Post by aidh on Apr 17, 2017 15:30:24 GMT
QUESTION:
ANSWER:
Hujjat al-Islam Imam Abu Hamid al-Ghazali رحمه الله is no doubt from the cream of the scholars which the Ummah has produced.
He was a remarkable scholar and unique. He held mastery over the intellectual sciences; Logic, Philosophy and Islamic theology were bent to his will. He was also known for his acumen and piercing thoughts in the sciences of legislation and jurisprudence (al-fiqh) and authored books on principles (usul al-fiqh). In addition to this, we cannot forget his amazing spiritual insights and kingship over asceticism.
Despite these amazing talents, it is unfortunate to learn that he had limited expertise in Hadith.
The great Imam himself states in his book, Qanun al-Ta'wil (pg.16),
For this reason, sadly, his numerous great works are replete with weak and even sometimes fabricated narrations of the Prophet ﷺ. In particular, his celebrated Ihya 'Ulum al-Din (The Revival of the Religious Sciences) contains a great deal of narrations from this category.
The great Syrian Hadith Master Shaykh 'Abd al-Fattah Abu Ghudda رحمه الله reveals the reason behind this, saying:
A list of scholars and their works on the Ahadith (plural of Hadith) of the Ihya are listed below:
● Imam Zayn al-Din al-Iraqi al-Shafi'i (Abd al-Rahim ibn al-Husayn) رحمه الله in two works. The first effort on Ihya was published in seven large volumes and the second was a summary of the first, titled: al-Mughni 'an Haml al-Asfar.
● Imam Taj al-Din al-Subki al-Shafi'i رحمه الله under the biography of al-Ghazali in his Tabaqat al-Shafi'iyya Al-Kubra; he composes a sub-section wherein he lists some narrations which have no Sanad (chain of narration).
● Imam al-Murtada al-Zabidi al-Hindi al-Hanafi رحمه الله in his renowned interpretation of the Ihya titled Ithaf al-Sada al-Muttaqin.
● Imam Abu al-Faraj Abd al-Rahman ibn al-Jawzi al-Hanbali رحمه الله in his I'lam al-Ahya bi Aghlat al-Ihya.
● Imam Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani al-Shafi'i رحمه الله in one volume, which comprises those narrations left out by his teacher al-Iraqi.
● Imam Qasim ibn Qutlubugha al-Hanafi رحمه الله in his work titled: Tuhfat al-Ahya fi ma Fata min Takhrij al-Ihya.
One should take note while using the works of Imam al-Ghazali, to recheck the Hadith which he has brought in the illuminating discussion, purely to save oneself from wrongfully attributing a narration to the prophet ﷺ.
(Adapted from al-Ajwibat al-Fadila of 'Allama 'Abd al-Hayy al-Laknawi رحمه الله. With accompanying footnotes of Abd al-Fattah Abu Ghudda رحمه الله, pp.118-120)
May Allah ﷻ grant us sincerity and correct understanding and accept our earnest efforts in seeking knowledge.
AMEEN.
Muʿādh Kapodrawi
Is Imam al-Ghazali رحمه الله considered an authority in Hadith?
ANSWER:
Hujjat al-Islam Imam Abu Hamid al-Ghazali رحمه الله is no doubt from the cream of the scholars which the Ummah has produced.
He was a remarkable scholar and unique. He held mastery over the intellectual sciences; Logic, Philosophy and Islamic theology were bent to his will. He was also known for his acumen and piercing thoughts in the sciences of legislation and jurisprudence (al-fiqh) and authored books on principles (usul al-fiqh). In addition to this, we cannot forget his amazing spiritual insights and kingship over asceticism.
Despite these amazing talents, it is unfortunate to learn that he had limited expertise in Hadith.
The great Imam himself states in his book, Qanun al-Ta'wil (pg.16),
"My work in the field of Hadith is not much."
For this reason, sadly, his numerous great works are replete with weak and even sometimes fabricated narrations of the Prophet ﷺ. In particular, his celebrated Ihya 'Ulum al-Din (The Revival of the Religious Sciences) contains a great deal of narrations from this category.
The great Syrian Hadith Master Shaykh 'Abd al-Fattah Abu Ghudda رحمه الله reveals the reason behind this, saying:
"We should absolve him of this guilt; he relied upon the treatise of Abu Talib Al-Makki entitled Qut al-Qulub, so al-Ghazali copied down all the narrations which al-Makki had penned in his work.
For this reason, a number of Hadith scholars have made an effort to research the statements and grade their authenticity. It was a sincere attempt to save the innocent reader from accepting a weak or fabricated hadith as being the words of the Prophet ﷺ while concurrently keeping the scholarly status of the Imam in mind."
For this reason, a number of Hadith scholars have made an effort to research the statements and grade their authenticity. It was a sincere attempt to save the innocent reader from accepting a weak or fabricated hadith as being the words of the Prophet ﷺ while concurrently keeping the scholarly status of the Imam in mind."
A list of scholars and their works on the Ahadith (plural of Hadith) of the Ihya are listed below:
● Imam Zayn al-Din al-Iraqi al-Shafi'i (Abd al-Rahim ibn al-Husayn) رحمه الله in two works. The first effort on Ihya was published in seven large volumes and the second was a summary of the first, titled: al-Mughni 'an Haml al-Asfar.
● Imam Taj al-Din al-Subki al-Shafi'i رحمه الله under the biography of al-Ghazali in his Tabaqat al-Shafi'iyya Al-Kubra; he composes a sub-section wherein he lists some narrations which have no Sanad (chain of narration).
● Imam al-Murtada al-Zabidi al-Hindi al-Hanafi رحمه الله in his renowned interpretation of the Ihya titled Ithaf al-Sada al-Muttaqin.
● Imam Abu al-Faraj Abd al-Rahman ibn al-Jawzi al-Hanbali رحمه الله in his I'lam al-Ahya bi Aghlat al-Ihya.
● Imam Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani al-Shafi'i رحمه الله in one volume, which comprises those narrations left out by his teacher al-Iraqi.
● Imam Qasim ibn Qutlubugha al-Hanafi رحمه الله in his work titled: Tuhfat al-Ahya fi ma Fata min Takhrij al-Ihya.
One should take note while using the works of Imam al-Ghazali, to recheck the Hadith which he has brought in the illuminating discussion, purely to save oneself from wrongfully attributing a narration to the prophet ﷺ.
(Adapted from al-Ajwibat al-Fadila of 'Allama 'Abd al-Hayy al-Laknawi رحمه الله. With accompanying footnotes of Abd al-Fattah Abu Ghudda رحمه الله, pp.118-120)
May Allah ﷻ grant us sincerity and correct understanding and accept our earnest efforts in seeking knowledge.
AMEEN.
Muʿādh Kapodrawi