Biography of Imam al-Nasa'i: The Life of the Great Hadith Scholar
This lecture explores the biography of Imam al-Nasa'i, the renowned Hadith scholar and author of the Sunan. It covers his early life starting in 215 AH, his dedication to the worship of Allah ﷻ, and his interactions with key teachers like Al-Harith ibn Miskin. The video also highlights his scholarly legacy and his martyrdom in Damascus.
“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)
As-salamu alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh.
“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 ﷻ bless the Messenger ﷺ, his family, companions, and followers.
Welcome, my brothers and sisters, to a new episode
of this series, which I ask Allah ﷻ to bless, "Biography of an Imam."
In today's episode, I will talk about the hafiz, the Hadith scholar, the trustworthy critic and jurist,
who made many of his predecessors forgotten, and was the foremost of his era, likened to a sea, or rather an ocean,
He is Imam Abu Abd al-Rahman al-Nasa'i (RH).
As for Imam al-Nasa'i, Abu Abd al-Rahman is his kunya,
Ahmad ibn Shu'ayb ibn Ali ibn Sinan ibn Bahr al-Khurasani,
author of the book of Sunan (RH).
Imam al-Nasa'i (RH) was born in the year...
215 AH, in Nasa.
Nasa is a town in Khorasan.
It is said that it was named this
because when the Muslims came to Khorasan, they headed towards it,
and when its people heard of this, they fled,
and none remained in it except the women.
The Muslims saw no men, and said,
"These are women, and women do not fight,
so let us leave it"—meaning, let us delay its matter—
"until their men return." So they left it and moved on.
It is also said that it was named this... and Allah ﷻ knows best.
They mentioned a number of reasons for it being named Nasa.
Of course, Imam al-Nasa'i (RH)
was an ocean of knowledge, possessing understanding, precision, and insight,
criticism of narrators, and excellent authorship.
He traveled in pursuit of knowledge
since his youth, as was the custom of scholars in ancient times.
He traveled to Khorasan, the Hijaz, Egypt, and Iraq.
Al-Jazira, Al-Sham, and the borderlands,
where the giants of knowledge of that time had settled.
Of course, he eventually settled in Egypt,
and scholars began traveling to Imam Al-Nasa'i, and in reality, he had no peer in this field.
Imam Al-Nasa'i (RH) adhered to the creed of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama'ah, not differing from them in anything,
whether in the matters of the Names and Attributes, faith, or the Companions (RA),
and in all other matters of creed, he adhered to the creed of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama'ah.
He was one of the strictest scholars in the conditions of accepting narrators,
to safeguard the Hadith of the Prophet ﷺ.
Al-Nasa'i (RH) is indeed the subject of praise
of all scholars. Indeed, he is held in high esteem and praised by the scholars,
to the point that Ibn Kathir (RH), in his biography of An-Nasa'i, says:
"Ahmad bin Ali bin Shu'ayb bin Ali bin Sinan bin Bahr bin Dinar, Abu Abdur-Rahman An-Nasa'i,
author of the Sunan, the Imam of his era, the foremost among his peers and contemporaries, and the most virtuous of his age.
He traveled to different regions, occupied himself with hearing Hadith, and met with the leading expert scholars."
As for the historian of Islam, Al-Hafiz Adh-Dhahabi (RH), when he wrote the biography of An-Nasa'i, what did he say?
He said: "He is a greater memorizer than Muslim." Adh-Dhahabi says this,
and it is enough that Adh-Dhahabi says: "He is a greater memorizer than Muslim."
Ibn Adi (RH) says: "I heard Mansur the jurist and Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Salam Al-Tahawi (RH)
saying: 'Abu Abdur-Rahman An-Nasa'i is an Imam among the Imams of the Muslims.'"
"An Imam among the Imams of the Muslims."
And when these scholars say such words, they do not say them out of emotion,
rather, it stems from expertise and knowledge.
Al-Hafiz Abu Abdur-Rahman an-Naysaburi says concerning Imam an-Nasa'i:
“Abu Abdur-Rahman an-Nasa'i is the Imam in Hadith without dispute.”
As for Abu al-Hasan al-Daraqutni, he says: “Abu Abdur-Rahman is foremost...
...over all who are mentioned in this science from the people of his era.”
And Al-Hakim al-Naysaburi (RH) says:
"The comments of Al-Nasa'i on the fiqh of Hadith are abundant,"
and whoever looks into his Sunan will be amazed by the beauty of his discourse.
Allahu Akbar! He says: "...will be amazed by the beauty of his discourse."
And Al-Dhahabi also, among what he said concerning an-Nasa'i, says:
“The Imam, the Hafiz, the trustworthy, Sheikh al-Islam, the critic of Hadith.”
Therefore, we find, for example, the scholars praising Imam an-Nasa'i (RH) in this manner.
He was occupied with Hadith in terms of narration and comprehension,
narration regarding chains of transmission, and comprehension regarding the fiqh of Hadith.
Al-Hakim al-Naysaburi also has a statement that does
not differ from what al-Dhahabi (RH) mentioned.
Among what al-Hakim said: "Al-Nasa'i's commentary on the fiqh of Hadith is abundant,
and whoever looks into his Sunan will be amazed by the beauty of his words," as I mentioned.
As for Ibn al-Athir, he said in the beginning of Jami' al-Usul:
He said about al-Nasa'i: "He was a Shafi'i, having rituals according to the Shafi'i madhhab, and he was devout and meticulous."
And Abu Ali al-Naysaburi, the well-known Hafiz, says: "The undisputed Imam in Hadith, Abu Abd al-Rahman al-Nasa'i, narrated to us."
Allahu Akbar!
He says: "The undisputed Imam in Hadith, Abu Abd al-Rahman al-Nasa'i, narrated to us."
And al-Daraqutni also praised al-Nasa'i in various situations and places.
Muhammad ibn al-Muzaffar al-Hafiz says: I heard our scholars in Egypt,
I heard our scholars in Egypt
describing al-Nasa'i's diligence in worship by night and day,
and that he went out for the ransom of prisoners with the ruler of Egypt.
He described his bravery and his upholding of the Sunnahs in ransoming the Muslims,
and his avoidance of the ruler's gatherings and eating freely [from his food],
and that this remained his habit until he was martyred in Damascus by the Kharijites.
Ma'mun al-Misri, the Hadith scholar, said: 'We went to Tarsus with al-Nasa'i in the year of ransom,'
and a group of Imams gathered, [including] Abdullah, son of Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal, and Muhammad ibn Ibrahim,
and a group of scholars whom he mentioned. He said: 'They consulted one another'
as to who would select narrations from the Sheikhs for them. They all agreed upon Abu Abd al-Rahman al-Nasa'i,
and this indicates his preeminence. Abu Talib Ahmad ibn Nasr, the well-known Hafiz, said:
'Who could endure what al-Nasa'i endured? He had the Hadith of Ibn Lahiah...'
He has the Hadith of Ibn Lahi'ah as a tarjamah,
meaning from Qutaybah from Ibn Lahi'ah—Abdullah ibn Lahi'ah,
the well-known scholar of Hadith. And the issue that arose regarding the question of
accepting his Hadith: is his narration accepted unconditionally, or rejected unconditionally,
or is his narration accepted from those who narrated from him before his library burned down?
This discussion is well-known, and its detailed study is in its proper place.
He says that he has the Hadith of Ibn Lahi'ah as a tarjamah,
meaning from Qutaybah ibn Sa'eed, of course, from Ibn Lahi'ah.
He said, "But he did not narrate them."
An-Nasa'i (RH)...
...traveled through various lands and met scholars, and among those he met...
...was Al-Harith ibn Miskeen.
And Imam An-Nasa'i (RH) has a beautiful story with Al-Hafidh Al-Harith ibn Miskeen.
Al-Harith ibn Miskin was one of the trustworthy scholars.
An-Nasa'i (RH) used to take great care of his clothing. And so, he was...
...described as ruddy-complexioned, handsome, and tall.
And part of that was that he paid great attention to his clothing.
So Imam An-Nasa'i came to Al-Harith ibn Miskin to learn Hadith from him.
However, An-Nasa'i came to him in an attire that Al-Harith disapproved of: a tall cap...
...a tall cap and a fine qaba'.
An-Nasa'i was, of course, wealthy.
And Al-Harith, at that time, was afraid of matters related to the ruler, especially the issue of...
...the claim that the Quran is created, by which the scholars were tested.
I have previously mentioned this in the story of Imam Ahmad.
So he was afraid of these matters,
and he feared that An-Nasa'i might be a spy on him.
Al-Nasa'i asked Al-Harith ibn Miskeen to narrate to him, but he refused and expelled him from the circle.
So Al-Nasa'i would come, sit behind the door, and listen to Al-Harith bin Miskeen.
Therefore, we find now, for example, in the editions of Sunan al-Nasa'i,
when he narrates from Al-Harith ibn Miskeen, he does not say, "Al-Harith narrated to us,"
but rather he says, "Al-Harith bin Miskeen said, read in his presence while I was listening."
This is due to his scrupulousness, may Allah ﷻ have mercy on him and be pleased with him.
Naturally, there are some copies of Sunan al-Nasa'i that contain "Al-Harith narrated to us," but this is a mistake.
This is a mistake; rather, in the dozens of Hadiths Al-Nasa'i narrated from Al-Harith bin Miskeen,
he would say, may Allah ﷻ have mercy on him, "Al-Harith said," not "Al-Harith narrated to us" — this is due to his scrupulousness.
He says: "Al-Harith ibn Miskeen said, read to him while I was listening."
This is due to his piety, may Allah ﷻ have mercy on him.
Generally, this story is indeed something we need to pause and reflect on.
Which is that a student of knowledge must be patient with the harshness of the Sheikh.
One must be patient with the harshness of the Sheikh.
because whoever is not patient with the Sheikh's harshness will miss out on much good and be deprived of a great deal of knowledge.
It was said to Sufyan ibn 'Uyaynah ibn Muhammad al-Hilali,
They said to him, "People come to you from the ends of the earth, yet you get angry with them.
They might leave and abandon you." He said, "They would be fools then like you..."
He said, "They would be fools like you to abandon what benefits them because of my bad temper."
That is why the ancient poet said: "Indeed, the teacher and the physician,
both do not give sincere counsel if they are not honored.
So endure your disease if you insult its physician,
and endure your ignorance if you treat its teacher harshly."
Al-Nasa'i (RH), of course,
in terms of learning from scholars, his teachers are too many to count.
They are too many to count because he traveled countries and met many scholars.
Therefore, among his most famous teachers, as I mentioned, is Al-Harith ibn Miskin,
the one from whom he learned from behind the door.
Also, Qutaybah ibn Sa'id Al-Balkhi Al-Baghlaani (RH),
the teacher of the authors of the books, the teacher of the authors of the four Sunan.
And also Ishaq ibn Ibrahim Al-Hanzali ibn Rahawayh,
And also Hisham ibn 'Ammar and Hannad ibn Al-Sari.
Of course, before I move on, Hisham ibn 'Ammar also
has a very amazing story with Imam Malik (RH).
Perhaps I will recount it in its proper place, Allah willing.
...since I am currently mentioning the names of the teachers.
Okay, Hannad ibn al-Sari, and also Muhammad ibn Bashar.
These are among the teachers of Imam al-Nasa'i.
Amr ibn Ali al-Fallas, Muhammad ibn Adam al-Massisi,
the well-known Nasr ibn Ali al-Jahdhami, Ya'qub al-Dawraqi as well, and Hasan al-Bazzar.
Indeed, if I wanted to mention
and trace all the teachers of al-Nasa'i, we would lose a lot of time,
because al-Nasa'i (RH) learned from many scholars,
And those I mentioned are actually among the famous and prominent scholars, and there are many others.
Of course, if we look at the students of al-Nasa'i,
we find that, specifically, Imam al-Nasa'i...
...when reading his biography, especially regarding his students,
we find that the students of Imam al-Nasa'i became scholars during and after his era.
Glory be to Allah ﷻ, the Magnificent.
They achieved great fame during the era of Imam al-Nasa'i.
Among them, for example, is Abu al-Qasim Sulayman ibn Ahmad al-Tabarani, author of the three Mu'jams.
He is one of al-Nasa'i's students, as is Abu Ja'far al-Tahawi, this great Imam.
Also, Abu 'Ali al-Naysaburi, al-Hafiz.
And Abu Bishr al-Dulabi, and Abu Bakr ibn al-Sunni, of whom it was said...
...it was said that he was the one who wrote "Al-Sunan al-Sughra".
And this matter is subject to research; meaning, it is from his narration.
Hamzah ibn Muhammad al-Kinani as well.
Muhammad ibn Isma'il al-Nahhas, the well-known grammarian, the author of the reference book on grammar.
Al-Hasan ibn al-Akhdar al-Asyuti as well.
And 'Abd al-Karim ibn Abi 'Abd al-Rahman al-Nasa'i as well.
Indeed, a large group of students excelled
during the lifetime of Imam al-Nasa'i (RH).
Al-Nasa'i (RH) was a man of devotion and worship.
He used to strive in worship (RH), until
Abu al-Husayn Muhammad ibn Muzaffar al-Hafiz said:
in worship. He heard our scholars in Egypt
"I heard our scholars in Egypt acknowledging his precedence and leadership,
and describing his diligence in worship night and day,
and his consistency in Hajj and Jihad (RH).
and his consistency in Hajj and Jihad" (RH).
It was said he used to fast every other day,
and he had four wives and two concubines,
and he had four wives and two concubines,
and he was just among them (RH).
He had a handsome face and a bright complexion (RH).
Al-Nasa'i's scholarly status was prominent among scholars,
and therefore he was held in high esteem and respect, and sought after as a teacher,
He left behind a great scholarly legacy,
of which the best is "Al-Sunan al-Kubra" in Hadith, for which he is well known.
and the book Al-Mujtaba, which is Al-Sunan al-Sughra,
He also has Musnad 'Ali ibn Abi Talib,
and the book of Tafsir in one volume, and Al-Du'afa' wal-Matrukun
regarding Hadith narrators, and Fada'il al-Sahabah.
Of course, the book Al-Mujtaba is considered one of the Six Books of Hadith.
Now, if it is said, for example, "narrated by the Six,"
it means Al-Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawud, Al-Tirmidhi, Al-Nasa'i, and Ibn Majah.
And if it is said, "narrated by the Four," it means the four Sunan books:
Sunan Abi Dawud, Al-Tirmidhi, Al-Nasa'i, and Ibn Majah.
Of course, this book of Sunan contains the fewest weak Hadiths after the Sahihayn,
or criticized narrators.
This is due to the strictness of Imam Al-Nasa'i (RH) in his conditions for accepting narrations.
Therefore, he is considered to be from the strict school of thought in...
in accepting narrators.
For this reason, he was meticulous regarding hadith and narrators.
And his standard in authentication, as I mentioned,
to the point that Hafiz Ibn Tahir says:
He said: "I asked Sa'd ibn 'Ali al-Zanjani about a man and he authenticated him."
Hafiz Ibn Tahir says:
"I asked Sa'd ibn 'Ali al-Zanjani about a man, and he authenticated him.
So I said to him: But al-Nasa'i has weakened him.
He said: 'O my son, Abu 'Abd al-Rahman has a standard for narrators stricter than that of al-Bukhari and Muslim.'
I say: He spoke the truth.
For indeed he considered weak many narrators found in the Sahihs of al-Bukhari and Muslim.
Of course, al-Nasa'i in his book al-Mujtaba followed a very precise methodology.
That is, one who reflects on it finds it combines fiqh and also the science of isnad.
He arranged the hadiths according to chapters and gave them headings that sometimes reach a remarkable level of precision.
and gathered the chains of a single hadith in one place.
Perhaps this amount is sufficient for us from the biography of Imam an-Nasa'i (RH),
and, God willing, I promise you in the next meeting to complete talking about him and his book,
and also about the trial that Imam an-Nasa'i was subjected to, as is the way of Allah ﷻ with the prophets and scholars,
and those who followed the path of the prophets.
Join me next time, God willing, to complete the biography of Imam al-Nasa'i.
And may the peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah be upon you.