Written by: Hafiz Zubair Ali Zai (may Allah have mercy on him)
Presented here are fifty [50] references from the traces of the pious predecessors which establish that the title and attribute name "Ahl al-Hadith" is entirely correct and there is a consensus on it.
◈ Imam Bukhari said about the Ta'ifa Mansura (the victorious group):
"Meaning, they are Ahl al-Hadith."
[Mas’ala Al-Ihtijaj bi al-Shafi’i, Al-Khatib, p. 47, with a Sahih chain; Al-Hujjah fi Bayan al-Mahajjah 1/246]
◈ Imam Bukhari (may Allah have mercy on him) reported from Yahya ibn Sa'id al-Qattan about a narrator:
"He was not from Ahl al-Hadith."
[Al-Tarikh al-Kabir 6/429; Al-Du'afa al-Saghir, p. 281]
◈ Imam Muslim said about the discredited narrators:
"They are accused according to Ahl al-Hadith."
[Sahih Muslim, Muqaddimah, p. 6 (before the first chapter), second edition 1/5]
◈ Imam Muslim (may Allah have mercy on him) further said:
"We have explained the methodology of Hadith and its people."
[Same reference]
◈ Imam Muslim (may Allah have mercy on him) included Ayub al-Sakhtiyani, Ibn Aoun, Malik bin Anas, Shu'bah bin al-Hajjaj, Yahya bin Sa'id al-Qattan, Abdul Rahman bin Mahdi, and those who came after them among "أهل الحديث" (Ahl al-Hadith).
[Sahih Muslim, Muqaddimah, p. 22 [Bab Sahat al-Ihtijaj bil-Hadith al-Mu'an'an], second edition 1/26, third edition 1/23]
◈ About a weak narration, Imam Muhammad bin Idris al-Shafi’i said:
"Ahl al-Hadith do not consider it authentic."
[Al-Sunan al-Kubra by Al-Bayhaqi 1/260, with a Sahih chain]
◈ Imam Shafi’i (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
"When I see a person from Ahl al-Hadith, it is as if I have seen the Prophet (peace be upon him) alive."
[Sharaf Ashab al-Hadith by Al-Khatib: 85, with a Sahih chain]
◈ Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked about the Ta'ifa Mansura, and he said:
"If this victorious group is not the Ashab al-Hadith, then I do not know who they are?"
[Ma'rifah Ulum al-Hadith by Al-Hakim, p. 2, No. 2, with a Hasan chain, and authenticated by Ibn Hajar in Fath al-Bari 13/293 under Hadith No. 7311]
◈ Imam Yahya ibn Sa'id al-Qattan said about Sulayman ibn Tarhan al-Taymi:
"Taymi was from Ahl al-Hadith according to us."
[Musnad Ali al-Ja'd 1/594, Hadith No. 1354, with a Sahih chain; second edition: 1314; Al-Jarh wa al-Ta'dil by Ibn Abi Hatim 4/125, with a Sahih chain]
◈ Yahya al-Qattan said about the narrator Imran ibn Qudamah al-'Ammi:
"But he was not from Ahl al-Hadith."
[Al-Jarh wa al-Ta'dil 6/303, with a Sahih chain]
◈ Imam Tirmidhi (may Allah have mercy on him) said about a narrator named Abu Zaid:
"Abu Zaid is an unknown person according to Ahl al-Hadith."
[Sunanan Tirmidhi: 88]
◈ Imam Abu Dawood al-Sijistani (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
"According to the majority of Ahl al-Hadith."
[Risalat Abi Dawood ila Makkah fi Wasf Sunanih, p. 30, Manuscript p. 1]
◈ Imam Nasa’i (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
"And a benefit for the people of Islam and from Ahl al-Hadith, knowledge, jurisprudence, and the Quran."
[Sunanan Nasa’i 7/135, Hadith No. 4147; Al-Ta’liqat al-Salafiyyah: 4152]
◈ Imam Muhammad bin Ishaq bin Khuzaymah al-Naysaburi said about a Hadith:
"We have not seen any disagreement among the scholars of Ahl al-Hadith that this report is authentic in terms of transmission."
[Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah 1/21, Hadith No. 31]
◈ Hafiz Muhammad bin Hibban al-Busti titled a chapter in his book as follows:
"Mentioning the report by which some of the Mu'attila (those who deny Allah's attributes) criticized Ahl al-Hadith, as they were deprived of the correct understanding of its meaning."
[Sahih Ibn Hibban, Al-Ihsan: 566, second edition: 565]
◈ In another place, Hafiz Ibn Hibban described the attribute of Ahl al-Hadith as:
"They adhere to the Sunnah, defend it, and suppress those who oppose it."
[Sahih Ibn Hibban, Al-Ihsan: 6129, second edition: 6162; see also Al-Ihsan 1/140 before Hadith No. 61]
This concludes the presentation of fifty references supporting the consensus on the title "Ahl al-Hadith."
Presented here are fifty [50] references from the traces of the pious predecessors which establish that the title and attribute name "Ahl al-Hadith" is entirely correct and there is a consensus on it.
1. Bukhari:
◈ Imam Bukhari said about the Ta'ifa Mansura (the victorious group):
"يعني أهل الحديث"
"Meaning, they are Ahl al-Hadith."
[Mas’ala Al-Ihtijaj bi al-Shafi’i, Al-Khatib, p. 47, with a Sahih chain; Al-Hujjah fi Bayan al-Mahajjah 1/246]
◈ Imam Bukhari (may Allah have mercy on him) reported from Yahya ibn Sa'id al-Qattan about a narrator:
"لم يكن من أهل الحديث"
"He was not from Ahl al-Hadith."
[Al-Tarikh al-Kabir 6/429; Al-Du'afa al-Saghir, p. 281]
2. Muslim:
◈ Imam Muslim said about the discredited narrators:
"هم عند أهل الحديث متهمون"
"They are accused according to Ahl al-Hadith."
[Sahih Muslim, Muqaddimah, p. 6 (before the first chapter), second edition 1/5]
◈ Imam Muslim (may Allah have mercy on him) further said:
"وقد شرحنا من مذهب الحديث و أهله"
"We have explained the methodology of Hadith and its people."
[Same reference]
◈ Imam Muslim (may Allah have mercy on him) included Ayub al-Sakhtiyani, Ibn Aoun, Malik bin Anas, Shu'bah bin al-Hajjaj, Yahya bin Sa'id al-Qattan, Abdul Rahman bin Mahdi, and those who came after them among "أهل الحديث" (Ahl al-Hadith).
[Sahih Muslim, Muqaddimah, p. 22 [Bab Sahat al-Ihtijaj bil-Hadith al-Mu'an'an], second edition 1/26, third edition 1/23]
3. Shafi’i:
◈ About a weak narration, Imam Muhammad bin Idris al-Shafi’i said:
"لا يثبت أهل الحديث مثله"
"Ahl al-Hadith do not consider it authentic."
[Al-Sunan al-Kubra by Al-Bayhaqi 1/260, with a Sahih chain]
◈ Imam Shafi’i (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
"إذا رأيت رجلا من أصحاب الحديث فكأني رأيت النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم حيا"
"When I see a person from Ahl al-Hadith, it is as if I have seen the Prophet (peace be upon him) alive."
[Sharaf Ashab al-Hadith by Al-Khatib: 85, with a Sahih chain]
4. Ahmad bin Hanbal:
◈ Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked about the Ta'ifa Mansura, and he said:
"إن لم تكن هذه الطائفة المنصورة أصحاب الحديث فلا أدري من هم؟"
"If this victorious group is not the Ashab al-Hadith, then I do not know who they are?"
[Ma'rifah Ulum al-Hadith by Al-Hakim, p. 2, No. 2, with a Hasan chain, and authenticated by Ibn Hajar in Fath al-Bari 13/293 under Hadith No. 7311]
5. Yahya ibn Sa’id al-Qattan:
◈ Imam Yahya ibn Sa'id al-Qattan said about Sulayman ibn Tarhan al-Taymi:
"كان التيمي عندنا من أهل الحديث"
"Taymi was from Ahl al-Hadith according to us."
[Musnad Ali al-Ja'd 1/594, Hadith No. 1354, with a Sahih chain; second edition: 1314; Al-Jarh wa al-Ta'dil by Ibn Abi Hatim 4/125, with a Sahih chain]
◈ Yahya al-Qattan said about the narrator Imran ibn Qudamah al-'Ammi:
"ولكنه لم يكن من أهل الحديث"
"But he was not from Ahl al-Hadith."
[Al-Jarh wa al-Ta'dil 6/303, with a Sahih chain]
6. Tirmidhi:
◈ Imam Tirmidhi (may Allah have mercy on him) said about a narrator named Abu Zaid:
"وأبو زيد رجل مجهول عند أهل الحديث"
"Abu Zaid is an unknown person according to Ahl al-Hadith."
[Sunanan Tirmidhi: 88]
7. Abu Dawood:
◈ Imam Abu Dawood al-Sijistani (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
"عند عامة أهل الحديث"
"According to the majority of Ahl al-Hadith."
[Risalat Abi Dawood ila Makkah fi Wasf Sunanih, p. 30, Manuscript p. 1]
8. Nasa’i:
◈ Imam Nasa’i (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
"ومنفعة لأهل الإسلام ومن أهل الحديث والعلم والفقه والقرآن"
"And a benefit for the people of Islam and from Ahl al-Hadith, knowledge, jurisprudence, and the Quran."
[Sunanan Nasa’i 7/135, Hadith No. 4147; Al-Ta’liqat al-Salafiyyah: 4152]
9. Ibn Khuzaymah:
◈ Imam Muhammad bin Ishaq bin Khuzaymah al-Naysaburi said about a Hadith:
"لم نر خلافا بين علماء أهل الحديث أن هذا الخبر صحيح من جهة النقل"
"We have not seen any disagreement among the scholars of Ahl al-Hadith that this report is authentic in terms of transmission."
[Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah 1/21, Hadith No. 31]
10. Ibn Hibban:
◈ Hafiz Muhammad bin Hibban al-Busti titled a chapter in his book as follows:
"ذكر خبر شنع به بعض المعطلة على أهل الحديث، حيث حرموا توفيق الإصابة لمعناه"
"Mentioning the report by which some of the Mu'attila (those who deny Allah's attributes) criticized Ahl al-Hadith, as they were deprived of the correct understanding of its meaning."
[Sahih Ibn Hibban, Al-Ihsan: 566, second edition: 565]
◈ In another place, Hafiz Ibn Hibban described the attribute of Ahl al-Hadith as:
"ينتحلون السنن و يذبون عنها و يقمعون من خالفها"
"They adhere to the Sunnah, defend it, and suppress those who oppose it."
[Sahih Ibn Hibban, Al-Ihsan: 6129, second edition: 6162; see also Al-Ihsan 1/140 before Hadith No. 61]
This concludes the presentation of fifty references supporting the consensus on the title "Ahl al-Hadith."
