Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal summary

Learn about the life of Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal and his contributions to Islam

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Below is the article summary. For the full article, see Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal.

Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, (born 780, Baghdad, Iraq—died 855, Baghdad), Muslim theologian and jurist. He began to study the Ḥadīth (Traditions) at age 15. He traveled widely to study with the great masters and made five pilgrimages to Mecca. In 833–835 he bravely endured floggings and imprisonment rather than subscribe to the Muʿtazilī doctrine of a created (rather than eternal) Qurʾān, and he is remembered as a staunch upholder of Muslim traditionalism. He compiled the Traditions of Muhammad and is the eponym of the Ḥanbalī school, the most traditional of the four orthodox Islamic schools of law. Opposing codification of the law, he believed jurists needed the freedom to derive legal solutions from the Qurʾān and the sunna. He is revered as one of the fathers of Islam.

Ciseri, Antonio: Martyrdom of the Maccabees

martyr Summary

Martyr, one who voluntarily suffers death rather than deny their religion by words or deeds; such action is afforded special, institutionalized recognition in most major religions of the world. The term may also refer to anyone who sacrifices their life or something of great value for the sake of

Islam Summary

Islam, major world religion promulgated by the Prophet Muhammad in Arabia in the 7th century ce. The Arabic term islām, literally “surrender,” illuminates the fundamental religious idea of Islam—that the believer (called a Muslim, from the active particle of islām) accepts surrender to the will of

scripture Summary

Scripture, the revered texts, or Holy Writ, of the world’s religions. Scriptures comprise a large part of the literature of the world. They vary greatly in form, volume, age, and degree of sacredness, but their common attribute is that their words are regarded by the devout as sacred. Sacred words

Hadith Summary

Hadith, corpus of the sayings or traditions of the Prophet Muhammad, revered by Muslims as a major source of religious law and moral guidance. It comprises many reports of varying length and authenticity. The individual reports are also called hadith (plural: hadiths). The word hadith is derived