Unknown facts about the 4 Imaams of Fiqh.

Khalqul Qur'an: The Creation of the Qur'an

- Part 4

Ibn Abi Dawud was now the successor of Bishr Al Mireesi (who was promoting the al-mu’tazila idea) and he became closer to Al-Mu’tassim. He provoked him to be more strict against the opponents, because he knew that al-Mu’tassim was ignorant regarding these aqeedah issues.



He brought Ahmad ibn Hanbal from prison and said “Ya imaam, just say that the quran was created, nothing more, and you will go home and these chains will be opened”


“Ya ameer al mu’mineen, if you bring me evidence from the qur’an I will concede, but I cannot see any evidence from the qur’an.” Imam Ahmad said respectively.



Al-Mu’tassim cannot bring anything, because there isn’t any proof. Ahmad ibn Hanbal is sitting next to Al-Mu’tassim and they discuss.. Al-Mu’tassim knows that the people love Ahmad ibn Hanbal, so he still has some respect for him. As they discuss, their voices raise, Al-Mu’tassim says “Ya (Oh) Imaam, I don’t want to hurt you, say the qur’an is created.” Ahmad ibn Hanbal again says “Ya ameer ul mu’mineen (Oh leader of the believers) I cannot find anything in the qur’an that tells me that.”



Ibn Abi Dawud Is sitting next to Al-Mu’tassim. Other scholars were jealous of Ahmad ibn Hanbal and wanted to see him get whipped. They said, “there is evidence in the qur’an.

Indeed, We have made it an Arabic Qur'an that you might understand.

(Qur’an Surah Zukhruf 43:3)

Ahmad ibn Hanbal said, “Allaah said ‘inaa ja’alnaahu’ and did not say ‘inaa khalaq naahu’ and Allaah is specific in the words that He chooses to express His words.”


A debate started between Ibn Abi Dawud and Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Al-Mu’tassim is listening, and he doesn’t care who wins the debate. He loves his brother Al-Ma’moon, and his brother told him to stick to the Al-Mu’tazila, and because he was more military minded instead of thinking deeply like the fuqahaa (scholars of fiqh) – he was prepared to torture anyone who went against what his brother said. Military leaders may be harsh without thinking deeply into the matter (not all, but some.) whereas the fuqahaa need evidence whenever they make a point – two totally different personalities.


After some debating, Mu’tassim told Imaam Ahmad to go back to prison. The next day, they took him out of jail again and asked him to say that the qur’an was created. Imaam Ahmad again said “Ya ameer ul mu’mineen (Oh leader of the believers) I cannot find anything in the qur’an that tells me that.”


“Take him again to prison.”

Khalqul Qur'an (the Creation of the Qur'an) - Part 5



During his time in prison, fascinating event’s occurred. The guards would sometimes bring him food, but he would not eat it, because it’s coming from the oppressors. He was fasting most of his time during prison. One day he asked for a glass of water, so they brought him some water. There were others in prison too. The guards bought him some water with ice in it, he took the glass and said “what about my brothers in prison?” – they said, “its only for you.” He said “I don’t want it, you bring my brothers what you bring for me, or I don’t want any water.” He returned the water while being extremely thirsty.


After 3-4 days he was taken from prison and conversed again with Al-Mu’tassim, Al-Mu’tassim said, “what do you say about the qur’an” – Imam Ahmad said “the qur’an is the word of Allah, I say no more than this.”
Someone next to al-Mu’tassim said to him “listen, all scholars conceded, why don’t you concede, that’s all it takes then you go home! Your friend yahya ibn ma’een conceded.”



Who was Yahya ibn Ma’een?

Yahya ibn Ma’een is someone that Imam Bukhari (the scholar of hadith) said: “I never belittled myself as a muhaddith (scholar of hadith) except when I compared myself to Yahya ibn Ma’een.” This Yahya ibn Ma’een conceded and compromised to the pressures of Al-Ma’moon and Mu’tassim.




Ahmad ibn Hanbal continued to love Yahya ibn Ma’een, he later said “Any hadith that is not heard or known by Yahya ibn Ma’een, is not a hadith” He died at the age of 75.



Al-Mu’tassim called one of the guards, and said “whip him” – they took his shirt, and began to whip. #1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6 #7 #8 #9 #10 #11 #12 #13 #14

“take him to prison - bring him tomorrow”



the next day:

“whip him”

#1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6 #7…. #14


“take him to prison – bring him tomorrow”



#3 #4 #5 #6 days of whipping..



One day they brought him, and whipped Imaam Ahmad until he fainted. Al-Mu’tassim goes to him (while he’s being whipped) and says next to his ear “Ya Imam, just say one word, and the whipping will end.” Just like Quraysh torturing Bilal, while Bilal is saying Ahadun Ahad (one, one…)


Imaam Ahmad while being whipped, says politely “Ya ameer ul mu’mineen (Oh leader of the believers) I cannot find any evidence from the Qur’an.”


They whipped him, and whipped him.. and whipped him till he faints…

Khalqul Qur'an (the Creation of the Qur'an) - Final Chapter

Now it’s Ramadhan. Al-Mu’tassim is fasting, while ordering the guard to whip Imam Ahmad. Al-Mu’tassim would walk upto Imam Ahmad, going next to his ear and saying “Just give me one word” and the guards and the colleagues, the scholars were going upto Imam Ahmad “Respect Ameer ul Mu’mineen! Answer him, hes standing, he’s fasting! How dare you make ameer ul Mu’mineen stand up while he should be sitting.” Imam Ahmad is quiet, saying “Ya ameer ul Mu’mineen, I can’t help you.” Ahmad ibn Hanbal fainted, they wanted to wake him – they gave him some water, saying “drink some.” Ahmad said “No, I am fasting” while bleeding…



When he was whipped, he was concerned about one thing, not his health. He was concerened that during the whipping – his trousers would fall, and his awrah would be exposed. One karamaat that occurred, while he was getting whipped was – he was making some dua’/supplication. Some observer in the congregation said that while Imam Ahmad was getting whipped, his trousers were about to fall, but suddenly by itself it went back up again. The observer later on asked Imam Ahmad what had happened. Imam Ahmad said “I was making dua’ to Allah that ‘oh Allah, I am being tortured for your sake, so oh Allah please don’t scandalize me before this congregation.”

He was whipped over 1000whips.. When the whipping increased, everyone became worried about the health of Imam Ahmad. They realized that Imam Ahmad wouldn’t change his opinion, and because they knew that everyone loved him – they feared that if they killed him, the people would revolt, so they released him.




After his release, they sent a doctor to see him. The doctor reports:

“I uncovered his clothes, saw his back, and saw the effect of the whipping as if he had been whipped 1000 times. I even saw the remains of the whips inside his body, I had to put a knife inside the injury and remove some of the remains of the whipping.

Some of his flesh from his back stuck and clung onto the knife.”


No anesthesia or nothing, he was just remembering Allaah subhanahu wa ta’aala. His body became weak and thin, he became old.


Al-Mu’tassim died at the age of 48, his son al-waafiq came into power, he died at the age of 36. He was brutal like his father (al-Mu’tassim), and said “I can’t do what my father did because people will revolt against me, the man is getting old, he doesn’t want to concede.” All he could do was to ban Ahmad ibn Hanbal from having public appearance, so he couldn’t give fatwas, not attending any public meetings, not even going to the masjids.



This carried on until Al-waafiq died (at the age of 36.) Al-Mutawaqil came into power, he hated the ideas of the al-mu’tazila, he ceased to accept what his fathers accepted, and he not only released Ahmad ibn Hanbal from house-arrest, but he wanted to glorify and thank, apologise to Ahmad ibn Hanbal.

Al-Mutawaqil gave thousands of dinars to Ahmad ibn Hanbal, but Ahmad said no to anything coming from rulers.



Who took the money besides Ahmad ibn Hanbal? Saalih and Abdullah (Ahmad ibn Hanbal’s two sons.) Ahmad was so upset, that he boycotted both of his sons. “I am never going to take anything from my sons - because they accept money from the governors.”


Once he was hungry, fasting. They said he never ate for 6 days properly. Once they brought Ahmad ibn Hanbal some hot baked bread. “Where did you bake this bread?” they said – “in the house of Abdullah.” He said “take it, I don’t eat anything from Abdullah, because his money is from al-Mutawaqil.”


Al-Mutawaqil wasn’t upset, because he loved Ahmad ibn Hanbal. He said “May Allaah have mercy on Ahmad ibn Hanbal, neither does he want us to give him money, nor to give his sons, but he continued to give his sons in secret.”


Ahmad ibn Hanbal did not think/believe that the money of the rulers was haraam. His son Saalih once asked him “Oh my father, I have some money from Al-Mutawaqil, can I use this money to perform hajj?” Ahmad said “of course you can.” Saalih said, “Why don’t you accept the money from Al-Mutawaqil?” Ahmad said, “Oh my son, I do not accept the money – not because it is haraam, but I leave it out of doubt.”

This is why Ahmad ibn Hanbal was born poor, lived poor, and died poor. He died at the age of 77.


They brought him a coffin and some clothes from the palace to cover him with, but his sons said no, because if he was alive – he wouldn’t accept anything from the rulers.


They prayed on him, including the ruler - Al-Mutawaqil, including the Hashimis, the Abassi’s, the whole of Baghdad, a sad day. The janaazah of Ahmad ibn Hanbal, – the imaam of Ahlus sunnah, wal Jamaa’ah.




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CD 12 of the life of Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal By Hisham Al-Awadi.

subhan Allaah! do you have any more ahadith like that brother?

Sorry brother, he doesn't mention sources..




If anyone's confused about the khalqul Qur'an (creation of the Qur'an) thing, one of the evidences of Imaam Ahmad to prove that the Qur'an is the speech of Allaah was:

And if we had willed, We could have given every soul its guidance, but the word from Me will come into effect [that] "I will surely fill Hell with jinn and people all together.

[Surah Sajdah - 32:13]

I got this off brother Musalmaan's post:

http://www.islamicboard.com/606250-post7.html

Imam Abu Hanifah -

TRIALS & TRIBULATIONS:



Trial No.1:

During the reign of Ibn Hubaira Imaam Abu Hanifah ( R.A.) rejected his request of the post of Chief Justice. (As Imaam Sahib did not want to collaborate with the corrupt).

Consequence of Rejection No.1:

Tormented by passing through the city mounted upon a horse, whereby he was whipped 10 times a day for eleven consecutive days.

Trial No.2:

During the reign of Abu Jaafar Mansoor again the above request was pledged, yet again rejected.

Consequence of Rejection No.2:

Imprisoned and violently beaten.

Prolongation of Trial:

Khalifa Abu Ja’far Mansoor again urged that Imaam Sahib should reconsider. Finally, Imaam Sahib swore by Allah that he would not accept.

Consequence:

Imaam Sahib was lashed, shirtless 30 times, drawing blood that seeped to his heels. He was again imprisoned, with restricted rations for 15 days, after which he was forcefully made to drink a poison that led to his martyrdom.


STATE OF DEATH:

In the state of prostration.


AGE & DATE OF DEATH:

70 years of age : 150 A.H. in the month of Rajab. (others have stated Sha’baan and Shawwaal also).


BURIAL:

Six Janaazah salaah were conducted in order to cater for more than

50,000 people whom had collected. His son, and only child; Hammad, lead the last Janazah salaah.

jazakAllah for sharing bro.