Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal By Various Authours (Islamicstudies.
info)
1. Ahmad Ibn Hanbal - Imam of Ahl As-Sunnah - By Ahmad
Tammam - Source
2. Memoirs from the Life of Imâm Ahmad - By Muhammad al-
Sharîf - Source
3. From the life and works of Imaam Ahmad Bin Hanbal - By
Shaikh Saalih bin AbdulAziz Ala Shaikh - Source
Ahmad Ibn Hanbal Imam of Ahl As-Sunnah
By Ahmad Tammam
Source
Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal (164-241 AH) was one of those rightly
guided imams who lived in the earlier Hijri centuries. Those
imams were role models for people. They displayed piety, superior
moral values, and sincere adherence to the Sunnah of Prophet
Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). Hence, people
developed confidence in those imams' sound approach and sincere
application of religion.
Those rightly guided imams would give impressive courses of
lectures in the mosques where seekers of knowledge would attend
in great numbers to listen to an interpretation of some verse, ask
for explanation of a hadith, or seek a fatwa. People would hold
those imams in the highest esteem and model themselves after their
guidance so that they may be rescued in the Hereafter.
Birth and Origin
Born in Rabi` Awwal AH 164 (November 780 CE), Imam Ahmad
belongs a noble house of Bani Shayban in Baghdad. His father
passed away before his birth. His mother took care of him and
brought him up in the most proper manner.
He was keen that he learns the different disciplines of knowledge
prevalent at that time. So, he memorized the Noble Qur'an and
applied himself enthusiastically to the knowledge of Hadith. He
would get up at dawn to be the first student to attend the
knowledge circle of his sheikh.
During his teens, he joined the circle of Abu Yusuf, a disciple of
Imam Abu Hanifah and the first person to hold the post of Chief
Judge. His circle was unspeakably splendid. It attracted seekers of
knowledge, scholars, as well as judges of different classes and
ranks. Imam Ahmad attended this circle for four years. He
recorded in writing all what he learned there, which formed a great
amount of papers.
He also used to attend the circle of Imam Hasheem ibn Basheer
As-Solamy, the grand scholar of Hadith in Baghdad. Moreover,
whenever he heard that a knowledgeable scholar came to Baghdad,
he would seek to acquire knowledge from him. In this regard, he
learned from the great scholars Na`eem ibn Hammad, Abdul-
Rahman ibn Mahdi, and `Umayr ibn Abdullah ibn Khaled.
A Knowledge-Seeker
Seekers of knowledge at the time were known for their journeys in
the pursuit of religious knowledge, especially Hadith. Regardless
of the high cost and distance of this kind of journeys, seekers of
MIA
knowledge would travel throughout the Muslim World where the
eminent jurists and scholars of Hadith live to acquire knowledge.
Imam Ahmad commenced his blessed journey in the pursuit of
Hadith in AH 186 (802 CE) at the age of 22. He went to Basra,
Koufa, Ar-Riqqa, Yemen, and Al-Hijaz (i.e., Makkah and
Madinah) where he met a number of prominent and great scholars
and jurists of the Ummah, such as Yahya ibn Sa`id Al-Qattan, Abu
Dawud At-Tayalisi, Waki` ibn Al-Jarraah, Abu Mu`awiyah Ad-
Darir, Sufyan ibn `Uyainah, and Ash-Shafe`i.
He dedicated himself to studying at the hands of Ash-Shafe`i for a
period of time, during which he learned fiqh (Islamic
jurisprudence) and its principles. He was such a devout seeker of
knowledge that Imam Ash-Shafe`i said about him that there was no
one in Baghdad that was more knowledgeable in religion and
skillful in memorizing hadiths than Imam Ahmad.
His great passion for seeking Hadith made him bear every
difficulty willingly. Despite his great knowledge and high status
among eminent scholars, he proceeded to seek knowledge from
others. Though his sheikhs and colleagues attested to the ample
knowledge he possessed, he did not feel embarrassed at all to sit
among students to receive knowledge from others.
Seeing Imam Ahmad holding the inkwell by means of which he
would write what he learned, a contemporary of him commented,
"O father of Abdullah, [You sit among students] despite the high
level of knowledge you have reached. You are the imam of
Muslims [in knowledge]!" The reply of Imam Ahmad came thus:
"With the inkwell [I stay] till I go to the grave."
A Teacher
It is worth noting that Imam Ahmad took the seat of teaching and
issuing fatwa in Baghdad in AH 204 (819 CE), which was the
same year Imam Ash-Shafe`i died. Imam Ahmad was thus a great
successor to an eminent predecessor.
He used to have two knowledge-imparting circles: a special one at
his home for his keen students and a general one in the mosque
following the `Asr Prayer for ordinary people and knowledge-
seekers in general.
Imam Ahmad would deal heartily with his students and would
describe their inkwells with which they recorded what he imparted
to them of hadiths as the lambs of Islam. Furthermore, he was so
honest and meticulous in reporting hadiths that he never reported a
hadith unless it was from a written source, though he was highly
noted for his sharp memory.
It is also worth mentioning that Imam Ahmad memorized about
million narrations from the Companions and Tab`in (first
generation after Prophet Muhammad).
A number of keen students who studied at Imam Ahmad's circles
for a good and long time spread his knowledge and jurisprudence
everywhere. Most eminent among them was Abu Bakr Al-Maruzy,
who was close to the imam and most liked by him on account of
his knowledge, superior morality, truthfulness, and integrity. Imam
Ahmad said about him, "Whatever he [Al-Maruzy] reports me as
saying is truly said by me." Also, among the students of Imam
Ahmad were Abu Bakr Al-Athram, Ishaq ibn Mansur At-Tamimi,
Ibrahim ibn Ishaq Al-Harbi, Al-Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawud, and
Baqi ibn Makhlad.
Page 1 of 5 Sunday, November 28, 2010
 Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal By Various Authours (Islamicstudies.info)
His School of Thought
Imam Ahmad did not record his juristic fatwas, nor did he compile
a book on jurisprudence or assign such a job to any of his students.
He disliked that any of his fatwas be written. This remained the
case until Abu Bakr Al-Khallal, a student of Al-Maruzy undertook
the responsibility of compiling the Hanbali fiqh.
Al-Khallal traveled to various places in search of the juristic
opinions and fatwas issued by Imam Ahmad. He gathered such a
huge number of fatwas that he compiled a book of about 20
volumes entitled Al-Jami` Al-Kabir.
He later held a circle in Al-Mahdi mosque in Baghdad to teach this
book to his students. Out of this knowledge-imparting circle, the
written jurisprudence of the Hanbali school of thought spread after
it was no more than scattered narrations.
Afterwards, Abu Al-Qasim Al-Khiraqi summarized the book
compiled by Al-Khallal in a book entitled Mukhtasar Al-Khiraqi
(Al-Khiraqi's Compendium). This book found favor with people
and captured the attention of the Hanbali jurists, who wrote more
than 300 books wherein explaining Al-Khiraqi's book and
commenting on it. The best and most well-known book among
those 300 was Al-Mughni written by Ibn Qudamah Al-Maqdesi.
Later, Imam Abdus-Salam ibn Abdullah, the grandfather of Imam
Ibn Taymiyah, reviewed Imam Ahmad's fatwas and wrote a book
entitled Al-Muharir (The Freer) on jurisprudence. After that, many
other books were written on Imam Ahmad's fatwas, and these
books circulated among people.
It is worth noting that the Hanbali school was the most flexible
school of thought with regard to freedom of transaction and the
conditions thereby the contracting parties shall be required to
abide. Imam Ahmad held the opinion that the basic rule is that
transactions among people are, in principle, permissible unless
proved otherwise by a legal proof.
His Trial
Imam Ahmad faced a serious trial that he bore steadfastly. He
refused to make any concessions in the process.
The trial began when Caliph Al-Ma'moun declared in AH 218 (833
CE) his call to consider the Qur'an a creature like all creatures.
Many jurists were forced under torture to agree. But Ahmad and
Muhammad ibn Noah refused to succumb. As a consequence, they
were fettered and sent to Baghdad to stand before Caliph Al-
Ma'moun. While they were on their way to him, the caliph passed
away, so they were returned to Baghdad fettered.
On the way back to Baghdad, Muhammad ibn Noah died. But
before his death, he advised his companion, Imam Ahmad, saying,
"You are a man that people take as a role model. They are now
waiting to see how you will act [in this trial]. So, be mindful of
Almighty Allah and remain steadfast for His sake."
Imam Ahmad acted upon his companion's advice and stood up for
his beliefs. He was imprisoned for more than two years. Then he
was carried to Caliph Al-Mu`tasim, who followed in the footsteps
of his late brother, Al-Ma'moun.
The carrot-and-stick approach was used with Imam Ahmad in the
presence of the caliph and his gathering in an attempt to gain a
MIA
single word from him in support of their allegation about the
Qur'an being a creature. They would ask him, "What do you say
about the Qur'an? Is it a creature?" And his only reply was "It is
Allah's word."
With the persistent attempts by the caliph to win him over, the
imam would get more determined. When despair seized them, they
hang him from the heels. They would whip him without the least
prick of conscience that they were whipping an innocent and
guiltless individual, let alone that he was a pious scholar whom
people take as a role model. They showed no mercy in lashing his
infirm body with turns of their harsh whips. He fainted as a result
of the flogging and was released and returned home.
During the era of Caliph Al-Wathiq (AH 227–232 [841–847 CE]),
Imam Ahmad was forbidden to address people in a gathering. He
was allowed to go out only for prayer.
Circumstances changed, however, when Al-Mutawakkil assumed
the Caliphate. He banned the opinion saying that the Qur'an is a
creature and restored to Imam Ahmad his esteem and status. Upon
that, Imam Ahmad resumed his teaching circles in the mosque.
His Writings
Al-Musnad(The Authenticated) is the most prominent book among
his writings. It is the biggest record of the Prophet's Sunnah as it
includes about 40 thousand hadiths out of 750 thousand hadiths
that Imam Ahmad had knowledge about. Imam Ahmad began
writing this book after the age of 36.
Az-Zuhd (Arabic for Asceticism) tackles the hadiths and narrations
on the subject of asceticism.
As-Sunnah (Arabic for Sunnah) handles the hadiths on matters of
belief.
Al-Wara` wa Al-Iman (Arabic for Piety and Faith) focuses on the
hadiths and narrations tackling piety and awareness of Almighty
Allah.
Al-Masa'il(Arabic for Problems) is in fact a book compiled by
some students of Imam Ahmad and two of his sons. It is in the
form of questions and answers about juristic issues, matters of
belief, chains of narrators, and hadiths and their explanations.
Fada'il As-Sahabah (Arabic for Virtues of the Companions)
contains almost 2000 narrations about the virtues of the Prophet's
Companions.
All these books are published and widely read.
His Death
After a life full of great achievements, Imam Ahmad passed away
in Rabi` Thani 12, AH 241 (August 30, 855 CE) at the age of 77.
He was buried in Baghdad.
2. Memoirs from the Life of Imâm Ahmad By Muhammad al-
Sharîf
Source
Page 2 of 5 Sunday, November 28, 2010
 Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal By Various Authours (Islamicstudies.info)
In an interesting book, Wadaa' ar-Rasul li 'Ummatihi, Shaykh al-
Qahtaani recalls the final words that Rasulallâh said on his
deathbed.
After living a life of Jihâd, Dâ'wah, and Ibâdah, Rasulallâh,
sallallâhu 'alayhi wa sallam, gathered the people around him on his
deathbed and said, "I have left two things that you shall not go
astray after them so long as you stick to them: the Book of Allâh
and My Sunnah."
After Rasulallâh, sallallâhu 'alayhi wa sallam, moved onto ar-Rafîq
al-'Alâ, the Ummah was tested with humans that tried to corrupt,
discredit, or amputate the Sunnah from Islâm.
And from the depths of the Ummah's men and women, Allâh ta'ala
- from His mercy to the Ummah of Muhammad - raised up
warriors that would stand in the face of the most vicious of the
enemies of the Sunnah.
From those people that Allâh ta'ala raised was a young boy named
Ahmad. Ahmad lived in Baghdad over a thousand years ago. On
those cold wintery nights, his mother - the blessed Mu'minah that
she was - would wake long before Fajr to warm the water for her
son. Then - again long before Fajr - she would wake him to make
Wudhû, then she would wrap him in shawls and off through the
molten dark alleys of Baghdad they would carefully make their
way to the Masjid.
There was no male to escort him (he was an orphan), so Ahmad's
mother would take him that early so that he could get a good seat
in the hadîth halaqah after Fajr. Then she would wait for him long
after the sun rose to safely escort him back home. Her son grew up
to be one of these warrior defenders of the Sunnah, one of the four
Imâms of this Dîn, Imâm Ahmad ibn Hanbal.
In his collection, al-Musnad alone, he narrated from over 280
teachers.
He grew up under the shade of the Sunnah and he lived the
Sunnah. It was reported that he said, "I've never written a hadith
that I did not try to implement."
And he raised his children like this too. When you see other fathers
throwing a baseball with their young Muslims that Allâh entrusted
them with, remember this example:
Abdullâh, Imâm Ahmad's son, taught his students that when he
was young his father would play with him, "Take any chapter you
wish from the Musannaf of Wakî'. Ask me any hadîth and I'll tell
you the chain of narrators, or tell me any chain of narrators and I'll
tell you the hadith!"
He was challenged in his Deen like few other humans have been
challenged. His name remains engraved in our admiration till today
- across hundreds of years, across thousands of miles, across
thousands of nations - because of his love for the Sunnah and his
stand against those that would seek to corrupt it.
Reading through his life, I came across an event that brought back
sad memories. How do you feel when your father is swore at in
public. Imâm Ahmad once prayed 'Asr and he sat with his son in
the Masjid alone with another man by the name of Muhammad ibn
Sa'îd Al-Khuttalî. Al-Khuttalî then remarked, "Did you (O Ahmad)
MIA
tell the people to boycott Zayd ibn Khalaf?" Imam Ahmâd replied,
"I received a letter from his people asking about his affair, so I
replied explaining his Madhhab and what he has innovated (in the
Sunnah) and commanded that they not sit with him.." Al-Khuttalî
exploded in Imâm Ahmad's face, red with anger, "I'm going to
make sure you go back to prison. I'm going to have them crush
your ribs." The vulgarity grew louder and louder. Imâm Ahmad
turned to his son, "Don't reply to what he says and don't speak to
him."
Imâm Ahmad took his sandals - al-Khuttalî swearing from behind
his back - and told his son, "Tell the neighbors to not speak to him
nor to reply him." Imâm Ahmad stepped away as Al-Khuttalî
continued in the backround cursing and shouting profanity.
When the Khalifah al-Mu'tasim heard that Imâm Ahmad had not
agreed with him and his court Muftîs on a specific issue, they
brought him and questioned him in the courtyard of the Khalifah.
They would debate with him and like a gladiator with a spear he
would hit back with bigger and stronger arguments. The Muftîs
would shout, "O Khalifah, he has done Kufr!" Until the Al-
Mu'tasim was convinced and in came the executioners.
They stripped Imâm Ahmad and each of the strongest guards
would take turns lashing Imâm Ahmad until he fell unconscious.
Regardless of his state, they continued the lashing. The sun went
down that day and Imâm Ahmad had not relented in his faith. That
day he became an icon for all followers of Sunnah.
Qutaybah said, "If you ever see someone that loves Imâm Ahmad,
know that they are a follower of the Sunnah."
Al-Hasan ibn Arafah narrated, "I visited Imâm Ahmad ibn Hanbal
after he was whipped and tortured. I said to him, "O Abu Abdillâh,
you have reached the station of the Prophets!" He said, "Keep
quiet. Verily, I saw nothing more than people selling their Dîn.
And I saw scholars that were with me sell their Faith.
So I said to myself, 'Who am I, what am I. What am I going to say
to Allâh tomorrow when I stand in front of Him and He asks me,
"Did you sell your Dîn like the others did?" So I looked at the whip
and the sword and chose them.
And I said, "If I die I shall return to Allâh and say: 'I was told to
say that one of Your Characteristics was something created but I
did not.' After that, it will be up to Him - either to punish me or
forgive me."
Al-Hasan ibn Arafah then asked, "Did you feel pain when they
whipped you?" He said "Yes, I felt the pain up to 20 lashes then I
lost all feeling (They whipped him over eighty times). After it was
over I felt no pain and that day I prayed Dhuhr standing."
[In fact he prayed as the blood soiled his clothes.]
Al-Hasan ibn Arafah started weeping when he heard what had
happened. Imâm Ahmad questioned him, "Why are you crying? I
did not lose my Îman. After that why should I care if I lose my
life."
Qul lan yuseebana illa maa kataballaahu lana, huwa Mowlaana, wa
ala Allâhi falyatawakkalil mutawakkilun.
Before - when Imâm Ahmad was being led off to the Khalifah -
people had tried to dissuade him from a most certain execution.
Page 3 of 5 Sunday, November 28, 2010
 Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal By Various Authours (Islamicstudies.info)
His student: Al-Marrudhî had told him, "O teacher, Allâh says, Do
not kill yourselves." Imâm Ahmad had replied, "O Marrudhî, go
outside and tell me what you see." Al-Marrudhî went to the wall of
the Khalifah's court and saw an ocean of students with their pens
and scrolls in their hands.
Al-Marrudhî asked some of them, "What are you waiting here
for?" They said, "We are waiting to see what Ahmad will say and
then transcribe it." Al-Marrudhî went back to Imâm Ahmad and
told him what he had seen.
"O Marrudhî," he said, "what shall I gain by misguiding all those
people?"
Imâm Ahmad lived a life of poverty. When others eat lavishly
remember there were days - as 'Abdur-Razzaq recalls - that Imâm
Ahmad would make a mistake in Salâh. When 'Abdur-Razzaq
inquired further he learnt that Imam Ahmad had not eaten for 3
days.
In this life of poverty, hardship and trials, Abdullâh asked his
father one day, "Abi when will we ever relax?" His father, one of
the greatest revivers of the Sunnah, a role model for all Muslims,
looked him in the eye and said, "With the first step we take into
Jannah."
Rahim Allâhu Al-Imam Ahmad.
3. From the life and works of Imaam Ahmad Bin Hanbal
By Shaikh Saalih bin AbdulAziz Ala Shaikh
Source [Abridged from other Source]
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the All-Merciful, may
His Peace and Blessings be upon His Final Messenger, to proceed:
Dedicating One's Youth to Worship
Since his childhood, Imaam Ahmad (may Allah have Mercy on
him) could be seen with signs of nusuk on him. Ma'roof Al-
Karkhee (may Allah have Mercy on him) said, "I saw Ahmad bin
Hanbal when he was a young boy, and he had signs of nusuk on
him. I used to hear him making statements that were full of
benefit." This statement describes how he was upon guidance even
as a young boy. He used to be seen with signs of nusuk on him.
What is meant by nusuk is worship and acts of obedience. The
effects of worship and obedience are not only physical ones seen in
the appearance and dress, but their effects are also found in one's
speech, manners, in the acts of worship and obedience themselves,
and in one's preference for the Next Life over this one.
Imaam Ahmad said about his own self, "I did not marry until after
I reached 40 years of age." His companions said that this was
because he used to be busy traveling to seek knowledge before
that. He went to Makkah, and from there to San'aa'. There is a
story about this trip:
He set out with his companion, Yahyaa ibn Ma'een, for Hajj. He
said to Yahyaa, "When I finish Hajj, verily I am going to Yemen to
meet the scholar of Yemen, the scholar of Hadith, 'AbdurRazzaq
bin Hammaam As-San'ani." When they reached Makkah, they
found that 'AbdurRazzaq was making Hajj that year as well. So
Yahyaa knew who he was and met him. He saw him going around
MIA
the Ka'bah, and since he knew him, he went and greeted him.
Yahyaa said to 'AbdurRazzaq, and they knew each other, "This is
Ahmad bin Hanbal." So 'AbdurRazzaq became happy about this
and said, "It has reached us that he is a person who has a lot of
goodness." When they prayed their two rak'ahs after making
tawwaaf, Yahyaa said to Imaam Ahmad, "Ahmad, our provisions
for the journey to San'aa' have been used. And here is
'AbdurRazzaq, so let us stay with him so we can take some
narrations from him." Imaam Ahmad said to Yahyaa bin Ma'een,
"My intention is still present, and I will not oppose it. So I will
continue on to San'aa'." This shows the effects of his commitment
to the hardships of seeking knowledge. A trip to San'aa' in that
time was not made in cars or airplanes or the likes, rather it was
only made with great hardships, the realities of which can not be
described.
Ma'roof said, "I saw Ahmad bin Hanbal when he was a young boy
and he had signs of nusuk on him." In reality, this is what we
should see in our children, that they work hard to correct
themselves in their youth, in their early years. Because at this age,
if they do not build upon this foundation with what is correct, with
acts of worship and obedience, then it will be very difficult after
that, except for those whom Allah, the Mighty and Exalted,
excludes.
Whoever holds to His Religion in his youth, firmness will return to
him. Someone being devout or obedient is not just a claim or a
verbal ascription to something, nor is it something seen only from
the outside. Rather devoutness in the Religion entails one taking on
serious rituals, he must worship, and he must be obedient.
This leads us to the story when Imaam Ahmad once hosted one of
his students in Hadith, 'AbdusSamad bin Sulaymaan. When he was
hosting him in his house, and it came time to sleep, he brought him
some water to make wudhoo' from or for general use. Then he
went to sleep. When the morning came, Imaam Ahmad saw that all
of the water was still there, so he asked about it. ''AbdusSamad
replied, "I did not use the water." Imaam Ahmad said, "A student
of the narrations who does not do anything at night?!"
He meant, "All the way to the morning, you did not pray in the
night?! You did not worship!? You did not even pray two
rak'ahs?!" 'AbdusSamad replied, "Verily I am a traveler." He said,
"Even as a traveler!" Meaning, "Where is the witr? Where is the
prayer?"
So without a doubt, if this was important in that day and time for
cultivating one's soul and getting set in the proper direction, then
we are in more need of it today. This is the case especially with the
youth who seek knowledge, or those holding tight to their
guidance, or those who display the effects of prayer, or those who
are keen in doing good deeds.
One must keep his soul tied to some acts of worship. No doubt,
one must keep his soul tied to some acts of obedience. If you force
the soul to be obedient, it will become obedient. If you abandon it,
then it will be a soul that gravitates toward wrongdoing.
It has been related that the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam)
said, "Whoever shows enduring patience, Allah will make him
firm upon patience." [Sahih Al-Bukhari]
Therefore, this description of Imaam Ahmad proves that he had an
upbringing based on obedience to Allaah and acts of worship, so
much so that he used to force his soul to shun many worldly things
Page 4 of 5 Sunday, November 28, 2010
 Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal By Various Authours (Islamicstudies.info)
and to take on great hardships. The result of this was that he
established his soul firmly upon obedience to Allah, the Mighty
and Exalted.
Humbling Oneself and Rejecting Popularity
From the guidance that we will take from the fountains of Imaam
Ahmad that do not dry up, is the statement of Muhammad bin
Hasan bin Haaroon, "I saw that when Abu 'Abdullah walked the
streets, he hated that someone would walk behind him."
Furthermore, 'Abdullah, the son of Imaam Ahmad, said, "When he
went out to Juma'ah prayer, my father would not allow anyone to
follow behind him, and he used to stop until the people following
him would pass him up."
Why was that? Because this is a trial for the one being followed,
and a form of humiliation to the follower. Imaam Ahmad knew
that if someone followed him, he would benefit, either from his
supplications, or perhaps he would ask a question, but, from his
keenness to remedy his soul, he disliked to be tested by having a
group of people following behind him.
A simple affair from something everyone does - he would not be
pleased with anyone following him, rather he loved to walk by
himself. He was so keen on keeping himself pure, by going out to
the prayer and returning to his house alone.
These manners will help everyone who has been tested by Allah
with a following of people, whether the people look up to him
because of knowledge, status, or even worldly things. He must
humble himself and not assist the Shaytan in destroying his own
self.
He must shun all avenues leading to this. If he sees within himself
any amazement or pride with himself pride, or that he sees himself
as being great, then he must lower himself and be humble so that
he can set himself straight. This is because pride is a huge thing,
one of the major sins.
The Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) said, "The one who has
even the smallest particle of pride in his heart will not enter
Paradise." [Reported by Imaam Muslim in his Sahih #263]
This is what is binding on all those that the people follow, that they
know this is a test from Allah and they dedicate themselves to
lowering themselves and having humility. And those who follow
them should be careful as well, they should not go against someone
trying to work by this advice.
So if a person finds a scholar trying to be humble like this, then let
him be easy on him. Let him benefit from him in any environment
he finds him in, at study circles, in classrooms, etc., however, he
must not follow him to every place as he may detest that. Every
sincere scholar dedicated to the education of the people hates to
have the people follow him, and he hates that they say great things
about him, since praise is something that he fears will affect his
heart.
Ibn Masud (Radhiallahu Án) said, advising his students,
prohibiting them from following him, "This is a belittlement of the
followers and a trial for the one being followed."
Praying at Night
MIA
One of Imaam Ahmad's students, 'Abd-us-Samad bin Sulaymaan,
said, "I stayed with Ahmad bin Hanbal. He left for me a container
of water. In the morning he found that I had not used it. He said, 'A
companion of the narrations, and he has no activity in the night?!' I
told him, 'I am a traveler.' He replied, 'Even as a traveler!'"
This is an outstanding lesson from Imaam Ahmad! The student of
knowledge must keep himself upon some rites of worship, he must
have an eagerness to get close to Allah, the Mighty and Majestic.
How will he memorize the Sunnah? How will he gain knowledge?
How will he learn? How will he gain understanding? How will he
comprehend the meanings of the Quran? How will he understand
its explanation? How will he memorize the Quran when he does
not keep himself firm upon acts of worship and obedience?
He must dedicate himself specifically to praying at night, with
whatever is easy for him. Allah says: "Stand the night except for a
little" [Quran Surah Al-Muzzammil #73 Verse #2] Then, Allah the
Exalted says in the last part of the same chapter: "Then recite from
the Quran what is easy " [Quran Surah Al-Muzzammil #73 Verse
#20] This means that you stand for a time that is easy on you, even
if it is only three rak'ahs. Stand for whatever is easy for you. It can
not be that the norm for the student of knowledge is that he does
not pray tahajjud at night, that he does not dedicate himself to
some worship. The righteous man, the one who seeks to correct
himself, must have a special concern for this great act of worship,
standing in the night.
Praying at night is one thing. These days we need to talk about
something even more serious. We have to talk about offering the
Far prayer in congregation! If the people of the past were advised
to take care of their prayers at night, then where are we?! in these
times when many of the people who ascribe to righteousness can
not even master praying the Far prayer in congregation!
Then how will our affair be, and what should we be talking about?
No doubt the affair is not easy, so let every one of us inspect our
own selves. Let us repent sincerely, without delay, from every sin.
If we have been negligent of our duties, then repentance is
obligatory. If we have been negligent of recommended things, then
a person renews his commitment to seek Allah's great Bounties.
Allah the Exalted has described the people of taqwaa in Surah Ath-
Thaariyaat : " Verily the pious will be in gardens and springs,
Receiving what Allah has given them, Verily they used to do good
works before that, They used to sleep little at night, And they used
to seek forgiveness in the morning " [Quran Surah Ath-Thaariyaat
#51 Verses #14-18]
Al-Hasan Al-Basri (may Allah have Mercy on him) spoke about
these two verses "They used to sleep little at night, And they used
to seek forgiveness in the morning ", with some very remarkable
comments. He said, "They stood the night praying, and when the
early morning came they sought forgiveness, fearing that their
prayers would not be accepted from them."
These are the kinds of statements that come from those who have
live hearts. We may have no part in the affair except to convey the
narration, as the ones who we narrate to may be more receptive
and understanding of them than the narrator.
Page 5 of 5 Sunday, November 28, 2010