&

Imā
Imāma
mal-Bayhaqī
Bayhaqī
(384-458AH/994-1066CE)

ByAbuHasan1
Releasedbywww.marifah.net
www.marifah.net1429H
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Imām, +āfi,, Scholar, Jurist, Shaykh al-Islām Abū Bakr A3mad ibn al-+usayn ibn ‘Alī ibn
Mūsā al-Khusrawjirdi, al-Khurāsānī was born in Sha’bān in the year 384 AH. Bayhaq is
amongtheprecinctsof Nīshapūratadistanceofabout12km[fromNīshāpūr]henceheis
famousasAl-Bayhaqī.

HeattendedtheclassofAbual-+asanMu3ammadibnal-+usaynal-‘Alawī,thestudentof
Abū +āmid ibn al-Sharqī from the age of fifteen. He reported extensively from Al-+ākim
Abū‘Abdullāh,thefamous+āfi,.Hewasveryintelligent,knowledgeable,wise,piousanda
prolificauthor.HewasamajorShāfi’ījuristandaprominentAsh’arītheologian.

+āfi,‘Abdal-GhāfiribnIsmā’īlsaysinhisTārīkh:

Bayhaqī was an exemplary scholar – content with little and adorned with
austerityandscrupulousness.Hewasajurist,a+āfi,,amasterofprinciples
[uDūlī],pious,scrupulousinhisreligion,peerlessandunequalledinhistime,

1
Sources:
Dhahabī,SiyārA’lāmal-Nubalā’aEntry:4318[Vol.11,pg.457]
 IbnKathīr,Al-Bidāyahwaal-NihāyahYear:458AH.[Vol.8/pg.222]
 Al-Subkī,Iabaqātal-Shāfa’iyyah,TheFourthGeneration,Entry:251
 outstandinginhisproficiencyandrigorousness[inthesciences.]Thoughhe
was among the prominent students of Al-+ākim, he surpassed even his
teacher[Al-+ākim]bymasteringvariousothersciences.Hecopied+adīth
and memorized it froma very young age; he took to fiqh and mastered it.
He travelled to Iraq, Al-Jibāl and Al-+ijāz and then took to writing. He
wrote close to a thousand folios among which are pioneering works and
manyofthemfirstoftheirkind.Hewasamasterofboth+adīthandFiqh;
of justifications of +adīth [‘ilal] and reconciliation of conflicting reports.

ManyscholarsrequestedhimtorelocatetoNīshāpūrfromBayhaqinorder
tobenefitfromhisbooks;hethereforeshiftedtoNīshāpūrintheyear441
AH and began reciting his book Al-Ma’rifah; many imāms attended the
gatherings.

Abual-Ma’ālīImāmAl-+aramaynal-Juwaynīsaid:

“ThereisnoShāfi’ī juristwhoisnotindebtedtoImāmShāfi’īexceptAbū
Bakral-Bayhaqī;hehasinsteaddoneafavourtoal-Shāfi’ībywritingbooks
insupportandinverificationofhismadhhab.”

Dhahabicommentedonhisstatement:

“Abu al-Ma’ālī is right in making such a claim. And the truth is just as he
hassaidit.Because,ifAl-Bayhaqīwishedtoformhisownmadh’hab,hehad
the necessary qualities and mastery of the sciences; including a
comprehensiveknowledgeofdifferingopinions.”

ThreeDreams:
ThreeDreams:

When Bayhaqī was writing his book Al-Ma’rifah fi al-Sunan wa al-Āthār, a pious scholar
Mu3ammad ibn A3mad saw a dream in which Imām Shāfi’ī was holding the book and he
said:‘Today,IhavewrittensevenfoliosfromthejuristA3mad’sbook.’

AnotherscholarsawImāmShāfi’īinhisdreamsittinginthemosqueandhesaid:“Today,I
haveavailedfromsuchandsuch+adīthmentionedinthejurist’s[A3mad]book.”

AnotherjuristMu3ammadibn‘Abdal-’Azīzal-Marwaziysays:“Isawachestsuspendedin
theskyandlightemanatingfromit.Iasked:‘Whatisthis?’Iheardsomeonesay:‘Theseare
thebooksofA3madAl-Bayhaqi.”

All three dreams were reported by Imām Bayhaqi’s son, Ismā’īl ibn al-Bayhaqi.  Imām
Dhahabī commented: “These are true dreams. Indeed, +āfi, al-Bayhaqī’s books are of
immense value and of great stature. Few can match the class or clarity of his writing. It is
necessaryforeveryscholartoacquainthimselfwithhisbooks,mainlyhisSunanAl-Kabīr.”


Hisprominentteachers:
Hisprominentteachers:

1.AbūIāhiribnMa3mishal-Ziyādī,thejurist
2.‘AbdullāhibnYūsufal-ADbahānī
3.Abū‘Alīal-Rūdhbārī
4.Abū‘Abdal-Ra3mānal-Sullamī
5.AbūBakribnal-Fūrak,theTheologian[al-mutakallim]
6.+amzahibn‘Abdal-‘Azīzal-Muhallabī
7.AbūBakral-Hayyiri,theQāTī
8.Ya3yāibnIbrāhīmal-Muzakkī
9.AbūSa’īdal-Uayrafī
10.‘AlīibnMu3ammadibnal-Saqqā
11.AbūSa’īdA3madibnMu3ammadal-Mālīnī,theSufi
12.Abual-Iayyibal-Ua’lūkī
13.Hilālal-+affār
14.Abual-+usaynibnBishrān

…andscholarsfromIabaran,Nawqān,Baghdād,Makkah,Kūfah;andalsoamongthe
companionsof[+ātim]Al-ADamm,thefamousSufi.Al-Subkīwritesthathestudiedunder
morethanahundredteachers.

HisWorks:
HisWorks:

Hewasgrantedmunificenceinhisknowledgeandhehaswrittenverybeneficialbooks
amongwhichare:

1. Sunanal-Kabīr[TheGreaterCollectionofSunnah]intenvolumeswhich
ishismasterpiece.Itisoutstandingbecausenobodyhascompiledabookof
3adīthlikeitinorganization,classificationandexcellence.

2.Ma’rifaal-Sunanwaal-Āthār[TheKnowledgeofSunnasandReports]in
four volumes, which is a must read for every Shāfi’ī jurist. Taqiyuddin Al-
SubkīsaysthatBayhaqīmeanttodemonstratetheexpanseofImāmShāfi’ī’s
knowledgeof3adīthwiththisbook.

3. Al-Asmā’a wa al-Uifāt [The Divine Names and Attributes] in two
volumes;Tājal-Subkīsays:‘Ihaven’tseenanythinglikeit.’[Itwaspublished
byImamal-Kawtharī,withhisforewordandnotes]

4.Kitābal-Mu’taqad[orKitābal-I’tiqād][HandbookofCreed]

5.Al-Ba’ath[wa’al-Nushūr][ResurrectionandJudgementDay]

6. Al-Targhīb wa al-Tarhīb [Encouragement to do good and Warning to
abstainfromevil]

7.Al-Da’wātal-Kabīr,aprayerbook.[TheBiggerPrayerBook]

8.Al-Da’wātal-Uaghīr[TheSmallerPrayerBook]

9.Al-Zuhd[Asceticism]

10. Al-Khilāfiyyāt[TheDifferences]inthreevolumesonthedifferencesof
opinion among jurists. Al-Subkī writes that none except a master of both
fiqhand3adīthcangraspit.

11. Al-MabsuX fī NuDūD al-Shāfi’ī [The Extensive: Documents used by Al-
Shafi’ī]intwovolumes,theproofsofShāfi’īmadh’hab–thefirstbookofits
kind.

12.Dalā’ilal-Nubuwwah[ProofsofProphethood]infourvolumes

13.Al-Sunanal-Uaghīr[TheSmallerCollectionofSunnah]asonebigtome

14.Shu’abal-Īman[BranchesofFaith]intwovolumes

15.Al-Mad’khalila’al-Sunan[AnIntroductiontotheSunnah]

16.Al-Ādāb[ThebookofEtiquette]

17. FaTa’ilal-Awqāt[Theexcellenceofcertainspecifictimes(forworship)]
intwoslimvolumes

18.Al-Arba’īnal-Kubrā[TheGreaterQuadraginta]intwoslimvolumes

19.Al-Arba’īnal-Uughrā[TheSmallerQuadraginta]

20.Al-Ru’yah[TheBookofDreams]

21.Al-Asrā’a[TheBookofAscension]

22.Manāqibal-Shāfi’ī[TheImmenseMeritsofal-Shafi’ī]

23.ManāqibA3mad[TheImmenseMeritsofA3madibn+anbal]

24.FaTā’ilal-Ua3ābah[TheSuperiorityoftheCompanions]


Amonghisprominentstudentsandthosewhonarratefromhimare:
Amonghisprominentstudentsandthosewhonarratefromhimare:
studentsandthosewhonarratefromhimare:

1.Shaykhal-IslāmAbūIsmā’īlal-AnDārī
2.hisownson,Ismā’īlibnA3madal-Bayhaqī
3.hisowngrandson‘UbaydullāhibnMu3ammadibnA3madal-Bayhaqī
4.+āfi,AbūZakariyyahYa3yāibnMandah
5.Abū‘AbdullāhMu3ammadibnal-FaTlAl-Furāwī
6.ZāhiribnIāhiral-Sha3āmiy
7.Abual-Ma’ālīMu3ammadibnIsmā’īlal-Fārisī
8.‘Abdal-Jabbāribn‘Abdal-Wahhābal-Dah’hān
9.Abdal-JabbāribnMu3ammadal-Khuwārīandhisbrother
10.Abdal-+amīdibnMu3ammadal-Khuwārī
11.AbūBakr‘Abdal-Ra3mānibn‘Abdullāhibn‘Abdal-Ra3mānal-
Bu3ayrīal-Nīsābūrī



He passed away in Nīshāpūr on the 10th of Jumādā al-Ūlā, 458 AH (1066 CE). He was
washedandplacedinacasketandcarriedtoBayhaq[twodaysjourneyinthatage]wherehe
wasburied.Hewas74.

MayAllāh
havemercyonhimandbewellpleasedwithhim.



M