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Four Imaams (130)
Imaam Waaqidi (rahimahullah), the renowned historian, narrates that many people were jealous of Imaam Maalik (rahimahullah). Hence, they went to Ja’far bin Sulaimaan who was the governor of Madinah Munawwarah at that time. One of them said to the governor, “Imaam Maalik (rahimahullah) does not have regard for the pledges of allegiance made to you. Also, he accepts the Hadith regarding the divorce of a compelled person being invalid and thus passes the Fatwa that the divorce of a compelled person is invalid.”
When Ja’far bin Sulaimaan heard this, he became angry and summoned Imaam Maalik (rahimahullah). When Imaam Maalik (rahimahullah) was brought, his arms were pulled until his shoulders were dislocated.
Imaam Waaqidi (rahimahullah) concludes by mentioning, “By Allah! After he was beaten, Imaam Maalik (rahimahullah) remained in honor and high regard among the people.”
Mis‘ar bin Kidaam (rahimahullah) narrates the following:
I once went to Imaam Abu Hanifah (rahimahullah) in his Musjid and saw that he was performing the Fajr Salaah. After completing Salaah, he commenced teaching his students, and he continued to teach them until the time for Zuhr Salaah set in. After performing the Zuhr Salaah, he continued to teach the students until the Asr Salaah, and thereafter continued until it was close to the time of Maghrib. Similarly, after performing the Maghrib Salaah, he continued to teach the students until the Esha Salaah.
Seeing the extent to which Imaam Abu Hanifah (rahimahullah) was engaged in teaching the knowledge of Deen, I wondered, within my heart, when it was that he engaged in nafl ‘ibaadah. With this thought in mind, I decided to observe him and thus remained behind him. Once the people had left after Esha, he entered the Musjid. He had applied a perfume of exquisite fragrance that is generally used by a person at the time of marriage. He then stood in Salaah and continued to perform Salaah until the time of Fajr. On completing his Tahajjud Salaah, he proceeded to his home, changed his clothing, and returned to the Musjid where he performed the Fajr Salaah.
Hasan bin Ayyoob Al-Baghdaadi (rahimahullah) narrates that a person once said to Imaam Ahmed bin Hambal (rahimahullah), “O Abu ‘Abdillah! May Allah Ta‘ala keep you alive upon Islam!” Hearing this du‘aa, Imaam Ahmed (rahimahullah) immediately responded, “Not only upon Islam, but also upon the Mubaarak Sunnah of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam).”
(Manaaqib Imaam Ahmed libnil Jowzi pg. 243)
Abu Bakr Khallaal (rahimahullah) narrates that one of Imaam Ahmed (rahimahullah)’s students mentioned the following:
Imaam Ahmed (rahimahullah) once said to me, “I did not write any Hadith from Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) except that I also practiced upon it, to the extent that I came across the Hadith which mentions that Nabi (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) underwent cupping and thereafter gave Abu Taibah (the one who carried out the cupping) a Dinar. Hence, when I underwent cupping, I gave a Dinar to the one who had carried out the cupping.”
(Manaaqib Imaam Ahmed libnil Jowzi pg. 246)
Khalaf bin ‘Umar (rahimahullah) narrates:
I was once with Imaam Maalik bin Anas (rahimahullah) when ibn Abi Katheer (rahimahullah), the Qari of the people of Madinah Munawwarah, approached him and handed a piece of paper to him. On receiving the piece of paper, Imaam Maalim (rahimahullah) glanced at it and thereafter placed it beneath the musallah. When ibn Abi Katheer (rahimahullah) stood to leave, I also began to stand, but Imaam Maalik (rahimahullah) said to me, “O Khalaf! Sit, and hand me the piece of paper.”
The Values of Islam in the Words of Imaam Shaafi‘ee (rahimahullah)
Written by user2Hasan bin ‘Abdil ‘Azeez Al-Jarawi Al-Misri (rahimahullah) narrates that Imaam Shaafi‘ee (rahimahullah) once said, “I never debated with any person and hoped that he would err, and I do not possess any knowledge in my heart except that I desire that every person could possess the same knowledge, without the knowledge being attributed to me.”
Rabee’ (rahimahullah) mentions, “I once entered the presence Imaam Shaafi‘ee (rahimahullah) while he was ill. I then heard him say, after mentioning the kitaabs that he had compiled, “I wish that the entire creation could acquire this knowledge without any of this knowledge being attributed to me.”
Mis‘ar bin Kidaam (rahimahullah) narrates:
Imaam Abu Hanifah (rahimahullah) had prepared a set of clothing that was more valuable than all his other clothing. This set comprised of a kurta, pants, shawl and turban, and its value was 1500 Dirhams or perhaps even more than that.
After performing the Esha Salaah, when all the people had retired to bed, Imaam Abu Hanifah (rahimahullah) would remove the clothing which he had worn during the day and would wear this extremely valuable set of clothing. After donning this set of clothing, he would apply ‘itr and thereafter stand in Salaah until the time of Fajr set in.
The Khalifah, Mutawakkil, succeeded the Khalifah, Waathiq, in 232 A.H. He held Imaam Ahmed in high esteem, but Imaam Ahmed remained cautious since he regarded the favors of the king as a temptation towards evil. Once, Mutawakkil sent him a bag of ten thousand dirhams and about two hundred dinaars. It was emphasized that he should accept it, lest the king be offended if the gift was refused. Imaam Ahmed (rahimahullah) did not even look at it. At the time of Maghrib, he called his son, Saalih, and said, “Keep this by you.”
Before dawn the next morning, Imaam Ahmed (rahimahullah) called for his son who immediately came. He said to him, “I have not slept last night”, and began to weep. He continued, “All my life, I remained safe from the rulers and kings. Now, in old age, I am being tested with them. I have decided to distribute this wealth in the morning.” That morning, he continued distributing the money to the various factions of the poor and needy until the entire amount was spent. He thereafter even gave the bag away to a destitute person. His son says, “We were experiencing such poverty (at the time) which only Allah Ta‘ala knew.”
(Sifatus Safwah 486/1)
‘Allaamah Subki (rahimahullah) mentions that on one occasion, Imaam Shaafi‘ee explained a mas’alah to Rabee’ bin Sulaymaan Al-Muraadi thirty nine times, yet he still did not understand it. Rabee’ then woke up and left the gathering out of shame. After the lesson, Imaam Shaafi‘ee (rahimahullah) called him in seclusion and again explained the mas’alah to him, with extreme love and affection, just as he had explained it during the thirty nine times. On the fortieth time, Rabee’ bin Sulaymaan understood it.
(Ma‘aalim-ul-Irshaadiyah pg 77)
Rabee’ bin Sulaymaan (rahimahullah) says that his ustaadh, Imaam Shafi‘ee (rahimahullah), would say to him out of love and affection, “If I could transform ‘Ilm (knowledge of Deen) into food and feed it to you, I would do so.”
(Ma’aalimul Irshaadiya pg. 78)
Hafiz Jalaal-ud-Deen Suyooti (rahimahullah) says that the ‘Ulamaa have mentioned that Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) had issued glad tidings in favor of Imaam Maalik (rahimahullah) in the following manner:
“Soon a time will come when people will travel lengthy journeys beating their camels in pursuit of ‘ilm. They will not find anyone as learned as the ‘Aalim of Madinah.”
Shaqeeq bin Ebrahim mentioned:
I was once in the company of Imaam Abu Hanifah (rahimahullah) who was on his way to visit a sick person, when another man was coming towards us in the opposite direction. When he saw Imaam Abu Hanifah (rahimahullah), he took cover and changed direction. Imaam Abu Hanifah (rahimahullah) shouted out his name and said, “O so and so! Walk in the direction you were walking in. Don’t change your direction now.” When he realized that Imaam Abu Hanifah (rahimahullah) had already seen him, he was overcome with shame and stood still. Upon reaching him, Imaam Abu Hanifah (rahimahullah) asked him the reason for avoiding him. He replied, “I owe you a long overdue amount of ten thousand dirhams which I am unable to pay. I have breached my promise of payment. I was overcome by shame when I saw you coming towards me.”
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Imaam Ahmed bin Hambal (rahimahullah) never called any of his Asaatizah by their names out of respect for them. Rather, he would refer to them by their titles.
(Aadaabul Muta‘allimeen)
Once, Imaam Ahmed (rahimahullah) was lying down due to some illness. In the middle of the discussion, someone mentioned the name of Ebrahim bin Tahmaan (rahimahullah). On hearing this name, Imaam Ahmed (rahimahullah) immediately sat up out of respect. He thereafter remarked, “It is inappropriate for the names of the elders to be mentioned whilst we are sitting and relaxing.”
(Aadaabul Muta‘allimeen)
Rabee’ (rahimahullah) mentions:
Imaam Shaafi‘ee (rahimahullah) used to divide his night into three portions. The first third was for writing, the second third for Salaah and the last third for rest.
Rabee’ (rahimahullah) also said:
In the month of Ramadhaan, Imaam Shaafi‘ee (rahimahullah) used to complete the recitation of the Qur’aan Majeed sixty times. However, it is not possible to calculate how much of it was accomplished in Salaah.
Respect for the Ahaadith of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam)
Written by user2Abu Salamah Khuzaa‘ee (rahimahullah) mentions:
Whenever Imaam Maalik (rahimahullah) intended to go and narrate the Ahaadith of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam), he would first perform wudhu, as a person performs wudhu for salaah. He would also wear his best clothing, wear a topi and comb his beard. When somebody asked him the reason for this, he replied, “I do this to honor the Ahaadith of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam).”
(Tahzeebul Kamaal 27/110)
Imaam Abu Hanifah’s (rahimahullah) Fear of Allah Ta‘ala
Written by user2Yazeed bin Kummait (rahimahullah) narrates the following:
Imaam Abu Hanifah (rahimahullah) possessed the fear of Allah Ta‘ala to a very high degree. On one occasion, ‘Ali bin Husain, the Mu’azzin, led the Esha Salaah and recited Surah Zilzaal. Imaam Abu Hanifah (rahimahullah) was also part of the congregation. After the Salaah was over and the people had departed, I looked towards Imaam Abu Hanifah (rahimahullah) and noticed that he was seated and deep in thought, breathing heavily. Seeing that he was preoccupied, I said to myself, “Let me depart, lest my presence distract him from whatever he is pondering over.” With this thought in mind, I stood and departed. At the time of my departure, the amount of oil remaining in the lamp was very little.