> Benefits from the Life & Works of Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal

[Qatada]

asalaam alaikum


sis read this, its well amazing masha Allah;

Rejoice, O Imam of the Sunnah! « |-| Fajr |-|

[Umm Sufyaan]

:wasalamfull:
^jazakallahu khair akhee...

Seeking Safety and Good Health When Supplicating
Al-Khallaal was a student of Imaam Ahmad. I tried to bring a statement from each one of Imaam Ahmad's students who narrated something noteworthy, so if I did not fully accomplish this, then know that his history was rich, his sayings were many, and his school deserves that you study it and reflect over it. You will find that he was truly the Imaam of Ahlus-Sunnah in his speech and actions.

Al-Khallaal said, "I heard Ahmad ibn Hanbal saying, 'I had memorized the Qur'aan. Then when I began seeking the narrations, I became busy.'" When he began seeking and memorizing the narrations, he became too busy to keep track of the Qur'aan, and forgot some of it due to his occupation with the narrations.

"I had memorized the Qur'aan," said Imaam Ahmad, "But when I began seeking the narrations, I became too busy for it, and it got away from me. So I asked Allaah, the Mighty and Exalted, to grant me its memorization, but I did not add, 'in safety and good health.'"

He said, "O Allaah! Grant me the memorization of the Qur'aan," without adding, "in safety and good health." He was saying that what is more befitting is to ask, "O Allaah! Grant me the memorization of the Qur'aan in safety and good health."

He said, "So then I did not memorize the Qur'aan until I was shackled in prison. If you ask Allaah for something, ask for it in safety and good health."

Firstly, the imprisonment of Imaam Ahmad was something that assisted and benefited the Sunnah. It was something that made the truth prevail, it made the 'aqeedah of the Salaf prevail during a time when the people were being tried by those who claimed that the Qur'aan was a created thing.

So he was jailed in the way of the Sunnah, and he benefited the people greatly, as he guided the people to the Sunnah of the Prophet (sall-Allaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) and the correct belief regarding the Qur'aan not being created.

Even though he was imprisoned for this great reason, prison is still not a place of safety or good health. Imaam Ahmad said, "I did not say, 'in safety and good health.' I asked Allaah to allow me to memorize the Qur'aan, and I did not add, 'in safety and good health.' So I did not memorize it until I was in prison and in chains."

Without a doubt this is a great statement, showing that a man must think throughout his supplications and always ask Allaah to pardon him and cause him to be in safety and good health.

So if you seek something from your Lord, the Mighty and Exalted, then ask Him to grant you safety and good health, since you do not know what is going to happen.

Perhaps you may not receive what you ask for except at a time when a sickness has made you bedridden. Perhaps you will not receive what you ask for except after you have lost your children and family and you are sitting alone in your house. Perhaps you will not receive what you ask for except after being exiled from your homeland, something that you are not happy about and you did not choose it. So therefore, always ask Allaah to give you what you ask for in a state of safety and good health.

Similarly, we should seek refuge in Allaah from trials, trials that cause people to go astray. So a person should include in his supplications that Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, keeps these trials away from him.

The scholars have said that what is best is to seek refuge in Allaah from the trials that lead people astray. The supplicant should say, "O Allaah! I seek refuge in you from the trials that lead people astray!" or "O Allaah! I seek refuge in you from being tried in my Religion!" or the likes.

This is because even good things are trials, the family is a trial, money is a trial. These are things that a person must deal with, he has to get married, he is going to have children, he has to have money, etc. These trials are good things in their origins, but they may cause some people to go astray. So a person must seek refuge in Allaah, the Mighty and Exalted, from all trials that may lead one astray.

[Umm Sufyaan]

The Effect of Knowledge in One's Writings
'Abdullaah, the son of Imaam Ahmad, said, "A baby was born to my father. 'Abdul-A'laa gave me a letter of congratulations to give to my father." 'Abdul-A'laa was one of the scholars of hadeeth at that time. "He read it," continued 'Abdullaah, "And then tossed it aside." "This is not the writing of a scholar, nor a muhaddith," said Imaam Ahmad, "This is the merely the writing of an average writer."

Imaam Ahmad was teaching his son a lesson, detesting what this scholar wrote, as no knowledge could be felt in his writing.

In reality, this is also something we complain of in this day and time. The language of the people of knowledge in letters of correspondence, letters of congratulations, etc. has been lost, or the very least we can say is that there is not enough concern to use it.

What is binding on the scholar, the student of knowledge, and the teacher is that his knowledge should make a presence in what he writes, even in simple letters of congratulation. He must not write like newspaper columnists, nor like common people, nor people engulfed in this worldly life, rather he must convey himself in a befitting way in his speech as well as his writings.

So when 'Abdul-A'laa failed to write in this way, Imaam Ahmad tossed his letter aside, saying, "This is not the writing of a scholar, nor a muhaddith. This is the merely the writing of an average writer." By its style, the letter was not something to be expected from a person of knowledge. The style of the people of knowledge contains supplications and narrations from the Sunnah while presenting the focus of the letter, as well as some additional benefits that would be appropriate.


Humbling Oneself and Rejecting Popularity
The last point of guidance that we will take from the fountains of Imaam Ahmad that do not dry up, is the statement of Muhammad ibn Hasan ibn Haaroon, "I saw that when Aboo 'Abdillaah walked the streets, he hated that someone would walk behind him."

Furthermore, 'Abdullaah, the son of Imaam Ahmad, said, "When he went out to Jumu'ah prayer, my father would not allow anyone to follow behind him, and he used to stop until the people following him would pass him up."

Why was that? Because this is a trial for the one being followed, and a form of humiliation to the follower. Imaam Ahmad knew that, if someone followed him, he would benefit, either from his supplications, or perhaps he would ask a question, but, from his keenness to remedy his soul, he disliked to be tested by having a group of people following behind him.

A simple affair from something everyone does - he would not be pleased with anyone following him, rather he loved to walk by himself. He was so keen on keeping himself pure, by going out to the prayer and returning to his house alone.

These manners will help everyone who has been tested by Allaah with a following of people, whether the people look up to him because of knowledge, status, or even worldly things. He must humble himself and not assist the Shaytaan in destroying his own self.

He must shun all avenues leading to this. If he sees within himself any amazement or pride with himself pride, or that he sees himself as being great, then he must lower himself and be humble so that he can set himself straight. This is because pride is a huge thing, one of the major sins.

The Prophet (sall-Allaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said:

"The one who has even the smallest particle of pride in his heart will not enter Paradise."

This is what is binding on all those that the people follow, that they know this is a test from Allaah and they dedicate themselves to lowering themselves and having humility. And those who follow them should be careful as well, they should not go against someone trying to work by this advice.

So if a person finds a scholar trying to be humble like this, then let him be easy on him. Let him benefit from him in any environment he finds him in, at study circles, in classrooms, etc., however, he must not follow him to every place as he may detest that. Every sincere scholar dedicated to the education of the people hates to have the people follow him, and he hates that they say great things about him, since praise is something that he fears will affect his heart.

Ibn Mas'ood said, advising his students, prohibiting them from following him, "This is a belittlement of the followers and a trial for the one being followed."

[Umm Sufyaan]

Conclusion
I ask Allaah, the Mighty and Exalted, to make me and all of you from those who hold firm to taqwaa, those who push themselves against what their desires crave.

I ask Allaah, the Glorified One, to reward the Imaam of Ahlus-Sunnah, Ahmad ibn Hanbal, the best reward for how much we have gained from him. For verily he was to the people of his time as Aboo Bakr (Radiya ‘Llahu 'anhu) was to the people of his time. As the people faced the apostates in the time of Aboo Bakr, they faced the evil fitnah of those who tried to introduce the idea of the Qur'aan being a created thing, as well as other trials that led many astray, in the time of Imaam Ahmad. As the first group had Aboo Bakr, the latter had Imaam Ahmad to make them firm, by Allaah's Bounty and His Blessing.

O Allaah! Reward the Imaams of Islaam and the scholars of the Religion with the best reward for the great amount of knowledge and beneficial guidance we have inherited from them!

O Allaah! Make us from those guided by your Prophet, those who are made firm by his Sunnah, those who tread the path of the Companions of your Prophet (SAW)

thats all.

may allah have mercy on his soul.

[Raied]

I have not finished reading it yet. But so far ITS AMAZING.
JazakAllah Khair sister for posting this. May Allah reward you for your efforts.

[Umm Sufyaan]

wa iyyak^

[abdulrahman al muhajir]

JazakAllahuKhayr umm sufyan

I love Imaam Ahmed

His life is truly inspirational May Allah reward him with Jannatul Firdaws