Ahmed ibn Hanbal
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Ahmed ibn Hanbal

Review by Abdul Hai Writing a historical biography of any significant figure is always challenging, particularly when it concerns a figure like Imam Ahmed ibn Hanbal. Several challenges arise when an author from outside the tradition attempts to craft a biography of someone whose religious beliefs they do not share. These challenges, no matter how…

The Four Imams: Their Lives, Works, and Schools of Thought.  Shaykh Muhammad Abu Zahra

The Four Imams: Their Lives, Works, and Schools of Thought. Shaykh Muhammad Abu Zahra

Reviewed Abdul Hai It is believed that there is both blessing and wisdom in reading about the lives of the pious. Furthermore, even for those who are sinful, there is hope in loving and learning about the pious, as it may lead to receiving their intercession, a sentiment eloquently expressed in the couplets of Imam…

Abu Hanifa: His Life, Legal Method and Legacy by Shaykh Akram Nadwi

Abu Hanifa: His Life, Legal Method and Legacy by Shaykh Akram Nadwi

Reviewed by: Dr M Mansur AliCardiff University This very short, albeit highly erudite work of hagiography has been written by a scholar who has engaged with Abu Hanifa and his legacy for a very long time. By using only the most authentic reports found in the classical Islamic prosopographical collections, original Arabic and Urdu sources…