their madzhabs (schools) or firqas (groups) are the righteous ones and according to sunnah. In the same time, they implied that they are following the sunnah (tradition). When our thoughts are in common, then only we could perform a jama'ah (congregation). For now, I don't believe in a unified nation, we are not even a unified nation yet but nations if we insist that only our way is the only authentic one while everyone are the same brothers in faith following the same syari'at (law of life). Only some khilaf (differences) that made us go against each other.

  
I came across of hadith matan arba'in which means the root 40 hadiths. It is compiled by our honorable imaam Nawawi. I believe many people know him and he is a famous figure in Syafi'ie school of jurisprudence. His work is considered as authoritative in jurisprudence area. I should have memorized this compilation of hadiths when I was in I'dadi level in the ma'ahad. But I was a lazy and stubborn boy. I just could remember the first hadith concerning niyyat (intention) and it is the only hadith that I could memorize perfectly without any problem. It is useful for me to understand the concept of criminal committed when we learned about Tort law and law language style for translation during our bachelor degree. 

The teacher in the ma'ahad had painstakingly spanked me and slapped my face for my stubbornness to follow the teachings. Other kids experienced the same too. Only few are nice and with good brain in both academic and religious studies. I hate to study anything because of that but now I understand the meaning behind of those acts. They are not doing that on purpose, because kids could not understand the things revolving around. We just know to play around back then. 

Imam Nawawi real name is Abu Zakariyya Muhiyuddin Yahya bin Sharaf and he was born around 1234 C in an-Nawa. It is a suburb area in the city of Hawran, Syria. He died when he was 45 years old and never married. Such a young age! Guess if he used his time properly for Him, it should not be something to regret. May Allah bless his soul.

This figure had already displayed scholarly personality when he was a young child. He never join other kids playing around but reciting Quran. Some kids had forced him to play with them, but he just ignored them. He survived in Rawahiyyah school with limited food and taking nap on his kitabs. I believe he must feel lonely living in this world too.

When doing some readings and seeking knowledge what did he do?

1. He reads 12 lessons everyday.

2. Writing explanation and commentary of every lesson besides making addition.

3. He made marginal notes and write explanation in whatever books that he read.

4. Spent his time contemplating on the interacted and complex issues finding for solutions.

Regarding his manner?

1. Devout scholars like him usually ignore worldly chattels but giving preference to religious knowledge and academic pursuits.

2. Propagate the faith.

3. A God fearing person.

4. Possess knowledge and its branches.

5. Avoiding worldly inclination, for example he wore simple dress and ate simple food.

6. Inviting for charity (faith) enjoining virtue and forbidding vice.

He wrote many kitaabs but in Malayan Peninsula, the popular ones are the matan hadith arba'in (fourty root hadiths) and riyaadhus saalihiin (garden of the righteous). Think that I need to structure my religious studies too since I am learning them without any institution. When I don't understand about certain explanation, it would be good to ask teachers at the mosque. I hope that some excerpts about this figure could inspire everyone especially myself to strive hard in order to see His glorious and noble appearance in the end. 

May Allah bless all the four imams' souls. May all of the scholars in faith and religious sciences of the past enjoy peace and rewarded with goodness in the hereafter. May their prayers being the fort for us, these generations. May Allah forbid brothers and sisters in faith quarreling regarding small matters but unify us; make us learning about each other, dear Allah! When there is only a God and a glorious King, so does His subjects must also be one in nation. Sealed with prayers for peace, mercy, and love. Amin!!! 

Childhood Memory in KL

Assalaamu'alaikum wa Rahmatullah!

I just finished my readings for research so I browse some files to ease my boredom, haha. Got to see some pictures which brought me to memories during our childhood times. My parents had been moving around from north to south due to my dad's job requirement. My elder sisters had lived earlier than me, so they have also their own memories in few different places where they lived with our parents. 

 Flat Sri Sabah, Cheras

My memory and other two little sisters during our childhood times revolve around Cheras in Kuala Lumpur. Elder sisters were sent back to our state of origin when they reached 13 years old to avoid influences in the city. Cheras is populated by majority Chinese community. I lived amongst them, and I never went to any Chinese school. But I'd been culturally influenced by Chinese and get the language because of the environment around me. We lived in Flat Sri Sabah with two rooms, the housing was provided by Cheras Municipal Council for people with low income. 

We were technically poor because we are the villagers who moved into the big city and it sure pressured us, hahaha. Before that we lived in Flat Pekeliling just after we moved from Sungai Petani where I was born. I still can recall, we celebrate Mooncake Festival with Chinese neighbors in Flat Pekeliling. Am not sure whether they are going to bombard the flat because it is not suitable in the urban area anymore. Three years of my early life was spent in Sungai Petani. And the rest seven years in Kuala Lumpur. So I had experience living in PPRT with many kind of people. 

I didn't develop close friendship with Malay kids at my area when I was in Flat Sri Sabah. I just remember my classmates when I was in primary school in standard 1 whom are Nordin, Azhar, and Isma'il. Then the next year, we fight with each other and never talked anymore. I don't know what happened to them when I moved to Kedah with parents. They played minor roles in my life but still I remember them. We were also registered into Religious Primary School in morning session. 

Basically we went to two schools. The one is under ministry of education supervision and the another is under religious council. I recall that we learned about the God 20 characteristics, Glorious Names of the Lord, some Syafi'ie madzhab practices regarding cleanliness and prayers, Basic Arabic, Morality of Muslims and in my class there were few muallaf (newly revert) kids too whom are the Indian and Chinese. Some of our elders actually had expressed in metaphor that I am potential to be a murid (student) or a tilmidz (disciple) in religious sciences. That is why my parents was advised to send me to a ma'ahad in Perlis. But back then I was a kid, I don't understand what they were talking about. 

My name was not even given by my parents but by an elder who was a wazir or the supervisor of state religious education, blessed be his soul as he was a friendly person and he treats me as a little kid well. I felt uncomfortable with the name given as it sounds Chinese and not even normal like others' name. Some people even thought that I had Chinese parentage while listening to my name while the name is actually Arabic. When I was in first year, I had my spectacles broken due to carelessness and when I went to a Chinese owned optometry; they had given me 70% discount for my name although I insisted to pay full, lol. My parents still brought me for ziarah to see the person who gave me my name when I was seven, so I still can remember him. 

I was also told by mum that during tahnik ceremony, there were imams who had performed the ceremony for me. Tahnik is a tradition of touching newborn baby lips with sweets and valuable things. My lips was touched by the imam of Sungai Petani mosque, my maternal grandfather who was the imam of Ulu Pauh of Perlis, and the person who gave me my name. They touched my lips with tamr (dates), a ring, and pressed banana. All of them had long passed away, may Allah bless them their souls. I would like to express my gratitude to their souls and may they receive bountiful of mercy from the Lord while resting before the time comes.  

I'm trying to understand, what made me like me today. Radically I turned to be an ungodly upset young teenager, an anti-social, being exposed to Buddhism, trying to get away of people's perception on Islamic religious figures that made me unsuccessful in everything that I did and later regret what I had done that I began to search for the path of ancestors. It's not Buddhism to be blamed nor anyone. Might be that it is a test from Allah. I can't stop crying every time I recall this memory.

Pasar Besar Cheras

Pasar Besar Cheras (Cheras Municipal Market) where I used to follow mum buying cooking stuffs. There is also Hassan Wong Cafe which still survive until today. They are the only Muslim Cantonese who serve customers among other Malay hawkers and they serve customers for breakfast. There was also an actor living in Flat Sri Sabah, a comedian from Kelantan. I guess is known as Osman Kering. Third sister love to slip away when mum asked her to help in the kitchen to Osman's Kering house to play Batu Seremban with his daughter, haha.

May Allah bless the soul of those who had passed away. Bless them their souls may they receive mercy and Your love, dear Allah! Sealed with prayers for mercy, love, and peace!