The Biography of Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal

About The Book Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbalis remembered for many things. He was an Imam in Fiqh, Hadith, and many other sciences. In fact, his madh-hab is one of the four established madh-habs of Ahl as-Sunnah wal-Jama'ah. Yet, the one matter he is most remembered for... one of the most defining moments in the History of Ahl as-Sunnah wal-Jama'ah... is his stance in the time of the Mihnah (the Inquisition). Imam 'Ali ibn al-Madini, the great teacher of Imam al-Bukhari said, "Truly, Allah supported this religion with Abu Bakr as-Siddiq the day of the apostasy (ar-Riddah), and He supported it with Ahmad ibn Hanbal the day of the Inquisition ( al-Mihnah)." Imam ash-Shafi'i said, "I left Baghdad and did not leave behind me anyone more virtuous, more learned, more knowledgeable than Ahmad ibn Hanbal." 'They said: "Glory to Thee, of knowledge We have none, save what Thou Hast taught us: In truth it is Thou Who art perfect in knowledge and wisdom' {TM Qur'an 2:32} About Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal Abu 'Abdullah, Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Hanbal Ash-Shaibani, known by the name Imam Ibn Hanbal was a celebrated theologian, jurist and a Hadith scholar. He is also one of the four Fiqh Imams, he was born in Baghdad in Rabi'-ul-Awwal, 164 AH. 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'ah (innovation) of claiming that the Qur'an was the creation of Allah, as introduced by the Mu'tazila. He however, stood firm against all the trials and saved the Sunnah from the innovation of the Mu'tazila thoughts. He is most famous for collecting the Ahadith of the Prophet (PBUH) compiled in the Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal, which contain 28 to 29 thousand Ahadith. It was said that Ibn Hanbal memorized one million Hadith. Imam Ibn Hanbal died in Baghdad on Friday, 12 Rabi-ul-Awwal 241 AH. The Creed of the Ahlus-Sunnah is that the Qur'an is the Kalaam or Word of Allah. Imam An-Nawawi narrated in Tahdheebul-Asma Wal-Lughat, as did Imam Adh-Dhahabi in Siyar Alamun-Nubala, from Qutaibah bin Saeed that he said: When Ath-Thawri died, piety died; when ash-shafi'i died, proper adherence to the sunnah died; when Ahmad Bin Hanbal died, innovation (Bid'ah) emerged