Author: Obaidullah Nimruzi
The Scholarly Biography of Imam Tirmidhi ‘May Allah Have Mercy on Him’ (Part Three)
Imam Tirmidhi from the Perspective of Scholars
Ibn Habban (may Allah have mercy on him) says: “Imam Tirmidhi was one of those who collected and memorized hadiths, then compiled and transmitted them.”
Abu Sa’ad Idrisi (may Allah have mercy on him) states: “Tirmidhi is one of the imams who is followed in the knowledge of hadith. He compiled the books Al-Jameh, Al-Tawarikh, and Al-Illal. These works demonstrate his extensive knowledge and self-confidence, and his memory was renowned.”
Hakim (may Allah have mercy on him) mentions: “I heard Umar ibn ‘Alak say: After the death of Imam Bukhari, no one in Khorasan was as knowledgeable, memorable, and pious as Imam Tirmidhi. He wept so much at the loss of his teacher Bukhari that he became blind and remained in this state for several years.”
Ibn al-Imad al-Hanbali (may Allah have mercy on him) writes: “Although Imam al-Tirmidhi was a student of Imam al-Bukhari, he shared with him the narration of hadith from some of Bukhari’s teachers and was known among his contemporaries for his extraordinary memory.”
Ibn Khalakan (may Allah have mercy on him) states: “Imam al-Tirmidhi was one of the great memorizers and imams who were followed in the knowledge of hadith. His important works, such as Al-Jameh and Al-Illal, attest to his vast knowledge and the power of his unparalleled memory.”
Sama’ani (may Allah have mercy on him) notes: “Imam al-Tirmidhi was a famous memorizer of hadith, and his works, including al-Jameh and al-Illal, exemplify his knowledge and skill in composition and scientific reliability.”
Ibn al-Athir (may Allah have mercy on him) states: “Imam al-Tirmidhi was a great imam and memorizer and had valuable works, the most important of which is al-Jameh Al-Kabir.”
Sheikh al-Islam Ismail Haravi (may Allah have mercy on him) asserts: “Al-Jamieh Tirmidhi is more beneficial than Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, because the Sahihain are used more by scholars, while Al-Jamieh Tirmidhi is also useful for the general public.”
Hafiz Abu Ya’li al-Qazwini (may Allah have mercy on him) remarks: “Muhammad ibn Isa Tirmidhi was an unparalleled Hafiz whose works hold a high status in the science of hadith, criticism, and correction.”
Ibn Kathir (may Allah have mercy on him) states: “Imam Tirmidhi was one of the imams of hadith of his time and produced valuable works such as Al-Jameh, Al-Shama’el, Al-Asmah, and Al-Sahaba. Al-Jameh Tirmidhi is one of the six books that scholars refer to.”
Imam Bukhari’s Testimony to Imam Tirmidhi’s Ability
Imam Tirmidhi narrates: “One day Imam Bukhari said to me: ‘I benefit from you more than you benefit from me.’”
The Death of Imam Tirmidhi (may Allah have mercy on him)
There are differing opinions among scholars regarding the date and place of death of Imam Tirmidhi (may Allah have mercy on him). Some, such as Abu Ya’li al-Khalili al-Qazwini, believe that he passed away in 280 AH. However, this opinion has been rejected by many scholars of hadith.
Regarding the date and place of Imam Tirmidhi’s death, Sama’ani and Ibn Athir stated that he died in his hometown of Bugh in 270 AH or shortly thereafter. Another narration from Ibn Athir indicates that he passed away in the same village in 275 AH: “He died in the village of Bugh in the year 275 AH.”
However, most scholars believe that Imam Tirmidhi passed away on Monday night, the 13th of Rajab, 279 AH, in his hometown of Tirmidhi, at the age of 70. After a life filled with love and affection for Allah and the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and with a rich record of teaching and writing, he joined the mercy of Allah and was buried in the same place of his birth. “We belong to Allah, and to Him, we shall return.”
Knowledge and Introduction of the Comprehensive Book of Tirmidhi
Imam Abu Issa Tirmidhi (may Allah have mercy on him), who greatly benefited from the gatherings and works of Imam Bukhari (may Allah have mercy on him), decided to compile a comprehensive book on the subject of prophetic hadiths. For this purpose, he utilized the knowledge of the narrators in collecting authentic hadiths and critiquing them, carefully arranging the chapters of this book. He worked for years to complete his book and presented it to dozens of scholars and hadith scholars during his travels to benefit from their opinions. Scholars approved and praised this work and considered it one of the valuable contributions to the science of hadith.
Name of the Book
There is a difference of opinion regarding the name of Imam Tirmidhi’s book: Hakim Nishaburi referred to it as Al-Jameh Al-Sahih. Khatib Baghdadi called it Sahih Al-Tirmidhi. However, these two titles are broad, because Imam Tirmidhi’s book includes authentic, good, and even weak hadiths. Dr. Dakhil also clarified this point in his book: “There is a broadness in its definition because it contains authentic, good, weak, and reprehensible hadiths.”
The majority of scholars, including Dhahabi, Ibn Athir, Idrisi, and others, have known this work as Al-Jameh Al-Tirmidhi or Sunan Al-Tirmidhi. Among these, Al-Jameh Al-Tirmidhi is more famous. Dr. Yusuf Muhammad Dakhil commented: “This book is most famous for its author, so he called it Al-Jameh Al-Tirmidhi, and it is also called Sunan Al-Tirmidhi, with the former being the most famous and widely used.”
Muhammad Abu Zahu also confirmed in his book: “This book is known as Jameh al-Tirmidhi, and it is also called Sunan al-Tirmidhi, with the former being more authoritative than what the author of Kashf al-Dhunun mentioned.”
It seems that the title Jameh al-Tirmidhi or Sunan al-Tirmidhi is the most appropriate title for this book. Although not all the hadiths in it are authentic, the book includes eight main chapters that match the definition of Jameh and are arranged in jurisprudential order.
In some sources, this book is referred to as Jameh al-Sahih, but this title is also applied due to the predominance of authentic hadiths in it.
Jameh al-Tirmidhi is a valuable and lasting work in the science of hadith that, in addition to the prophetic hadiths, includes a detailed critique and analysis of hadiths, a study of narrators, and an innovative and jurisprudential arrangement. This book is also considered an important reference in Islamic sciences due to its comprehensiveness and wide scientific influence.
Continues…
By admin2