Biographies - Imam Tirmizi

IMAM TIRMIZI (R.A) 209A.H. – 279 A.H.
ImaamTirmizi(R.A.) was born during the reign of the Abbasid Khalifa
Mamoon al Rasheed. The Abbasid Caliphate, despite its brilliant
contributions to Islaam, brought along with it many thorny problems.
Greek Philosophy had a free flow into the Islamic world. This was
fully sanctioned by the government until eventually it declared
theMu'tazila school of thought as the state religion. Anyone who
opposed the Mu'tazila school of thought would be opposing the state.
With the influence of Greek philosophy infiltrating within the people,
many Muslims began attempting to reconcile between reason and
revelation. As a result they deviated themselves and misled many
innocent weak Muslims away from Allah and His Rasul [sallallahu alyhi
wasallam]. Many scholars of Islaam had come to the fore in orderto
defend the Shariah. Forgeries and interpolations in Hadith by rulers
who wished to fulfil their personal motives was common. In the first
century Umar binAbdul Aziz(R.A.) initiated a movement for the
compilation of the Mubarak Hadeeth of Nabi[sallallahu alayhi wasallam]
as there was a fear of it being lost. Eventually this gigantic task
was undertaken by six towering scholars of Islaam. One of them was……..
Imaam Abu Isa Muhammed ibn IsaTirmizi(R.A.)
Having grown up in an environment of learning, together with
possessing many great qualities naturally drove ImaamTirmizi(R.A.) to
dedicate his life totally towards the field of Hadith. He obtained his
basic knowledge at home and later travelled to far off lands in search
of this great science. He studied Hadith under great personalities
such as Imaam Bukhari (R.A.), Imaam Muslim(R.A.) and Imaam Abu
Dawood(R.A.). In some narrations Imaam Bukhari and Imaam Muslim (R.A.)
are his students as well. Once Imaam Bukhari (R.A.) mentioned to him
"I havebenefited more from youthan you have benefittedfrom me." Moosa
ibn Alaq(R.A.) once said : "When Imaam Bukhari passed away, he left no
one in Khurasaan who compared with Abu Isa Tirmizi (R.A.) in Ilm,
memory, piety and abstinence." According toAbdullah ibn Muhammed
Al-Ansaari (R.A.), Imaam Tirmizi's Al-Jami is more beneficial than the
worksof Bukhari and Muslim (R.A.) since their compilations can only be
understood by a very deep sighted scholar whereas Al Jami can be
understood by both the scholar and the lay man. Imaam Tirmizi (R.A.)
said that he compiled this book and presented it to the learned of
Hejaaz, Iraaq and Khuraasaan and they were pleased with it. Who ever
has thisbook in his home, it is as though he has the Prophet
[sallallahu alyhi wasallam] speaking to him there.
His remarkable memory:
Imaam Tirmizi (R.A.) had an exceptionally remarkable memory. If he
heard something oncehe never forgot it. Once on his way to Makkah,
Imaam Tirmizi(R.A.) met aMuhadith from whom he had previously copied
two chapters of hadith. Thinking that he had the notes with him he
asked the Muhadith if he wouldallow him to read out these two chapters
so that he may correct any errors. After realizing that he did not
have those notes with him he took a blank piece of paper and read out
the entire two parts from memory. When the Muhadith realized what he
was doing he rebukedImam Tirmizi (R.A.) saying: "Have you no shame,
Why are you wasting my time." ImaamTirmizi (R.A.) assured him that he
had committed allthe ahadith to memory. The Muhadith was not
convinced, even though he recited all the Ahadith from memory. Imaam
Tirmizi (R.A.) requested him to recite to him someother Ahadith. The
Muhaddith recited 40 ahadith which Imaam Tirmizi (R.A.) repeated
without making a single error, thus showing his remarkable power of
committing Ahadith to memory.
Another incident has been recorded by Hakeemul Ummat (R.A.) inhis
Al-Misk-us-Zaki, depicting the profound memory of Imaam Tirmizi(R.A.).
He writes:"Imaam Tirmizi (R.A.) had lost his sight towards the latter
portion of his life. Once whilst on a journey, at a certain point he
bowed his head. When asked as to why he did this, he replied: "Is
there not a tree here whose branches hang over in such a manner that
it harms those who are passing by." They answered in the negative. He
was quite shocked when he heard this as he distinctly remembered there
beinga tree and was worried as to whether his memory was failing him
or not. He stopped the caravan immediately andasked his companions to
enquire from the locals whether a tree had existed there or not. "If
itis established that no tree existed then I will stop narrating the
Hadithof Nabi [sallallahu alyhi wasallam] due to my weak memory." On
inquiry it was shown to them that a tree had previously existed over
there but due to it being a hindrance to travelers it was removed."
Imaam Tirmizi (R.A.) had a large number of students from all over
theworld. The most famous amongst them were Haysam ibn Kulaib (R.A.),
Abul Abbaas (R.A.) and Muhammed ibn Ahmed (R.A.) Shah Abdul Aziz
(R.A.) describes Imaam Tirmizi (R.A.) in the following words: "His
memory was unique and his piety and fear of AllahTa'la was of a very
high caliber. He would cry so much out of the fear of Allah, that
towards the end of his life he lost his sight."
According to Ibn Taimiya (R.A.) and Shah Waliullah (R.A.), Imaam
Timizi (R.A.) was an independent Jurist (Mujtahid). Hazrat Moulana
Anwar Shah Kashmiri (R.A.) is of the opinion that he was a Shafi.
In the year 279 A.H. in a village called Bawag at the ripe age of 70 ,
Imaam Tirmizi (R.A.) left this temporary abode for the ever lasting
life of thehereafter. May Allah Ta'ala fill his Qabar with Noor.
Aameen. The enormity of his sacrifices and the extent to which he
served Deen can neverbe fully comprehended.
Many books of hadith were compiled before Imaam Tirmizi (R.A.) decided
to compile His Al-Jami. Dawood Tayalisi (R.A.) and Ahmed ibn Hambal
(R.A.) had compiled books consisting of both authentic and weak
Ahadith. Later Imaam Bukhari (R.A.) compiled his Sahih Bukhari and
omitted all weak narrations from it. His main objective was to derive
masail / laws from the relevant Ahadith. Later Muslim (R.A.) compiled
his book concentrating mainly on the Isnaad (different chain of
narrators). Hazrat Imaam Nasai's aimwas to mention the discrepancies
of the hadith whilst Abu Dawood (R.A.) prepared such a book which
became the basis for the Fuqaha. Imaam Tirmizi (R.A.) had combined the
styles of Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawood and Nasai (R.A.) by mentioning
the discrepancies regarding the narrators and also making his
compilation abasis for the Jurists.