Biography of Imam al-Tabarani: The Master of Hadith and the Three Mu'jams
This episode explores the life of Imam al-Tabarani, a legendary Hadith scholar blessed by Allah ﷻ with a long life dedicated to the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. Born in Acre, Palestine in 260 AH, he became known as the Musnid of the world. The lecture highlights his extensive travels, his famous Mu'jams, and his debates with contemporary scholars.
“And among people and moving creatures and grazing livestock are various colors similarly. Only those fear Allāh,
from among His servants, who have knowledge. Indeed, Allāh is Exalted in Might and Forgiving.” (Quran 35:28)
Peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah ﷻ be upon you.
“In the name of Allāh, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.”
“[All] praise is [due] to Allāh, Lord of the worlds -” (Quran 1:1-2)
May Allah's ﷻ peace, blessings, and prayers be upon the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, his family, and companions.
Welcome, my brothers and sisters, to a new episode
of this series, "Biography of an Imam."
My meeting with you today is about
the longest-lived, the Sheikh of Hadith scholars, and the most traveled traveler,
the Hafidh, the Hadith scholar, Imam al-Tabarani, Abu al-Qasim Sulayman
ibn Ahmad ibn Ayyub ibn Mutayr al-Lakhmi al-Shami al-Tabarani,
the Imam known as the author of the three Mu'jams.
Al-Tabarani (RH) was born in the month of Safar
in the city of Acre in Palestine,
in the year 260,
meaning 260 years after the Hijrah of the Prophet ﷺ.
The city of Acre in Palestine—
his maternal uncles were there, as al-Tabarani's mother was from Acre, Palestine.
Al-Tabarani (RH) grew up loving knowledge,
traveling between the circles of scholars from an early age,
His father's dedication also played a major role, after Allah's ﷻ guidance, in this upbringing and prominence.
Therefore, he began hearing hadith in the year 273 AH,
when he was no more than thirteen years of age.
Then Allah ﷻ made travel easy for him, as is the custom of the people of knowledge,
to learn from shuyukh and scholars, and to seek elevated chains of transmission,
He spent time traveling between countries—east, west, north, and south—
learning from these great scholars.
He heard of no scholar who possessed hadith except that he hastened to him eagerly.
And so, when Al-Tabarani emerged as a scholar,
they knew that this was only achieved through the success granted by Allah ﷻ.
Through these scholarly journeys east and west, in which he heard hadiths from so many,
they mentioned that he learned from more than a thousand shuyukh.
chief among whom were Abu Zur'ah al-Dimashqi and 'Abd al-Rahman al-Nasa'i.
His journeys were not paved with roses;
they were not comfortable or luxurious,
but rather full of sad chapters and painful surprises,
to the extent that his biography mentions he could not find a place to sleep.
He once said of himself, "I used to sleep on bawari."
Bawari is the plural of buri — a mat made of coarse reed.
He said, "I used to sleep on it, finding no other place."
Allah ﷻ blessed him with seeing the Prophet ﷺ in his dreams many times,
as he mentioned of himself, and as his contemporaries among the scholars also narrated.
Therefore, for al-Tabarani,
these dreams were glad tidings for him,
glad tidings of knowledge, and glad tidings of a good end.
It was also narrated from him (RH) that he said:
“I saw Umar ibn al-Khattab (RA) in a dream, as if he were in a high palace.
I was feeling distressed and pondering over some of my affairs.
He was saying to me in a loud voice,
saying, 'O Allah, relieve me of what concerns me'
of the affairs of this world and the Hereafter.'
SubhanAllah!
Of course, seeing Umar ibn al-Khattab (RA) brings goodness and glad tidings,
because the Prophet ﷺ testified to Umar (RA)
having strength in religion, knowledge, and steadfastness, may Allah be pleased with him.
Al-Tabarani (RH), like other scholars, learned from a large number of scholars.
He was keen to learn from Abu Bakr Ahmad ibn Amr ibn Asim al-Nabil,
and also Abdullah ibn Muhammad ibn Zakariyya.
But glory be to Allah — Allah decreed and what He willed came to pass.
He did not reach them or meet them, because they had passed away
before his arrival in Isfahan.
But in Isfahan, he heard from the scholars he was able to meet,
such as Ibrahim ibn Muhammad, known as Na'il,
Ibrahim ibn Muhammad, known as Na'il,
and also Mahmud ibn Ahmad al-Faraj, or ibn al-Faraj,
Ibrahim ibn Matawayh, Muhammad ibn al-Abbas al-Akhram,
and Muhammad ibn Yahya ibn Mandah.
Indeed, he narrated from a very large number of the senior scholars,
whose mention would take too long in this brief overview.
As for his students, as I always mention—and perhaps you have noticed this—it is very difficult
to enumerate all the students of a scholar.
For example, if we look at one of our contemporary scholars today, thousands attend his circle,
and if he moves to another country, those who attend also become his students, and so on.
For this reason, Al-Tabarani (RH), multitudes attended his circles and learned from him,
but his most famous student was Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Abdur-Rahman.
Therefore, Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Abdur-Rahman says,
"Sulayman ibn Ahmad ibn Ayyub Al-Tabarani narrated in Isfahan for sixty years."
So there heard from him—pay attention to this phrase—
fathers heard from him, then sons, then grandsons, until they joined the grandfathers,
because Al-Tabarani (RH) lived a very long life.
He said: 'A group of senior Hadith scholars narrated from him, like Ibn Uqdah,
and Ibn Ali, or Abu Ali Al-Sahhaf,
and Abu Abdullah ibn Khafif, and Al-Qadi Abu Ahmad Al-Assal,'
and Ibrahim ibn Muhammad ibn Hamzah,
and Abu al-Sheikh, author of Kitab al-'Azamah,
and Abu al-Sheikh, and many others, and of the later scholars, those who are difficult to enumerate."
Al-Tabarani (RH) is among the trustworthy, precise narrators who...
...upon whose leadership the scholars unanimously agreed,
and upon his precision and the high quality of his works,
along with a good conduct and purity of heart.
He held a sound creed, along with firmness in the truth.
For he refuted the heretics, people of innovation, and atheists
with powerful refutations that fell upon them like thunderbolts and burning meteors,
in which he exposed their deviations and refuted them, demolishing their foundation,
and demolished what they established.
Therefore, he wrote extensively and excellently, and the historian of Islam, al-Dhahabi, mentioned him frequently,
and praised him at length. Among the statements of al-Dhahabi while speaking about al-Tabarani, he says:
"The famous Hafiz, the Musnid of the world,
...the Musnid of the world."
He also said of him: "He was among the knights of this field"—meaning Hadith—"along with truthfulness and trustworthiness."
He said: "He is the Imam, the Hafidh, the trustworthy, the traveler, the globetrotter, the Hadith scholar of Islam.
"And the Hadith of Al-Tabarani has remained popular, beneficial, and sought after,"
among other praises bestowed upon him by the historian of Islam, Al-Dhahabi.
Ibn al-Jawzi (RH)
He said about al-Tabarani: "Al-Tabarani was among the great hadith masters, and he has excellent authored works."
Ibn Uqdah said: "I have not known anyone more knowledgeable of hadith or more preserving of chains of transmission than al-Tabarani."
As for Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Abd al-Rahman, who wrote a biography of al-Tabarani,
he said: "Al-Tabarani is more famous than to need anyone to point to his virtue and knowledge."
He narrated in Isfahan for sixty years; from him heard fathers, then sons, then grandsons, until they joined their forefathers.
He was vast in knowledge and prolific in authorship, and his eyesight failed him in his final days." May Allah ﷻ have mercy on him.
Meaning, he lost his sight and his vision was gone due to his diligence in writing and compiling.
Al-Tabarani was famous for his intelligence,
and I will mention to you here a story that took place between him and a scholar in the presence of the minister Ibn al-Amid.
The minister Ibn al-Amid himself narrates, saying:
"I did not think there was any pleasure in the world more delightful than leadership and ministry."
Ibn al-Amid says:
"I did not think there was any pleasure in the world more delightful than the leadership and ministry that I hold,
until I witnessed the scholarly debate between Sulayman bin Ahmad al-Tabarani and Abu Bakr al-Ji'abi."
Al-Ji'abi was of course one of the Hadith masters,
He was also one of the wonders of the world.
But, Glory be to Allah ﷻ, look at this story.
Ibn al-Amid says: "until I witnessed the scholarly debate of Sulayman bin Ahmad al-Tabarani
and Abu Bakr al-Ji'abi in my presence,
Al-Tabarani would overcome al-Ji'abi with the abundance of his memorization,
while al-Ji'abi would overcome al-Tabarani with his acumen and Baghdadi intelligence,
until their voices rose, and neither could easily overcome the other."
Meaning, they were equal in the debate.
Al-Ji'abi said, "I have a hadith that exists nowhere in the world except with me."
Al-Ji'abi told al-Tabarani, "I have a hadith no one else in the world has."
Al-Tabarani said, "Bring it."
Al-Ji'abi said, "Abu Khalifah narrated to us, Sulayman ibn Ayyub narrated to us."
Who is Sulayman ibn Ayyub? Al-Tabarani.
He said, "Abu Khalifah narrated to us, Sulayman ibn Ayyub narrated to us," and narrated it.
Al-Tabarani said, "I am Sulayman ibn Ayyub, and Abu Khalifah heard it from me.
Abu Khalifah heard it from me."
Al-Ji'abi was embarrassed, and al-Tabarani overcame him.
The minister Ibn al-'Amid said:
"I wished that the ministry and leadership were not mine, and that I were Al-Tabarani,
and that I had rejoiced as Al-Tabarani did because of the Hadith." Allah is the Greatest.
Of course, Al-Tabarani's works are numerous, beneficial, and enjoyable.
He wrote on supplication, a book called 'Al-Dua', 'Ishrat al-Nisa' (The Cohabitation of Women),
'Al-Manasik' (The Rituals), 'Al-Awa'il' (The Firsts), and 'Al-Sunnah' by Al-Tabarani, which is on creed,
'Al-Nawadir' (The Rare Reports), 'Musnad Abi Hurayrah', 'Al-Tafsir' (Exegesis), 'Dala'il al-Nubuwwah',
he also has 'Musnad Shu'bah', 'Musnad Sufyan', 'Hadith al-Shamiyyin', and others.
But what is he famous for? He is famous for the three Mu'jams: Al-Mu'jam al-Kabir, al-Awsat, and al-Saghir.
He had an amazing attachment to his books. But what did Al-Tabarani say about 'Al-Mu'jam al-Awsat'? He said, "It is my soul."
Al-Tabarani says about 'Al-Mu'jam al-Awsat', "It is my soul."
Subhan Allah! And Al-Mu'jam al-Awsat is one of the wonders of the world, because
as they mentioned, Al-Tabarani narrated in it a single Hadith from every Sheikh he met.
Therefore, it was considered a novelty introduced by Al-Tabarani,
in which he differed from other scholars.
Al-Tabarani had a fragrant biography; his life was wonderful and beautiful.
Of course, Al-Tabarani, as I mentioned to you, was long-lived,
living for one hundred years and ten months.
But in these years, Allah ﷻ blessed him and let him enjoy knowledge,
as well as this heritage that he left behind for this Ummah.
He passed away (RH) in the month of Dhu al-Qi'dah in the year 360 AH,
And as I mentioned to you, at the end of his life (RH), he lost his sight.
This loss of sight was due to the effort he exerted,
along with old age (RH).
So peace be upon him.
Peace be upon him among the early generations, and upon Al-Tabarani among the latter.
And I ask Allah ﷻ to gather us with him along with our Prophet ﷺ in the Gardens of Pleasure.
With another personality in the next meeting, we will also discover the life of a scholar among scholars,
and a giant among the giants of knowledge, by the power of Allah ﷻ.
I will see you in good health. Peace be upon you, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.