The Young man of Baghdad

al-Muzani said: “ash-Shafi’i (رحم الله) said: “I saw a young man in Baghdad, who, if he said: “Haddathana…” [1] the people would all say: “He has spoken the truth.” I asked him: “And who was he?” He replied: “Ahmad bin Hanbal (رحم الله)”

قال المُزَنيّ: قال لي الشّافعيّ: رأيتُ ببغداد شابًا إذا قال: حدَّثنا، قال النّاس كلّهم: صَدَق. قلت: من هو؟ قال: أحمد بن حنبل.

[تاريخ الإسلام ووفيات المشاهير والأعلام, (5/1013), {الطبعة: الثانية، 1413 هـ}]

[Source: Tareekh al-Islam (5/1013) {2nd Edition 1413 A.H.}]

Imaam Ahmad bin Hanbal  (رحم الله) said about himself :

“طلبتُ الحديثَ وأَنا ابن ستّ عشرةَ سنة”

[مناقب الإمام أحمد بن حنبل لابن الجوزي , (ص 26)]

“I began to study Hadeeth when I was sixteen years old”

[Source: Manaqib al-Imaam Ahmad bin Hanbal of Ibn al-Jawzee (رحم الله) , page 26]

He (رحم الله) also said:

“أنا أطلب العلم إلى أن أدخل القبر“

[مناقب الإمام أحمد بن حنبل لابن الجوزي , (ص 37)]

“I will seek knowledge until I enter the grave”

[Source: Manaqib al-Imaam Ahmad bin Hanbal of Ibn al-Jawzee (رحم الله) , page 37]

Footnote:

[1] “Haddathana” means “I was told”. This is an expression commonly used by scholars of Hadeeth to indicate that they heard a Hadeeth directly from someone.

Silence your opponents by 3 things

Imaam Ahmad (rahimahullaah) approved of what was related from Haatim Al-Asam, when it was said to him:

“You are a non-Arab and do not speak eloquently, yet no one debates you, except that you silence him. So with what do you gain victory over your opponents?”

So he responded: “By three things:

I become happy when my opponent speaks correctly (on a point).

I become grieved when he errs.

And I withhold my tongue from him, lest I should say something that would harm him” – or something with this meaning –

so Ahmad (rahimahullaah) said: “How wise of a man he is.”

Source: The Difference between Advising and Condemning (1/10) Of the Imaam, the Haafidh Zayn-ud-Deen Ibn Rajab Al-Hanbalee (rahimahullaah)

Arabic Text:

وقد استحسن الإمام أحمد (رحمه الله) ما حكي عن حاتم الأصم أنه قيل له:

أنت رجل أعجمي لا تفصح وما ناظرك أحد إلا قطعته فبأي شيء تغلب خصمك؟

فقال بثلاث:

أفرح إذا أصاب خصمي

وأحزن إذا أخطأ

وأحفظ لساني عنه أن أقول له ما يسوؤه أو معنى هذا

فقال أحمد(رحمه الله) : (ما أعقله من رجل) .

الفرق بين النصيحة والتعيير تصنيف ( 1/10) للإمام الحافظ زين الدين ابن رجب الحنبلي (رحمه الله)

The Salaf’s Manhaj with respect to the Innovators

The Scholars of the Salaf detest argumentation with the People of Innovation and sitting with them. In fact they forbade even the mentioning and quotation of their doubts and explaining them to the people and this was due to their fear of the weakness (if the one who quotes it, his incapability to refute it and render it futile the and as a result of which, he is put to trial by it after he had heard or read it.

In this there is a defense for the hearts of the Muslims and a protection for their minds and thoughts. This is an addition to it also being a means of humiliating the Innovators and a barrier against their opinions and their arrogation in not using the books of the Salaf for evaluating their deviant Opinions.

Among the narrations from the Salaf which make their methodology (with respect to the Innovators) clear are:

The saying of Sufyaan ath-Thawree (d. 161H), “Whoever hears an innovation, let him not inform his companions with it (so) that he does not throw it into their hearts (i.e., they become affected by it).” [Sharhus-Sunnah of al-Baghawee, 1/227]

Ayyoob as-Sakhtiyaanee said (d. 131H), “You will not refute them with anything more severe than silence (i.e., do not argue with them).” [Al-Ibanah of Ibn-Battah, 2/365-366]

‘Abdullaah ibn as-Sariyy said, “It is not the Sunnah with us, that the People of Desires should be argued with, but the Sunnah with us, is that we did not talk to a single one of them.” [Al-Ibanah of Ibn-Battah, 2/365-366]

Ma’mmar said, “The son of Taawoos (d. 104H) was sitting and a man from the Mu’tazilah came and began to speak. Taawoos placed his fingers in his ears and said, ‘0 my son! Place your fingers in your ears so that you do not hear anything of what he says, for this heart is weak (i.e., his son’s.)’ Then he said, ‘0 my son! Press you fingers harder, harder.’ And he never stopped saying, ‘Harder, until the man-stood and left.” [Reported by al-Laalikaa’ee in Sharh Usoolul-I’tiqaad, no. 248 with a different wording.]

This then, is the methodology of the Salaf in the affirmation and preservation of their ‘aqeedah and this will become clear to the one who looks into their books, from the earliest to the later times.

[Source: Taken from Imaam Ahmad ibn Hanbal (rahimahullaah)’s, ‘Usool us-sunnah’ Chapter 9]

Behavior towards Innovators

Ibn Haanee an-Neesaabooree said, “I witnessed Aboo ‘Abdullah, meaning Imaam Ahmad, on his way to the mosque and a man from the skeptics (innovators) gave him salaam. He did not return salaam to him and the man gave him salaam again. Imaam Ahmad pushed him away and did not return salaam to him.” [Masaa’il Imaam Ahmad of Ibn Haanee an-Neesaabooree, 2/153 ]

Aboo ‘Uthmaan as-Saaboonee (d. 449W) said, “And they avoid the People of Innovation and Misguidance, having enmity for the People of Desires and Ignorance. They hate the People of Innovation who introduce into the Deen that which is not from it. They do not love them, they do not accompany them, they do not listen to their words, nor sit with them or argue or dispute with them regarding the Deen. And they protect their ears from listening to their falsehoods, which if they pass by the cars and settle in the hearts, harm the hearts and bring corrupt ideas and whisperings upon them.” [Aqeedatus-Salaf wa Ashaabil-Hadeeth, p. 99]

The fundamental principles of the Sunnah

The Aider of the Sunnah and Destroyer of Innovations, Imaam Ahmad (d.241 H) (may Allaah have mercy on him) said,

“The fundamental principles of the Sunnah with us are:

(i) Holding fast to what the Companions of Allaah’s Messenger (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam) were upon.

(ii) Seeking them (and their way) as a model of guidance.

(iii) Abandoning innovation, for every innovation is misguidance.

(iv) Abandoning controversies and abandoning sitting with the People of Desires.

(v) And abandoning quarrelling, argumentation and controversies in the religion.”

[Reported by al-Laalikaa’ee in his Sharh Usoolul-I’tiqaad (1/152)].