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The Four Imams: Their Lives, Works and Schools of Jurisprudence

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This book is a compilation of four books which deal with the lives and works of the four imams who founded the four great canonical schools of thoughts of Islamic fiqh. The book was originally written in Arabic by the great Egyptian scholar and theologian Muhammad Abu Zahra and is presented in English for the first time.

In this book there is a comprehensive, in depth analysis of the four Sunni madhhabs and their founders, giving details of their biography and the methods they used in reaching their legal conclusions. This is particularly important in the world today when many thousands of Muslims find themselves in a situation where there is not enough knowledge therefore no traditional allegiance to a particular madhhab. As a result of this ignorance there is also a great deal of futile disagreements amongst the Muslims. This work therefore has been long overdue in the English language and will be a milestone in bridging the gap amongst Muslims and uniting them. It makes a stimulating and enriching read for all who are interested in deepening their knowledge of Islam [From the book cover].

530 pages, Hardcover

First published December 31, 2000

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محمد أبو زهرة

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محمد بن أحمد بن مصطفى بن أحمد المعروف بـ أبي زهرة المولود في المحلة الكبرى التابعة لمحافظة الغربية بمصر في 6 من ذي القعدة 1315هـ الموافق 29 من مارس 1898م نشأ في أسرة كريمة تحرص على العلم والتدين.التحق الشيخ بأحد الكتاتيب التي كانت منتشرة في أنحاء مصر تعلم الأطفال وتحفظهم القرآن الكريم، وقد حفظ القرآن الكريم وأجاد تعلم مبادئ القراءة والكتابة ثم انتقل إلى الجامع الأحمدي بمدينة طنطا وكان إحدى منارات العلم في مصر تمتلئ ساحاته بحلق العلم التي يتصدرها فحول العلماء وكان يطلق عليه الأزهر الثاني لمكانته الرفيعة.

وقد سيطرت على الطالب أبي زهرة روح الاعتزاز بالنفس واحترام الحرية والتفكير وكره السيطرة والاستبداد وقد عبر أبو زهرة عن هذا الشعور المبكر في حياته بقوله: ولما أخذت أشدو في طلب العلم وأنا في سن المراهقة. كنت أفكر: لماذا يوجد الملوك؟ وبأي حق يستعبد الملوك الناس؟ فكان كبر العلماء عندي بمقدار عدم خضوعهم لسيطرة الخديوي الذي كان أمير مصر في ذلك الوقت.

وبعد ثلاث سنوات من الدراسة بالجامع الأحمدي انتقل إلى مدرسة القضاء الشرعي سنة 1916م بعد اجتيازه اختباراً دقيقاً كان هو أول المتقدمين فيه على الذي أدوا الاختبار مثله بالرغم من صغر سنه وقصر المدة التي قضاها في الدراسة والتعليم وكانت المدرسة التي أنشأها محمد عاطف بركات تعد خريجها لتولي مناصب القضاء الشرعي في المحاكم المصرية. ومكث أبو زهرة في المدرسة ثماني سنوات يواصل حياته الدراسية في جد واجتهاد حتى تخرج فيها سنة 1924م حاصلاً على عالمية القضاء الشرعي ثم اتجه إلى دار العلوم لينال معادلتها سنة 1927م فاجتمع له تخصصان قويان لا بد منهما لمن يريد التمكن من علوم الإسلام.

وبعد تخرجه عمل في ميدان التعليم ودرس العربية في المدارس الثانوية ثم اختير سنة 1933م للتدريس في كلية أصول الدين وكلف بتدريس مادة الخطابة والجدل فألقى محاضرات ممتازة في أصول الخطابة وتحدث عن الخطباء في الجاهلية والإسلام ثم كتب مؤلفاً عد الأول من نوعه في اللغة العربية حيث لم تفرد الخطابة قبله بكتاب مستقل.

ولما ذاع فضل المدرس الشاب وبراعته في مادته اختارته كلية الحقوق المصرية لتدريس مادة الخطابة بها وكانت تعنى بها عناية فائقة وتمرن طلابها على المرافعة البليغة الدقيقة. كان الإمام محمد أبو زهرة أحد أفذاذ العلماء في عصره وكان صاحب حضور قوي وكلمة مسموعة ورأي سديد يلاحق الزيف ويسعى لقطع دابره، ينير للمسلمين طريقهم، وظل هكذا حتى نهاية حياته.

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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
Profile Image for Tahir Hussain.
26 reviews18 followers
January 8, 2016
This is the best work on the Four Imāms that I have read to date. It is written by Muhammad Abu Zahra (d.1974) and has been translated by Aisha Abdurrahman Bewley. I have the paperback version printed in India so I'm not sure it differs to the hardback or other paperback prints but my copy has no contents page and begins immediately with the life of Imām Mālik ibn Anas (d.179/795) which is a little odd as biographies on the Four Imāms begin chronologically with Imām Abū Ḥanīfah (d.150/767).

The structure for each of the biographies on the Four Imāms is more or less the same. It begins by covering their birth, lineage, qualities and life and works. It explores the major aspects of their life from education to the relationship with the rulers of the time as well as their knowledge, character and the condition of their place of residence. The author makes mention of the sects that were present at the time and the controversies they perpetuated (the nature of the Qur'ān, destiny, the vision of Allāh etc.) and the Imāms' opinion on them as well as other issues of the time. After this there is a chapter on the fiqh of the maddhab exploring the methodology they implemented and acknowledgment of their students and their works. The author concludes by listing the principles of fiqh (uṣūl al-fiqh) for the school and how the sources are utilised. The only difference is that the chapters on Imām Abū Ḥanīfah, Imām Muhammad ibn Idris al-Shāfiʿī (d.204/820) and Imām Ahmad ibn Hanbāl (d.241/855) are preceded with a preface each and the chapter on Imām Abū Ḥanīfah includes a foreword. The author does an excellent job of bringing out the characteristics and merits of each Imām as well as their special attributes and qualities. He investigates their views on dogma, politics, and analogy and how they developed their principles of fiqh within their school. The most important factor for which I found this book favourable in comparison to others I have read is in its discussion of fiqh. It elucidates the principles the Imāms used in deducing the correct path and how they systemised ijtihad in establishing their positions for their school of thought. To conclude each chapter the author clarifies how the intellectual legacy left by each of the Imāms remains with us today and how each of the schools has continued to develop using the principles laid down by the Imāms and continued by their students.

There are some very interesting points of note that highlight the qualities of each Imām and how they conducted themselves, for instance, Imām Mālik didn't like to argue about reports regarding matters about which people become confused and for this reason he didn't teach all that he knew, as an example a Muʿtazilite asked him a question once to which he told him to be silent but after everyone left he answered him. He also never entertained theoretical questions as he felt they went to the realms of surmise and conjecture so he only answered that which was practical or would benefit people. And even then his knowledge projects humility as he would often say, "I don't know" or would follow his fatwas with, "This is simply an opinion and we are not certain" and yet his knowledge was unparalleled. He was particularly eager to learn the fatwas of `Umar ibn Al-Khattāb and when he taught in the noble mosque of the Prophet Muhammad (ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wasallam) in Medinah, he sat in the seat of `Umar ibn Al-Khattāb. There are too many attributes and anecdotes of excellence to mention in a review but also consider how Imām Abū Ḥanīfah would safeguard the dignity of other scholars and provide for their needs, material and spiritual. It is noteworthy that some of his teachers were from different persuasions and disparate sects that include the Kaysanites, the Zaydites, the Twelver Imāms and the Isma'ilis. As a matter of fact he studied under Jabir al-Juʿfi, an extreme Shīʿah about whom he stated was corrupted by the erroneous views that he espoused but in his subject, there was no one greater in Kufah hence he took that specific field of knowledge from him. He also debated many of these sects with his quick-wit and exceptional technique in a subtle approach which is demonstrated many times through the anecdotes found in this book. He said, "I learned the fiqh of `Umar, the fiqh of Alī, the fiqh of 'Abdullah ibn Mās'ud and the fiqh of Ibn Abbas from their companions". Again, there are too many attributes of brilliance to list in a review but it is only fair to mention a couple of points about Imām al-Shāfiʿī and Imām Ahmad ibn Hanbāl.

Imām al-Shāfiʿī grew up in poverty but his genius was seen at an early age. He is responsible for sparking the major collections of ḥadīth as he formulated universal rules and set out the basis of the science of the principles of fiqh in his Risala. Unlike Imām Mālik and Imām Abū Ḥanīfah, Imām al-Shāfiʿī travelled a lot and received knowledge from shaykhs in Makkah, Medīnah, Yemen and Irāq. One of his students said, "When ash-Shāfiʿī began tafsīr, it was as if we were witnessing Revelation" such was his fine exposition and eloquence in Arabic. As he travelled a lot, he mixed with all different groups, meeting their representatives and debating with them to clarify their legal proofs and evidence within their school which is how he came to develop his own independent school. The influence he had was immense and the system he developed is the Islam we inherit today. It is hard to comprehend a world without him. He was much admired by Imām Ahmad ibn Hanbāl who said "Fiqh was a closed book to its students until Allah opened it through ash-Shāfiʿī". Imām Ahmad ibn Hanbāl himself was a man devoted to ḥadīth travelling journeys of great distances with meagre funds, taking bricks as pillows and hiring himself out as a porter and a scribe for the sake of gaining knowledge. He encountered many hardships and of the five pilgrimages he completed, three of them were on foot. He was very scrupulous in following the Sunna, to the extent that he never ate watermelons as he could not find any evidence to suggest the Prophet (ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wasallam) ever ate them. He will always be remembered for the punishment he suffered during the Inquisition under the caliphs and governors of the time and how he stayed firm in defence of the pure creed of ahl as-sunnah wa l-jamāʻah. The fruition of his knowledge in ḥadīth culminates in his Musnad which he began collecting when he was sixteen and completed, in a rough draft by the time he died. He said, "People need knowledge as much as they need bread and water" and in Islam his knowledge/works form part of our bread and water as is the case with the other three imams, may Allāh be pleased with them all.

Overall, this is an excellent book; the only deficiency (other than a missing contents page which I'm sure is just my copy) is the lack of references/sources for the information/quotes. This would probably be my only gripe with this work. That aside it is bias free and covers the lives, views and methodologies of the Four Imāms in detail with invaluable information. It is well written and there are no issues in the translation, it reads well, as expected from Aisha Bewley who has translated many priceless works for English speaking Muslims. If you want to learn about the lives and methodology of the Four Imāms then this work is imperative reading material. I can't recommend it enough. I hope the other biographies written by Muhammad Abu Zahra on 'Alī ibn al-Ḥusayn Zaynul `Ābidīn (d.95/712), Muḥammad ibn `Alī al-Bāqir (d.114/733), Zayd ibn `Alī (d.122/740) and Ibn Taymiyya (d.728/1328) are translated at some point in the near future.
Profile Image for Usama Siddiqui.
51 reviews16 followers
August 19, 2021
This was such a fantastic read and a very well-structured book.

Thank you Aisha Bewley for translating this work into English. This is the best book written on The Four Imams i.e. Imam Abu Hanifa, Imam Malik, Imam Shafi, and Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal.

The book is divided into four parts - each part is dedicated to a single Imam. The book discusses the life of imams, their top students, and the Usool al-fiqh of each of them. It was sad to read about how the Imams were treated by the then Khalifs.

Imam Malik was flogged until his arms were dislocated and passed out. Imam Abu Hanifa was thrown into jail and died there. Imam Ash-Shafi’i was arrested and taken in chains to Baghdad on false charges of supporting rebels in Yemen. Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal was also brought in chains on the orders of Al-Mamun. He was imprisoned and used to get flogged daily until he became unconscious - this repeated on a daily basis until the Khalifa was forced to release Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal.

Undoubtedly, these four were the geniuses of their time. May Allah have mercy on their souls. Ameen.
Profile Image for Hamza.
178 reviews57 followers
April 29, 2016
This is a highly recommended book, or rather collection of books, translated from the original Arabic for the convenience of the English-speaking traditional Muslims of the world. It details the lives of the four imams who founded the valid schools of Sunni Orthodox jurisprudence: their personal biographies, conflicts with other sects and rulers of the times and places in which they lived, and the methodologies behind their schools of law.

The book does get a bit repetitive at times, as the sections on Imams Abu Hanifa and ash-Shafi'i both contain nearly identical sections on various deviant groups such as Mu'tazilites, Qadarites, et al. Somehow, however, it doesn't take away from the overall greatness of the book. Another odd decision made by the compilers was to put Imam Malik's section before that of Imam Abu Hanifa, despite the fact that the latter was chronologically before the former. Nevertheless, it doesn't really affect the book's overall worth. All in all, definitely worth checking out to see how these great scholars began to develop their schools of fiqh.
Profile Image for Ehaab.
3 reviews4 followers
June 15, 2009
This book is an excellent overview of the lives, works, and schools of the four imams of Sunni Islam. One really gets a sense of the intimate details of each imam's character as well as their experiences, culminating in an explanation of their thought processes in formulating their legal rulings. The book is unbiased in its review of the imams and their schools.

One weak point of the book is that it can be somewhat repetitive. Because it seems as though the book is really a literal binding together of four separate books (one on each imam), there are portions in each section that are literally the same, word for word. For example, the portions that describe the other ideological groups that were active during the times of each scholar (eg., Shi`ites, Mu`tazilites, etc.), were essentially copied into each of the four sections of each imam verbatim.

Overall, however, this book is definitely one that should be read by anyone curious about the differences of the schools and understanding the circumstances of the imams that founded them.
5 reviews2 followers
August 24, 2008
Has in-depth stories about the four imams of fiqh. I like it because it doesnt only give one account of their lives but presents several possible variations where their are differences of opinion.
Profile Image for Rami.
8 reviews4 followers
February 27, 2020
Excellent overview of the 4 main schools of thought in Islamic jurisprudence.

My main concern with the English translation, and the reason I am giving only 3 stars, is the translation itself which leaves much to be desired. The vocabulary and sentence structure was awkward at times and typos were not infrequent. If you are fluent in Arabic I would highly recommend reading the original over the translated version.
4 reviews
December 23, 2021
Amazingly detailed.

A must have source book for anyone serious about the study of fiqh. It's depth is substantial and truly illuminates the study of fiqh.
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