Abstract

Abu ‘Abdillāh Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Hanbal Shaybānī (166-241 AH/780-855 CE) [1] is the founder of one of the four schools of Sunni jurisprudence and his book al-Musnad [2] is considered among the most comprehensive and early collections of hadīth. It contains some 30,000 sayings attributed to the Prophet and the period of its writing makes it among the foremost of the sihāh al-sittah (six authentic books) of the Sunni sect. One of the characteristics of this work is the wide space given to hadīth concerning the merits of the Prophet’s Ahl al-Bayt, most of which are confirmed from the viewpoint of Shi‘ite Muslims as well. Compared to the other hadīth compendiums of the Sunnis, the Musnad’s emphasis on this subject is so pronounced that it has attracted the attention of orientalists and other researchers. The writer of this article has attempted to focus on this particular point of the Musnad and its author by selecting some of the hadīth mentioned in this bulky compendium with a short explanation wherever necessary.

The key words of this brief article are Tashayyu‘, Ibn Hanbal, Musnad, Hadīth Compendiums, Merits of the Ahl al-Bayt (‘a), Hadīth al-Ghadīr, Hadīth al-Thaqalayn, Hadīth al-Manzilah.

Introduction

The Musnad of Ibn Hanbal is probably the first of the six books of hadīth considered authentic by Sunni Muslims, since its author died 15 years before the death of the senior-most of the six hadīth compilers, Muhammad bin Ismā‘īl al-Bukhārī (d. 256 AH), and 62 years before the last of them, Ahmad bin Shu‘ayb al-Nasā’ī, passed away (303 AH).  Throughout history, Sunni scholars have attached great importance to Ibn Hanbal’s Musnad and eulogized it. Hāfiz Abu Musā Madyanī (581 AH), writes:

This book is a great source and a reliable reference work for researchers of hadīth. The author has selected from the bulky hadīth literature, a large number of narrations to serve as guidelines and support for the people so that when differences arise they take refuge in them and cite them as authentic. [3]

Shams al-Dīn Muhammad bin Ahmad al-Dhahabī (748 AH) writes:

This book focuses on the hadīth of the Prophet. There are very few hadīth not included (in this collection) whose authenticity has been confirmed...One of the fortunate things about the Musnad is that we find very few hadīth which are considered inauthentic. [4]

Ibn al-Jazarī (833 AH) is even more ecstatic about Ibn Hanbal’s Musnad, and says: 

On the face of the earth no better book of hadīth has been compiled. [5]

Ibn Hajar al-‘Asqalānī writes in Tajrīd Zawā’id al-Musnad al-Bazzāz:

If a hadīth is mentioned in Musnad Ibn Hanbal, other Masānīd are not cited for its sources.

Jalāl al-Dīn al-Suyutī (849-911 AH) [6] says:

Even the weak hadīth found in it are near to hasan (fair). [7]

Although these expressions are a clear exaggeration, they nonetheless confirm the importance of this book for the Sunnis. In the light of historical accounts, it was a habit among the Sunnis of the past to recite this book in the presence of scholars of hadīth, and at times such a recitation would be held in a sacred place. For instance, during the first half of the 9th century AH, Ibn Hanbal’s Musnad was recited in the presence of Shams al-Dīn Muhammad bin Muhammad al-Jazarī in the Masjid al-Harām of Mecca with the last session ending in the month of Rabī‘ al-Awwal 828 AH.[8] It is also reported that during the 12th century AH (18th century CE), a group of pious Sunnis gathered in the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina to recite Ibn Hanbal’s Musnad in 56 sessions.[9]

However, the most outstanding characteristic of the Musnad is that it contains several eyecatching hadīth on the merits of the Prophet’s Ahl al-Bayt (‘a), whereas most of the compilers of the other masānīd, sihāh and sunan, have either ignored these ahādīth or related only a few of them. Ibn Hanbal got into trouble with the authorities for having related these ahādīth on the merits of the Ahl al-Bayt (‘a) and his house was searched on the orders of the ‘Abbāsid caliph Mutawakkil on suspicion of supporting the Alawid cause.[10]

It is a well known fact that Ahmad bin Shu‘ayb al-Nasā’ī, the last of the six Sunni compilers of the sihāh al-sittah, relied on Ahmad bin Hanbal’s narrations for writing his excellent work titled Khasā’is Amīr al-Mu’minīn ‘Alī bin Abī Tālib (‘a).[11] In short, the Musnad contains narrations, many of which are considered authentic from the Shi‘ite point of view. These are so pronounced when compared to the other Sunni collections of hadīth that orientalists and researchers have attempted to investigate the cause, and after drawing a comparison between Ahmad bin Hanbal and his contemporary compilers of the sihāh al-sittah, have come to the conclusion that Muhammad bin Ismā‘īl al-Bukhārī and Muslim bin Hajjāj al-Qushayrī, for fear of the ‘Abbāsids, left out these ahādīth but since Ahmad was courageous he showed no fear in relating the ahādīth on the merits of Imam ‘Alī (‘a) and the Ahl al-Bayt (‘a).[12]

Ibn Hanbal did not confine the merits of the Prophet’s Ahl al-Bayt (‘a) to his book, but whenever necessary he opened his mouth to speak about these virtues. Despite the fact that he held all the companions of the Prophet in great esteem and considered those who cursed them to be outside the pale of Islam,[[13]] he strongly defended the superiority of the Prophet’s immediate family against their enemies, especially against  Mutawakkil who left no stone unturned in his enmity to the Ahl al-Bayt (‘a). His son ‘Abdullāh bin Ahmad relates:

Once, when I was sitting with my father, a group of the people of Karkh (a locality of Baghdad) came and started a discussion on the caliphate of Abū Bakr, ‘Umar, ‘Uthmān and (Imam) ‘Alī [(‘a)]. My father raised his head and facing them said:

O people, you have said enough concerning (Imam) ‘Alī [(‘a)] and the caliphate. Be informed that the caliphate did not embellish (Imam) ‘Alī [(‘a)] but it was (Imam) ‘Alī [(‘a)] who embellished the caliphate. 

Ibn Abī al-Hadīd Mu‘tazilī (d. 655 AH), commenting on the above remarks of Ahmad bin Hanbal says:

The meaning of this statement is that the other caliphs adorned themselves with the caliphate and the caliphate covered their flaws, but there was no shortcoming or deficiency in (Imam) ‘Alī [(‘a)] to be made up by the caliphate.[15] 

‘Abdullāh bin Ahmad bin Hanbal also quotes his father as saying:

No narration with genuine isnād (chain of authority) has been related on the merits of anyone else (of the companions), as in the case of (Imam) ‘Alī [(‘a)].[16]

He further states:

I asked my father what credence he had concerning the preferential merits of the companions? He replied:

In the matter of caliphate, Abū Bakr, ‘Umar and ‘Uthmān are superior to all others.

I asked him what about (Imam) ‘Alī [(‘a)]? He answered:

O my son! (Imam) ‘Alī bin Abī Tālib [(‘a)] is from a family concerning whom (whose merits) no one can deliberate.[17]

One of the students of Ibn Hanbal narrates:

We were in the presence of Ahmad bin Hanbal when a person asked:

O Abā ‘Abdillāh! What is your opinion about the hadīth which says that (Imam) ‘Alī (‘a) stated:

“I am the distributor of hell?”

Ibn Hanbal replied:

From what aspect do you doubt its credence? Has it not been related that the Prophet told (Imam) ‘Alī (‘a):

“None will love you but the faithful believer and none will hate you but the hypocrite?”

We said:

He asked:

Where is the place of the faithful believer?

“In paradise”,

we answered.

He asked:

Where is the place of the hypocrite?

“In hell”,

we replied.

He said:

Ali is thus the distributor of hell.[18]

Ibn Hanbal’s belief thus bears close resemblance to that of his teacher, Shāfi‘ī, who also recorded the merits and virtues of Imam ‘Alī (‘a) and his descendants and considered himself their devotee. When Ibn Hanbal was asked about the battle between Imam ‘Alī (‘a) and Mu‘āwiyah bin Abī Sufyān, he said regarding them he knew nothing but good,[19] but added that in the field of jurisprudential studies he found Imam ‘Alī (‘a) to be linked to the truth. For instance, when in his presence Shāfi‘ī was accused of tashayyu for listing Imam ‘Alī’s (‘a) battles with Mu‘āwiyah and the Khawārij under the rules of transgressors, he replied that among the companions of the Prophet, Imam ‘Alī (‘a) was the first leader who had to deal with the sedition and revolt of opponents.  

This reply makes it clear that Shāfi‘ī’s categorizing of the battles between Imam ‘Alī (‘a) and Mu‘āwiyah under rules for transgressors, does not expose him to the fault-finding of his critics. In fact, for any fair observor, the verdict between Shāfi‘ī and his critics is that Mu‘āwiyah was a transgressor, as could be further confirmed by the famous saying of the Prophet to his companion ‘Ammār bin Yāsir: “taqtuluka al-fi’ah al-bāghiyah” (you will be killed by a party of transgressors).[20] No one can deny that ‘Ammār, while fighting on the side of Imam ‘Alī (‘a), was killed by the forces of Mu‘āwiyah during one of the battles of the Siffīn War, and thus in the light of this hadīth, beyond an iota of doubt, Mu‘āwiyah is a transgressor.[21]

Ibn Hanbal was a contemporary of four of the infallible Imams of the Prophet’s Household – Imam Musā al-Kāzim (‘a), Imam ‘Alī bin Musā al-Rizā (‘a), Imam Muhammad al-Jawād (‘a) and Imam ‘Alī al-Hādī (‘a). The author of Rawzāt al-Jannāt relates on the authority of Daylamī’s Irshād al-Qulub that Ahmad bin Hanbal was a student of Imam al-Kāzim (‘a).[22] Shaykh al-Tā’ifah Tusī considers him among the students of Imam al-Rizā (‘a).[23] A contemporary researcher pointing out Ibn Hanbal’s links with Imāmī scholars, writes that he studied under many of those known to be followers of the school of Imam Ja‘far al-Sādiq (‘a), and for this reason he has often been criticised by the enemies of the Shi‘ites.[24]

In view of the above facts it could be said that since Ahmad bin Hanbal was under the influence of the Infallible Imams (‘a) or their disciples or that he had a spirit of courage and fair-mindedness, he did not hesitate to include in his Musnad many of the hadīth on the virtues and merits of the Ahl al-Bayt (‘a). These hadīth are so eye-catching that one of the contemporary scholars has collected them in an exclusive work titled Musnad al-Manāqib.[25]

In this article the writer has selected some hadīth from the Musnad and highlighted them with brief explanations.