Juz fi Masa'il an Abi Abd Allah Ahmad ibn Hanbal
- Author died
- 317 AH
- Editions
- Dār al-‘Āṣimah
Juz' fi Masa'il 'an Abi Abd Allah Ahmad ibn Hanbal (A Part on Questions Narrated from Abu Abd Allah Ahmad ibn Hanbal) is a specialized compilation of legal questions, hadith criticism, and personal observations recorded by the traditionist Abu al-Qasim al-Baghawi (d. 317 AH / 929 CE) directly from Ahmad ibn Hanbal .
Transmission and Structure
The work consists of 102 numbered reports transmitted from Abu al-Qasim al-Baghawi through Muhammad ibn al-Abbas ibn Hayyawayh al-Khazzaz, al-Hasan ibn Muhammad al-Khallal, al-Mubarak ibn Abd al-Jabbar al-Sayrafi, and Abd al-Haqq ibn Abd al-Khaliq . Al-Baghawi documented inquiries he personally posed to Ahmad, questions asked by others in his presence, and direct observations of Ahmad's actions, noting that he heard him on certain matters as early as 228 AH . Later Hanbali scholars frequently cited al-Baghawi's narrations from Ahmad, including Abu Bakr al-Khallal in Kitab al-Wuquf, al-Qadi Abu Ya'la in al-'Uddah fi Usul al-Fiqh, and Ibn Abi Ya'la in Tabaqat al-Hanabilah .
Contents and Methodology
The text spans several thematic categories within Islamic jurisprudence, ritual practice, and hadith evaluation:
- Ritual Practice and Jurisprudence: The compilation covers practical rulings on prayer, including raising the hands to the ears at the opening takbir, bowing, and rising from ruku'; performing four or six optional cycles after Friday prayer; and greeting to one side after funeral prayers . It treats other legal chapters such as the invalidity of fasting during travel, zakat obligations on pasturing livestock (sa'imah), the guardianship (wilayah) required in marriage, conditions of collateral (rahn), the prohibition of loans yielding private benefits, and wergild (diyah) assessments for fingers, nose, and nails .
- Transmitter Criticism and Hadith: The work records Ahmad's appraisals of various hadith transmitters, declaring figures like al-Walid ibn Abi Hisham, Abu al-Muhajir al-Raqqi, and Ibn Abi Dhi'b reliable, expressing hope in the reliability of Rishdin, expressing skepticism regarding the narrations of al-Darawardi, and assessing the validity of the famous letter on legal obligations attributed to Amr ibn Hazm .
- Observations of Ahmad's Conduct: Al-Baghawi notes several personal observations of Ahmad's habits, such as his turning to straighten the prayer rows before leading, shifting away from the qiblah following the final salam to engage in glorification and remembrance, and holding his sandals in his right hand upon entering a cemetery .
- Corroborating Chains: In addition to transmitting Ahmad's direct words, al-Baghawi occasionally appends supporting hadiths and Companions' opinions through other primary authorities, predominantly his grandfather Ahmad ibn Mani' and Abu Bakr ibn Abi Shaybah, as seen in the extended section detailing reports that permit making up missed Ramadan fasts separately .
Manuscripts and Editions
Manuscript copies of the treatise are preserved in collections such as the Central Library of Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University in Riyadh (no. 4805) .
The text has been published in several critical editions, including:
- An edition edited by Mahmud ibn Muhammad al-Haddad (Dar al-Asimah, Riyadh, 1407 AH / 1987 CE) .
- An edition edited by Amr Abd al-Mun'im Salim (Mu'assasat Qurtubah, 1413 AH / 1993 CE) .
- An edition edited by Muhammad Ali al-Azhari (al-Faruq al-Hadithah, Cairo, 1430 AH / 2009 CE) .
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