The Services of Imam Ahmed bin Hanbal and Imam Muslim in Hadith

Abstract

Abu Abdullah, Ahmed ibn Hanbal ( died 241 AH) is a renowned scholar of Muslim world. He was the great scholar of Hadith at that time. Ibn Hanbal went about collecting all the Ahadith and in his later life ,he compiled 30,000 Ahadith and known as "Musnad Ahmad" .It was named because he arranged his compilation by the narrators rather than by subject ; so that he first brought the Ahadith narrated by four Khulafa' , then by the rest of ' Ashraral Mubashahra' those who followed them.
Ibn Hanbal's knowledge of texts and narrators was prodigious.

Imam Ahmed bin Hanbal was recognised as the authority on the scientific study of Hadith. His classic work is compilation of " Al Musnad " which has got recognition and is his scholarly approach toward Hadith. He was well-versed with the principles of Islamic Jurisprudence (Fiqha) and he is the pioneer of one of the four schools of Jurisprudence, the rest are Hanafi, Malikee and Shafaee .He led pious and an upright life. He was fearless and boldly and patiently faced the hardships of the rulers but he was undaunted and was the firm believer that God's man fears none. It was his consistency and steadfastness on the right path that he is admired from nook and corner and commanded the respect. And this achievement of Ahmed Ibn Hanbal shall ever keep him endeared to the faithful. All the contemporaries of Ahmed Ibn Hanbal who had witnessed the calamity of the dispute when it ran highest, had handsomely acknowledged his unrivalled achievement. His popularity among the masses was evident when he left this mortal world to his heavenly abode in 241 AH ,the people thronged from far and wide to participate in his funeral prayer in Baghdad. The history never witnessed such huge crowd. The historians mentioned that his Namaz e Janaza had been attended about 80,0000 and 60,00 women.3
Imam Muslim belonged to Qushayr clan. He was born and brought up in Khurasan and he was Arab in origin.
He was educated and looked after in a renowned literary family. His father was always anxious to teach inculcate quality education to his siblings. Imam Muslim sought knowledge not only from his worthy father but also acquired knowledge from about 220 renowned scholars of that time. His master piece "Saheeh Muslim " is well known in all over the world.
Imam Muslim's 'Sahih' differs from others collections of Hadith in that the books are not subdivided into chapters. It is not difficult to trace in the order of the traditions in Muslim's Sahih a close connection with corresponding ideas if FIQH .
The second difference between Muslim and the other collections consists in the fact that he pays peculiar attention to 'isnads ' to such an extent that the tradition in his work is often followed by several different isnads which serve as an introduction to either the same or to slightly different 'matn'.
In my paper light will be thrown on life and works of these two great scholars of Islamic World.