IMAM AT-TIRMIDHI (MAY ALLAH HAVE MERCY ON HIM AND BENEFIT US THROUGH HIM)
- Title: al-Imam al-Hāfizh
- Teknonym: Abu Eesa
- Name: Muhammad ibn Eesa ibn Sawrah ibn Musa ibn Dhahhāk
- Tribe: Banu Sulaim of Ghailān tribe
- Attributed to land of: Tirmidh (also pronounced Tarmidh, Turmudh, Tarmadh)
- Born: 209 A.H. (During reign of Ma’mun ar-Rashid)
- Born in: Al-Būgh (modern day Uzbekistan and Afghanistan area) in Tirmidh province (great city of ancient Khurasan)
- Passed away: 13 Rajab 279 A.H.
- Buried in: Al-Būgh in Tirmidh
- Lived: 70 years
JOURNEY OF KNOWLEDGE
- Studied from renowned local Khurasani scholars during his younger years
- Travelled all across the Muslim world – including Hijaz, Sham and Iraq – seeking Ilm, beginning his travels at age 26
- Returned home 15 years later, after having amassed vast amounts of narrations
- Took from the other compilers of Sihah Sitta; Imams al-Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawud, Nasai’, Ibn Majah
- Took from renowned scholars like Imams ad-Darimi, Ishaq ibn Rahwayh, Qutayba ibn Said, Ishaq ibn Musa, Mahmud ibn Ghaylan
- Students include the like of Imams Abu Bakr Ahmed Ibn Ismail As-Samarkandi, Ahmad ibn Yusuf al-Nasafi, and Haytham ibn Kulayb al-Shashi
- His Fiqhi school is not confirmed; either he was Mujtahid, Mujtahid Murajjih, with inclination toward Shafi’ee school
SPECIALITIES
- Had an unparalleled photographic memory
- Incident of reading two chapters from memory: He had 2 notebooks of narrations from a particular scholar. When he met the scholar, he wanted to recite them to him so that Imam at-Tirmidhi could gain the chain for those narration directly from the scholar and ensure that they were correct, corroborated by the scholar’s own notes. The scholar allowed him to do so. However, upon checking his luggage, Imam at-Tirmidh realised that he did not have the note books with him. What to do?! He took blank sheets and started to recite to the scholar. He was reciting the narrations correctly. When the scholar realised that Imam at-Tirmidhi was reading from blank pages, he became angry. However, Imam at-Tirmidhi assured him that although he did not have the notebooks he knew every word by memory, and had not wished to lose the opportunity to recite to him. The scholar, testing him, told him to keep reciting. And by Allah! He narrated everything correctly exactly as they were in the teacher’s notes.
- Incident of tree after blindness: He was on a journey during his old age. He ducked on a particular road. His companions mentioned that there was no tree to duck from, he needn’t worry. He became agitate and mentioned that he had travelled down this road many decades before when he still had his eyesight and there used to be a tree before. He remembered the exact place and position of a tree he had seen only once, decades ago! The people investigated from the locals and found out that there indeed had been a tree there which had been cut. He praised Allah and mentioned that if his memory had failed him in that, he would have stopped narrating Hadith out of fear of weakening memory.
- Known for his Taqwa, wept so much that he lost his eyesight later on in life
- Imam Musa ibn Alak said, ‘after Imam al-Bukhari passed away, he has left behind no scholar on the calibre of Imam at-Tirmidhi.’
- Master not only of Hadith and but also in many fields such as Ilm-ul-Rijāl and Ilal
WORKS
- Compiled around 20 known works besides his Jami’
- Known works which have been passed down and are well studied: al-Ilal us-Sughra, az-Zuhd, al-Ilal ul-Kubra, al-Asmā wal Kuna, Kitab at-Tarikh
- His most famous works are his Jami’ at-Tirmidhi and Shamā’il Muhammadiyyah, about the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)’s lifestyle, description and biography
JAMI’ AT-TIRIMIDHI
Full name of book:
الجامع المختصر من السنن عن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ومعرفة الصحيح والمعلول وما عليه العمل
Number of Hadith and number of narrators:
Imam at-Tirmidhi narrates from 206 Shuyoukh in his Jami’. 90,000 Muhadditheen heard his Jami’ from him. It has roughly 4,400 Ahadith
Its rank amongst the books of Hadith:
- Some classify its status as 5th greatest of the Sihah Sitta after Abu Dawud and Nasai’, due to them having stronger narrations
- Others classify it as 3rd for its benefits and usage, and the level of knowledge of the Imam
- Considered the strongest book of Hadith to study Fiqh because of Imam at-Tirmidhi’s focus on mentioning the proofs of different Imams and their Aqwal
- Every single Hadith in the book is acted upon by some school of Fiqh or another. Every student of Hadith should study this because it covers the Fiqhi proofs of the various schools.
- Imam Abu Ismai’l Abdullah ibn Muhammad Ansari found it more beneficial than Sahihain because an experienced scholar can know how to utilise the Ahadith in Sahihain but the Ahadith bought in at-Tirmidhi can also be used by a general scholar
- Shah Abdul Aziz considered it Ahsan (finest) of the Kutub of Hadith
- When Imam at-Tirmidhi presented it to the scholars of Hijaz, they were pleased, as were the scholars of Iraq and Khurasan
- Imam at-Tirmidhi says: من كان هذا الكتاب في بيته، فكأنما في بيته نبي يتكلم. ‘Whoever has this book in his home, it is as though he has in his the Prophet (peace be upon him) speaking.’
Its specialities and method of compilation:
- Both a Jami’ and a Sunan, with chapter ordering based on Fiqh
- Not many repetition and sometimes only the relevant portion of a narration is brought
- There is one Thulathi narration
- Easy to navigate, and the Tarājim-ul-Abwab are clear; often based on the wording of the Hadith within
- Most of the Tarājim are either focused on Ahl-ul-Hijaz (Shafi’ee school) or Ahl-ul-Iraq (Hanafi school)
- It contains narrations that are strong, sound and even some weak ones
- Imam at-Tirmidhi clarifies Ilal, names of narrators, and weakness in chain
- Imam at-Tirmidhi mentions the views of the different Sahabah, Tabi’een and schools of Fiqh on the topics he brings
- Sometimes he indicates towards different Ahadith that can be studied in that chapter if a person wants to look for them elsewhere under ‘wa fil baab’
- Brings the Hadith with the strongest Sanad first in the Baab
- Looks for narrators with Itqān, as well as Kathrat-ul-Mulazimah bi ash-Shaykh
- View on ‘an-ana’ narration is that of Imam Muslim
- View on Mursal is that it is accepted provided it has another Muttasil chain
Connection with other compilers of Sihah Sitta:
- The compilers of the Sihah Sitta, namely Imams al-Bukhari, Muslim, Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud, Nasai’ and Ibn Majah, all share 9 teachers whom all 6 narrate from in their famous canonical books of Hadith.
- He narrates from 3 other compilers of the Sihah Sitta in his Jami’; Imams al-Bukhari, Muslim and Abu Dawud
- Special bond with Imam al-Bukari: Imam al-Bukhari also heard 2 Hadith from him. Imam al-Bukhari said to him, ‘You did not benefit from me more than I benefitted from you.’ He often refers to the views of Imam al-Bukhari in his Jami’ by saying, ‘Muhammad ibn Isma’il says…’ or ‘Muhammad says (about this)…’
Its Shuruhāt (commentaries):
There have been commentaries written on it by the likes of Imam Abubakr ibn al-Arabi, Imam Suyuti, Ibn Ibn Sayyid an-Nās, Imam Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali, Shah Anwar Kashmiri, Shaykh Sirajuddin as-Sarhindi Shaykh Yahya al-Khandalwi and Shaykh Yusuf al-Binori.
Note: Tuhfatul Ahwazi by Shaykh Abdur Rahman al-Mubarakpuri is a famous and good Sharah but has elements of ta’ssub in its anti-Hanafi bias.
Dars Tirmidhi is a commentary by the renowned Mufti Taqi Usmani, covering the first few chapters of the book.
TERMINOLOGY OF IMAM AT-TIRMIDHI IN HADITH CLASSIFICATION
1) SAHIH (STRONGLY/RIGOROUSLY AUTHENTICATED) – His use of this term is in accordance with the general usage, i.e. the existence of five conditions.
- The narrators must have adl (approval of trustworthiness)
- The narrators must have itqān of dhabt (excellent retention)
- The chain must be muttasil i.e. have no breaks
- There can be no shudhudh i.e. when the narrator narrates differently to a stronger narrator
- There can be no illah (hidden defect only spotted by experts) that is severe
2) JAYYID (GOOD) – This term is used synonymously with sahih (although it may be slightly lower than sahih).
3) SAHIH GHARIB (STRONGLY AUTHENTICATED, ISOLATED) – This term implies that the hadith is rigorously authenticated, but there is an isolated narrator in its chain of transmission.
4) HASAN (SOUNDLY AUTHENTICATED) – The definition of hasan according to Imam at-Tirmidhi (as clarified in his Kitab-ul-Ilal) is a hadith:
- Where the chain does not contain a narrator accused of lying
- Where the narration does not oppose another which is reported by more authentic narrators, as this would create shudhudh in it
- Which is transmitted through more than one chain.
This is different to the usual definition of hasan which is that it has all 5 conditions of sahih, except that narrator is not on level of dhabt of a narrator of a sahih hadith.
Imam Ibn Salah explains that the usual definition of hasan is used by Imam at-Tirmidhi when referring to hasan li-ghairihi whilst the one mentioned in his Kitab-ul-Ilal refers to the definition of hasan li-dhātihi.
5) HASAN GHARIB (SOUND, ISOLATED) – Same as Sahih Gharib, with the authentication being at the level of hasan.
- Some have said that this creates a conundrum because if his definition of hasan (as mentioned in his Kitab-ul-Ilal) is used here, then hasan and gharib being qualities of the same narration would be a contradiction. They provide the answer to this conundrum by explaining that Imam at-Tirmidhi means that it is hasan li-dhātihi with gharābat in the chain.
- Others have explained by saying that he is using the usual definition of hasan in this particular case.
- According to Imam Salah’s explanation, he is referring to hasan li-ghairihi with gharābat in the chain.
- The best answer seems to be that of Shah Waliullah who mentions that Imam Tirmidhi provides to explanation for ways in which gharābat can occur. One is through an isolated chain, but this type of narration would in opposition to his definition of hasan. Another way that Imam at-Tirimidhi explains gharābat occurring is when there are a few chains for a narration but one or some of them contain tafarrud or ziyadat-ur-rāwi. This is the definition he uses of gharib when he classifies a narration as both hasan and gharib.
6) DA’IF (WEAKLY ATTRIBUTED) – That which fails to reach the level of hasan.
7) ASAHHU SHAY’ FI AL-BĀB (MOST AUTHENTIC IN THIS CHAPTER) – This means that the hadith is relatively more authentic than other ahādith in the chapter, although in of itself it may sometimes be weak.
8) GHARIB (ISOLATED) – Normally refers to a hadith in the chain of which there is only one narrator at a particular level. Imam at-Tirmidhi sometimes says ‘gharib min hadha al-wajh’; meaning the text of the hadith is well-known, however this particular chain is gharib.
9) HASAN SAHIH (SOUND, STRONG) –This term has caused much debate amongst the Muhaddithin:
a) Imam at-Tirmidhi is unsure whether the hadith is sahih or hasan as some classify it as each [view of Imam Ibn al-Hajar]
b) The hadith is transmitted through two chains; one is hasan and the other sahih [view of Imam an-Nawawi]
c) Imam at-Tirmidhi has made a new term; the hadith is higher than hasan but lower than sahih [view of Imam Ibn Kathir]
d) The hadith contains the highest level of hasan narrators and can be pulled up to sahih [view of Imam Ibn Daqiq al-Eid]
e) The hadith is in the category of sahih and is hasan i.e. good and beneficial [view of Imam Ibn as-Salah]
f) The hadith is in the category of sahih and it hasan i.e. should be acted upon [view of Shaykh Ahmed Shākir]
g) Imam at-Tirmidhi’s definition of hasan is different (he does not include weakness of dhabt). Thus, if a narrator is also strong in dhabt, he calls is hasan sahih. [view of Mufti Taqi Uthmani]
In conclusion, this is a reliable category and many of these narrations come in Sahihain.
10) HASAN SAHIH GHARIB (SOUND, STRONG, ISOLATED) – The same explanation applies here in terms of combining hasan and sahih, with the exception of there being more than one chain. It is also possible that the hadith has multiple chains, but a particular word is gharib.
INTRODUCTORY ADVICE BEFORE STUDYING
These books of Hadith are so great that if a student studies them with a) concentration b) respect, they will be successful. The final year of the Islamic scholarship course focuses on Hadith. This is due to the importance and reliance on Sunnah in understanding the rulings of our faith and in understanding the meanings of the Qur’an.
The compilers of these books did not author the works yet they have put in more effort than any person who authors his own work. Imam Muslim passed away due to his spending hours searching for one Hadith. Even today there are people who travel the world and seek out scholars for their chains of Hadith. We should be very grateful that we are being offered it so easily.
This science is full of blessings. After you graduate, don’t ever think that you have not achieved anything from these books of Hadith. Don’t ever wish to exchange this knowledge for anything. Shah Ganj Muradabadi once saw a dream of the damsels of Jannah. He asked them if they were learned of the Qur’an. If they were, they could stay. Otherwise, he had no need for them. Such was the focus and love of our scholars of the Islamic sciences that they wanted this not to be an aspect of their life but to permeate their whole life. Many scholars suffer from chronic pain or fatigue due to old age but as soon as they teach Hadith, all their pain disappears and they deliver with more energy than young people.
Through the blessing of this course, as your life extends, it will continue to improve until you pass away with a good end. With any other qualification, it helps you make money. What do you do with money? Use it up. This wealth is in your heart. It benefits you here and there. These great Imams will intercede for you on the day of judgement. And In Jannah, this knowledge will also benefit, inshāAllah.
May Allah Almighty continue to send blessings to Imam at-Tirmidhi and benefit the Ummah through his efforts. May He bless and have mercy on all the authentic and pious scholars. Aameen. Imam at-Tirmidhi was a man whose life was dedicated to the love of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and in return Allah Almighty raised him to the rank of the greatest luminaries of this Ummah. He was hardworking, humble, passionate about his faith, and obedient to His Lord. He is known through his great work and his great work is known better by learning about the man behind its compilation. We pray to follow in his footsteps and to be amongst his companions in Jannah, for Allah Almighty is powerful over everything and we have good hopes in Him. Aameen.
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