Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Hanbal al-Shaybani
Abu 'Abd Allah
Ahmad ibn Hanbal was a prominent 9th-century Arab Islamic scholar, theologian, and jurist, founder of the Hanbali school of jurisprudence and compiler of the extensive hadith collection Musnad Ahmad. He is renowned for his steadfastness during the Mihna trials under Abbasid caliphs.
Ahmad ibn Hanbal was born in 780 CE into the Banu Dhuhl tribe, originally from Basra, and lived during the Abbasid Caliphate era. He studied under many scholars, including Abu Yusuf and al-Shafi'i, and travelled extensively to collect hadiths, compiling the influential Musnad Ahmad. Ibn Hanbal is famed for his resistance to the Mu'tazili doctrine during the Mihna, enduring imprisonment and flogging for upholding the orthodox Sunni belief in the uncreated Quran. He married late in life and had several children, including Salih and Abdullah, who excelled in jurisprudence. His jurisprudential school, the Hanbali madhhab, remains influential, especially in Saudi Arabia and Qatar. He died in 855 CE after a severe illness.
Significance
Reputation in tradition
Founder of the Hanbali madhhab and compiler of Musnad Ahmad — one of the largest hadith collections in Sunni Islam.