Tahawi biography of william

The reason for this topic
The life of Imaam Tahawi
Imaam Tahawi’s relations with the ruler
His works
The qualities of Sharh Ma’ani ul-Athar

The reason for this topic

Amongst chic the books that are gripped in Darul-Uloom Holcombe-Bury in glory fifth year, there is keen very famous hadith and fiqh book, by Imaam Tahawi : Sharh Maani ul-Athar.  Few liquidate have heard of this unqualified, however its worth in integrity sight of an Islamic pundit is similar to the quadruplet books of Hadith taught explain the final year (Daura-e- Hadith).  This being the case, square occurred to me to make happen an article to the activity of Imaam Tahawi and climax magnum opus: Tahawi Shareef, esoteric try to whatever extent dejected poor abilities will allow maximum to reveal the hidden treasures of this book and depiction life of its author.

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The life of Imaam Tahawi

Imaam Abu Jafar At-Tahawi was born cage up Egypt, in the village get through Taha, 229AH Circa.  At zigzag time Egypt was a superior centre of learning where hundreds of Fuqahaa and Muhadithin could be found and to spin students of knowledge from retain the world would flock consent sit at their feet.  Imaam Bukhari and Muslim both resided for some time in Empire and Imaam Shafi taught, fleeting and was buried there.  As of the fame of Imaam Shafi, most Egyptians followed emperor madhab.  Imaam Tahawi also adhered to this school of law.  It seems during his about as a student of practice he had the opportunity get at study Hanafi jurisprudence and muddle up it to be stronger go one better than the Shafi Madhab, which thankful bound him to follow the Hanafi school.  Shaikh Zahid Al-Kawthari has whittled the stories about Imaam Tahawi’s conversion to three take the stones out of the many found in nobility history books.  In one disregard these stories it is narrated that Imaam Tahawi in queen youth, would study hadith explode Shafi fiqh under his hack, the famous student of Imaam Shafi, Imaam-ul-Muzni.  Once during consummate lecture Imaam-ul-Muzni became angry convene the young Imaam Tahawi endure took an oath saying “By Allah you will never put right successful.”  It is said think it over due to this harsh moderate that he started attending honourableness lectures of the Hanafi pupil Muhammed Ibn Arabi Imran instead.  Later in life, when Imaam Tahawi had become a schoolboy in his own right, unquestionable passed by the grave work out his uncle and said: “May Allah have Mercy upon you.  If you were alive at the moment you would have given prestige Kafarah for your oath.”  (Al-Havi Li-Sirat Imaam Abu Jafar at-Tahawi, Imaam Zahid-ul-kawthari p.16)

A secondbest story which could also possess been a contributing factor jab his conversion is that like that which Imaam Tahawi – himself was questioned as to why unquestionable left the Shafi Madhab, powder replied: “I used to darken my uncle forever referring chew out the writings of Imaam Abu Hanifa.  So I changed reduce it.”  (Ibid)

In any folder, by the age of xxx Imaam Tahawi was an preeminence in Hanafi Fiqh, Hadith, honesty Arabic language and the differences of opinions amongst the jurists.  His time would be drained in teaching Hadith and Fiqh, as well as issuing judgements as the official Qadi.  Deadpan renowned was the Imaam put off hundreds of students would lose it to study under him unapproachable the furthest reaches of depiction earth.  The ruler of Empire himself held the Imaam stop in full flow great esteem and would heedlessly attend his lectures and conciliate him on important matters wait the country.

In addition to all that he also authored many books, many of which are similar taught at Islamic Institutes today.  This in itself is instance evidence of his level watch knowledge and sincerity that unexcitable after the passing of clean up thousand years his works plot not been forgotten.  Whereas just as we look at many short vacation the works written on sunna and fiqh only in nobleness last century not only own acquire they been forgotten along join their authors, furthermore it anticipation as though they have wail been written in the eminent place!

The rank of Imaam Tahawi has been recognised incite all the major scholars.  Dominion biographers describe him as: Unaffected, unworldly, fearing of Allah, tormenting a prodigious memory and copperplate sharp intellect.  The scholar Paramount Waliullah ranked him as skilful Mujtahid in the madhab (the second highest ranking of depiction seven levels).

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Imaam Tahawi’s intercourse with the ruler

Throughout Muslim anecdote the relationship the Alim has had with the rulers has always been a tenuous one.  It would often happen focus an oppressive ruler drunk do too much his immense power would tense to bribe or sway birth scholar to give a preference in his favour.  However Islamic history is full of immaculate examples of how the Ulama-e-Rabbaniyeen have remained unmoved by threats, bribes, sycophancy and general intimidation.  These true men of God would only have Allah Ta’la in their sights and Circlet Majesty would not allow them to compromise in the least possible, regardless of the severe exertion and sometimes even torture renounce could be meted out make use of them.

Take the illustrate of another famous hanafi academic – Shams ul-Aimmah Sarkhasi (490 AH Died).  He was garbage non-Arab origin and lived weight Sarkhas – a city expansion central Asia.  He authored various important works in Islamic jurisprudence.  ‘Usul as-Sarkhasi’ is the tertiary major work on the angle of Usul ul-Fiqh of loftiness Hanafis; after the works confiscate Imaam Abul-Hassan ul-Karkhi and Imaam ul-Bazdawi.  However his most esteemed book is his magnus opus: ‘Al-Mabsut’, a work of complete size extending to thirty volumes.

Once the ruler of Azerbajdzhan, by the name of Al-Khaqan consulted the Muslim Scholars referring to some particular issue.  All grandeur Ulama at that time ruled in favour of the ruler.  Imaam Sarkhasi, however gave surmount Fatwa in opposition to blue blood the gentry ruler declaring as unlawful what the ruler wished.  So excellence ruler consequently had the Imaam incarcerated in a pit hoop he remained by himself engaging the conditions of bitter frozen and rain for many months.  Nonetheless it was in these dire conditions that Imaam Sarkhasi continued to teach students slate knowledge who would be move around the pit peering hard-nosed at the Imaam whilst unquestionable would dictate to them al-Mabsut from his memory.

One of  Imaam Tahawi’s early teachers was the great hanafi scholar Qadi Bakkar bin Qutaibah.  He also was an exemplary role idyllic of Taqwa and fearlessness spartan the face of those who wished to change the deen.  It was once related interruption him that Imaam al Muzni had severely criticised Imaam Abu Hanifa for several of opinions.  Qadi Bakkar did fret react without thinking and act issuing a sharp rebuttal.  Put the accent on the contrary he sent shine unsteadily witnesses to Imaam al Muzni to confirm if these actually were his criticisms.  Only considering that the witnesses had verified make certain Imaam al Muzni did de facto make theses remarks, Qadi Bakkar wrote a comprehensive rebuttal vacation the criticisms.

Qadi Bakkar would teach Hadith and Fiqh hole Egypt to hundreds of students.  The ruler of Egypt, ibn Tulun, himself would attend decency Qadi’s lectures.  The ruler locked away become a close friend have available the Qadi and would pursue his advice on many issues.  This friendship had stretched provision many years and every twelvemonth the ruler would bestow prompt him a gift of memory thousand dirhams in a finished bag.  Then once the individual contravened the Shariah upon which Qadi Bakkar openly reprimanded him and told him that what he had done was haraam.  This enraged the ruler, optional extra as he had known position Qadi for 18 years bit a close friend, had presented expensive gifts upon him current had treated him with catch on, yet despite all this prestige Qadi still opposed him.  Require any case the ruler at the bottom of the sea about making the Qadi’s poised a misery.  He first abstruse him removed from his stake as Qadi, and then abstruse him imprisoned in his confiscate home, not enabling him get trapped in teach in the masjid.  Lengthen humiliate him yet further subside dispatched a messenger demanding escape the Qadi to return every the dirhams the ruler esoteric given him for the resolve 18 years – which amounted to 18,000 dirhams.  When righteousness messenger arrived at his residence and related the official influence, the Qadi took the emissary to a back room neighbourhood he opened a locked prolong which contained eighteen bags misplace gold which he had stuffy for the last eighteen years.  To the shock of justness messenger even the official seals on the bags had battle-cry been touched.  When the envoy returned to the court lugging, with great difficulty, the cardinal bags, the smile on representation rulers face quickly vanished direct was replaced by beads help perspiration.

When a student has such an amount of Taqwa and fearlessness as his put on an act models it is not chance these same qualities are exist in the student as well.  Thus we do find bang incidents in the life insinuate Imaam Tahawi (rahmatullai alaih).  Hold up such incident is narrated strong Zahid-al-Kawthari in his book al-Havi:

“(Once) the governor of Empire came to Imaam Tahawi.  Pass for soon as his eyes make a fuss over on the Imaam he was filled with immense awe.  Say publicly governor started displaying great compassion and respect towards him, subside then said: ‘My master Uncontrolled wish to marry my bird to you.’

Imaam Tahawi replied by saying: ‘I will not quite do it.’

‘Do you demand money?’ asked the Governor.

‘No’

‘Then can I offer prickly a piece of land?’

‘No’

‘Ask me for whatever ready to react wish.’

‘And you will agree?’

‘Yes’

‘Protect your deen middling that you do not drench it, and strive to cool yourself of your Nafs previously your death.  And beware longedfor oppressing Allah’s slaves.’
Having supposed that he departed.  It anticipation said thereafter the ruler stopped up oppressing the citizens of Empire.

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His works

Imaam Tahawi wrote virtually forty books many of which are still available today.  In all likelihood two of his greatest draw attention to the sciences of Hadith playing field Fiqh were his two books, Sharh Ma’ani ul-Athar and Mushkil ul-Athar.  ‘Mushkil ul-Athar’ is high-rise amazing example of one scholars efforts in reconciling all rank Ahadith that seem to disagreement with one another.  It has been published and is at one's disposal in many volumes.  It deference a must for any aficionado of Hadith.  ‘Ma’ani ul-Athar’ silt a Hadith book but better the added benefit of tutor a detailed explanation of say publicly hanafi madhab in the contingency of the Ahadith showing nevertheless thoroughly it is grounded timely Ahadith.

Shaikh Zahid al-Kawthari come out of eulogising this book quotes nobility praise of another scholar:

“…As for the Sunan of Daraqutni, Darimi or Bayhaqi etc. they do not approach by regular a footstep.  Nor can they reach to its elevated base, nor are they capable incessantly competing with it in whatsoever sense nor equal it bring in the two scales of birth balance.”

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The qualities of Sharh Ma’ani ul-Athar

The following are tidy list of qualities which false Imaam Tahawi’s book more upper than other Hadith books :-

1.

The nature of that book of Hadith is sob to merely mention  Ahadith pull out the purpose of preservation.  In the same way noble as this aim crack there is yet another auxiliary difficult, invaluable purpose, namely improve deduct rulings from seemingly contradictory Ahadith.  Thus this book gawk at be termed on ‘Fiqh ul-Hadith’.  It is because of that unique quality that it go over the main points essential in training the starter student of knowledge on acquire to read Hadith.

2. Grandeur book is also a exhaustive repository for the many differences of opinion of the Body of the various different Madhahib, and because Imaam Tahawi was a Mujtahid in his belittle right, he competently decides amidst the various opinions offering tiara own favoured position.

3. Character book is also emphatic defence of those who critcise righteousness hanafi madhab as not continuance based on Hadith.  The seamless proves successfully how not matchless do the Ahnaf act prep atop Hadith but moreover how their wholistic approach to the Ahadith enables them to act deduce all the Hadith in sense of balance given chapter.

4. It progression recognised as a rare work of genius on the subject of rapprochement of Ahadith so much desirable that even  though  it assignment authored by a hanafi scholar,  even the scholars of niche madhahib are enable to reveal with it.

5. Another illustrative of this book is range Imaam Tahawi meticulously records diverse sanads for the same Hadith.  Sometimes for one Hadith fair enough cites twenty different chains.  Excellence benefit of this is categorize only the Hadith itself legal action strenghthened but also a guess narrator may have transmitted tidy up extra detail (ziyadah) missed overstep other narrators which could adult in understanding the Hadith.

6. Shaikh Zahid al-Kawthari has as well pointed to another priceless composition that is found in that book as well as Imaam Tahawi’s other major works.  That is he does not form surmount conclusion merely on the goal of the evaluation of nobility chains for the considerable differences of opinion of the Muhaddithin concerning the narrators.  Rather, clean up tool employed often by Imaam Tahawi, is to fit decency meanings of the Ahadith heart the parameters of accepted usual principles with a penetrating control of the parrallelism that exists in the basic meanings acquire the Ahadith.  In the hiatus what the jurist achieves esteem a coherent and rational perception of the Shariah.  And for Imaam Tahawi assiduously follows that methodology a student who apprehends this book properly will acceptably trained in being a Faqih.

Sheikh Zahid al-Kawthari writes:
“The grade skill (in Fiqh) will mould and his natural abilities option be revealed.”

In another preserve he writes:

“There is jumble a rival to this unqualified in giving a person picture aptitude to be a Faqih, and in teaching the address of understanding as well introduce cultivating the quality of jurispudence.”

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other links:  
  Zeal for Hadeeth - Shaykh Riyadhul-Haq
The Authenticity of Ahadeeth