Al-Nasa'i
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Al-Nasa'i | |
|---|---|
| Born | 214 AH (c. 829 CE) Nasā, present-day Turkmenistan[1] |
| Died | 303 AH (915 CE) |
| Nationality | Persian |
| Occupation | scholar |
| Notable work | Al-Sunan al-Sughra |
| Theological work | |
| Tradition or movement | Sunni |
Al-Nasā'ī (214 – 303 AH; c. 829 – 915 CE), full name Aḥmad ibn Shu`ayb ibn Alī ibn Sīnān Abū `Abd ar-Raḥmān al-Nasā'ī, was a noted collector of hadith (sayings of Muhammad), and wrote one of the six canonical hadith collections recognized by Sunni Muslims, Sunan al-Sughra, or "Al-Mujtaba", which he selected from his "As-Sunan al-Kubra". He also wrote 15 other books, 6 dealing with the science of hadith.
Biography
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Abu Abdurrahman Ahmed ibn Shuaib ibn Ali ibn Sinan ibn Bahr ibn Dinar Al-Khurusani was born in the year 215 A.H as the Imam clearly states himself (although some say 255 A.H or 214 A.H) in the city of Nasa, situated in Western Asia known at that time as Khurusan which was a centre for Islamic Knowledge where millions of Ulama'a were situated and Hadeeth and Fiqh was at its peak. Thus he primarily attended the gatherings and circles of knowledge (known as halqas') in his town. When he was 20 years old, he started traveling and made his first journey to Qutaibah. He covered the whole Arabian Peninsula seeking knowledge from the Ulama and Muhadditheen of Iraq, Kufa, Hijaz, Syria and Egypt. Finally he decided to stay in Egypt.
Teachers and students
Hafiz Ibn Hajr Rahimahullahi Alaih says that it is impossible to name and gather all his teachers but some are:
- Ishaq ibn Rahweh
- Imam Abu Daud Al-Sijistani (author of Sunan Abu Dawood)
- Qutaibah ibn Saeed
Although some scholars like Hafiz ibn Hajr Rahimahullah also named Imam Bukhari as his teacher but this is incorrect because Imam Bukhari never met him. However he studied under the Huffaz-e-Hadeeth from different countries and cities. Ibrahim ibn Ya'qub al-Juzajani was also an influence.[2]
After the Imam had decided to stay in Egypt he started to lecture, mostly narrating Ahadeeth to the extent that he became known by the title Hafizul Hadeeth.
Many people would attend his gatherings and many scholars became his students, including:
- Imam Abul Qasim Tabrani
- Imam Abubakr Ahmed ibn Muhammad also known as Allamah ibn Sunni
- Sheikh Ali, the son of the Muhaddith, Imam Tahawi.
Muqallid or Mujtahid
Imam al-Nasai was a follower of the Shafi Fiqh according to Allamah as-Subki, Shah Waliullah, Shah Abdulaziz and many other scholars. The leader of the Ulama'a Allamah Anwar Shah Kashmiri is to the opinion that he was a Hanbali and this has also been stated by ibn Taymiyyah but the truth is that he was a Mujtahid more inclined towards the Hanbali Fiqh but many a time would differ from the Hanbali scholars.
Children
As mentioned before that the Imam had four wives but the historians only mention one son whose name is Abdul Kareem, one of the narrators of the Sunan of his father.
Books
These are a few of his works:
- Sunan Al-Kubra.
- Sunan Al-Sugra/Al-Mujtana/Al-Mujtaba.
- Amul Yawmi Wallaylah.
- Kitaby Dufai wal Matrookeen
- Khasais Ali.
- Al-Jurhu wa Ta'adeel.
- Sunan Al-Nisai.
Death
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Al-Nasa'i compiled a large number of Ahadeeth in favor of Ali Ibn Abi Talib and shaped them into a book known as "Khasais Ali" or "Khasais Kubra". When Kharijites came to know about this, they asked Al-Nasa'i to also compile the Ahadeeth in favor of Muawiyah I. Al-Nasa'i rejected their will by saying that there is no Ahadeeth or saying of Prophet Muhammad in favor of Muawiyah I. The Kharijites then beat Al-Nasa'i till he died. A well-known Sunni scholar of Pakistan, Allamah Ghulam Rasool Saeedi also recorded this event in his famous book of Tazkiratul Mohadiseen.
References
- ^ http://www.uga.edu/islam/hadith.html
- ^ Al-Bastawī, ʻAbd al-ʻAlīm ʻAbd al-ʻAẓīm (1990). Al-Imām al-Jūzajānī wa-manhajuhu fi al-jarḥ wa-al-taʻdīl. Maktabat Dār al-Ṭaḥāwī. p. 9.
