Tashreeh Al Asedi

IMAM ABU JA’FAR AT-TAHAWI (رحمة الله عليه)

Imam Abu Ja’far At-Tahawi (843-933) (امام أبو جعفر الطحاوي رحمة الله عليه) was an Islamic theologian famous for defending Islamic beliefs based on the Quran and Prophet’s (صلى الله عليه و آله وسلم) Sunnah. He is famous for his work titled ‘Aqidah At-Tahawiyyah’ (العقيده الطحاويه). He lived at a time when both, direct and indirect, disciples of the four Imams of Fiqh, Abu Hanifah, Malik, Shafi'i and Ahmad ibn Hanbal were teaching and practicing, and he studied under all of them.

Al-Badr al-Ayni (1360-1453) wrote, when Imam Ahmad died, Tahawi was 12, when Imam Bukhari died, he was 27, when Imam Muslim died, he was 32, when Imam Ibn Majah died, he was 44, when Imam Abu Dawud died, he was 46, when Imam Tirmidhi died, he was 50, and when Imam An-Nasai died, he was 74.

Al-Ayni, Ad-Dhahabi, and Ibn Kathir regarded Imam Tahawi as one of the most trustworthy narrators of Ahadith.

BLESSED BIRTH

Imam Abu Ja’far Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Salamah al‑Azdi, al‑Hajri, al‑Tahawi, was born in 843 CE in a village called ‘Taha’, located in upper Egypt in a wealthy Arab family of Azdi origins. This is the reason he is known as Tahawi. It is reported that his ancestors came to Egypt from Yemen when Egypt was conquered by Muslims.

EARLY LIFE

Imam Tahawi studied under his maternal uncle Ismail ibn Yahya al-Muzani, who was a well-known disciple of Imam Shafi`i. However, when he saw his uncle turning to the Fiqh of Imam Abu Hanifa to resolve difficult issues of fiqh, particularly the works of Imam Abu Hanifah’s disciples Muhammad Ibn al-Hasan al-Shaibani and Abu Yusuf, who had codified Hanafi fiqh, Imam Tahawi was instinctively drawn towards following Imam Abu Hanifah which led him to study the Hanafi works and he eventually joined the Hanafi school.

TEACHERS

Imam Tahawi studied under Hanafi Jurist Shaikh Abu Ja’far Ahmad bin Abu Imran who was the Chief Qadi of Egypt. Shaikh Abu Ja’far had studied under Imam Abu Yusuf and Imam Shaibani who were the students of Imam Abu Hanifah.

Later, Imam Tahawi travelled to Syria in 882 CE for further studies. In Syria he studied under Hanafi Qadi Abu Khazim Abdul Hamid bin Ja’far, the then Chief Justice of Syria.

He also studied Hadith from a large number of Shuyookh, particularly those who visited Egypt during his lifetime. Imam Tahawi is reported to have gained vast knowledge of Hadith and Hanafi Jurisprudence and his study circles attracted a large number of students during his lifetime.

BOOKS WRITTEN BY IMAM TAHAWI

Imam Tahawi was a distinguished author who wrote more than 40 books. These include the following.

1. Ma’ani al-Athar (معاني الآثار)
2. Al-Aqidah Aṭ-Ṭaḥawiyyah (العقيدة الطحاوية)
3. Aḥkam al-Quran al-Karim (أحكام القرآن الكريم)
4. Al-Mukhtaṣar fil-Furu (المختصر في الفروع)
5. Sharḥ Mushkil al-Athar (شرح مشكل الآثار)
6. Sharḥ Ma’ani al-Athar (شرح معاني الآثار)
7. Sharḥ al-Jami al-Kabir (شرح الجامع الكبير)
8. Sharḥ al-Jami aṣ-Ṣaghīr (شرح الجامع الصغير)
9. Ash-Shuruṭ aṣ-Ṣaghir (الشروط الصغير)
10. Ash-Shuruṭ al-Kabir (الشروط الكبير)
11. Ikhtilaf al-Ulama (إختلاف العلماء)
12. Uqud al-Marjan fi Manaqib Abi Ḥanifa an-Nu’man (عقود المرجان قي مناقب أبي حنيفة النعمان)
13. Tarikh al‑Kabir (تاريخ الكبير)
14. Hukm Araḍi Makkah al-Mukarramah (حكم أراضي مكة المكرمة)

IMAM TAHAWI’S CONTRIBUTION

Imam Tahawi introduced a system of collecting authentic Ahadith, interpreting and harmonizing the conflicting Ahadith, and criticizing the munkar narrations. As per Imam Tahawi, his contemporary Imams of Ahadith, Bukhari, Muslim, An-Nasai, Abu Dawood, Tirmidhi and Ibn Maja, collected Ahadith as per their standards but in the process left out a large number of genuine Ahadith. Imam Tahawi made a dedicated effort to collect genuine Ahadith on different subjects, together with the opinions of the companions of the Prophet (s), Taba’een and distinguished narrators. He scrutinized these Ahadith and showed evidence as to which of them were authentic, strong, weak, or unknown. The Hadith work of Imam Tahawi is titled ‘Sharḥ Ma’ani al-Athar (شرح معاني الآثار)’ which was useful for Hadith scholars in judging Ahadith on their merits.

Imam Tahawi was a follower of Imam Abu Hanifah in Islamic Fiqh and Islamic theology. His work in Islamic theology titled Al-Aqidah At-Tahawiyya is a famous treatise. In introduction to this work, he wrote ‘it is an account of the beliefs of Ahle Sunnah Wa Al-Jama’a as per the views of Imam Abu Hanifa, and his two disciples Abu Yusuf and Muhammad Al-Shaibani. It is the summary of the views of Imam Abu Hanifah which are in conformity with the basic sources of Islam, the Quran, and Sunnah of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه و آله وسلم).

There are no differences between the views of Imams of Islamic theology, Ash’ari, Maturidi and Tahawi, except that they explained the issues in slightly different manner.

(i) Imam Tahawi emphasized that the articles of Iman should be accepted without any rational discussion or speculative thinking, then there can be an attempt to understand them.

(ii) Imam Maturidi emphasized that the articles of Islamic belief originate from revelation and the function of reason is to admit them intelligibly and correctly. If the real meaning of revelation is correctly understood, there should be no conflict between reason and revelation.

(iii) Imam Ash’ari emphasized that revelation is primary source of Islamic truth, therefore, human intellect should always be subordinated to the revelation. Reason should confirm the revelation in case of conflict between the two.

(iii) Imam Ash’ari emphasized that revelation is primary source of Islamic truth, therefore, human intellect should always be subordinated to the revelation. Reason should confirm the revelation in case of conflict between the two.

Thus Imams, Ash’ari, Maturidi and Tahawi belong to the same school of Islamic theology that was followed by all 4 Imams of Fiqh, Abu Hanifah, Malik, Shafii, and Ahmad bin Hanbal.

Imam Abu Hanifa focused his attention on the wrongful beliefs of Kharijis, Qadaris, Mu’tazila, Shia, Jabrites, Murji’ites and Hashwiates. Hashwiates were the group belonging to the traditionalist, who, under the influence of converted Jews, Christians and Magians, became the followers of anthropomorphism. Imam Abu Hanifah was the first theologian among the Fuqaha who adopted the method of reasoning and applied them to the critical examination of the articles of Iman and the laws of Sharia. Because it was the only way to confront the deviant sects. This tradition of th great Imam was continued by all Islamic theologians of future generations.

The book Al-Aqida At-Thawiyya is considered to be the basic text about Iman, what a Muslim need to know. This work draws heavily on the injunctions in the Holy Quran and Sunnah.

DEATH OF IMAM TAHAWI

Imam Tahawi died on the 14th day of Dhu al-Qa’dah, 321 AH (November 5, 933 CE), and was buried in al-Qarafah cemetery, Cairo.

Imam Tahawi’s grave is located under a Mausoleum in al-Qarafah cemetery, which is known as the city of dead, The cemetery is 4 miles long stretching from the northern to southern part of Cairo, located in the foot of Moqattam Hills. Imam Shafi’i is also buried there.