Efforts and methods of Al-Imam Zafar Ahmad Al- Tahanawi in the sunnah Al- Nabawiyyah

Abstract

The people of Indian subcontinent take care of ilmu-al-Hadith (the science of Hadith) as an essential source after the Holy Qur’an due to being contain the prime heritage of the Messenger of Allah S.W.T. to touch it in the authentic Hadith, and Al-Imam Zafar Ahmad Al-Tahnawi was one of these scholars. This research is an attempt by the researcher to detect the role of Al-Imam Zafar Ahmad Al-Tahanawi during his writing of the book I’la’ al-Sunan. However, the dilemma of this research depicts in determining of scientific inheritance of Hadith pursuant to Al-Imam Zafar Ahmad Al-Tahanawi. This study deals with a prominent scholar of the sciences of Hadith, whose name is Al-Imam Zafar Ahmad Al-Tahanawi. Moreover, this research touches on the life of Al-Imam Al-Tahanawi since his early life until the death as a brief summary due to get the intended meaning. The study indicates Al-Imam Al-Tahanawi’s positions as agreed with the scholars of Hadith or his contradictory with them. Next, this research deals with the details of his efforts in the Sunnah and explains his methodology regarding the sciences of Hadith. The researcher conducts in this study several methods: these are: Inductive method to follow up efforts of Al-Imam Al-Tahanawi in Sunnah analytical method for the study which the researcher observes from the writings and extensive opinions through his book I’la’ al-Sunan, and finally critical method to demonstrate the value of efforts and opinions of Al-Imam Al-Tahanawi among Hadith scholars. The study found a set of results, the most important are: Al-Imam Al-Tahanawi shows leniency in judging on Hadith, especially in accepting the increment of confidence, that is why he skips sometimes the statements of critics and great Huffaz (whom memorized Hadiths) of Hadith in I’lal’(sickness) of Hadith. As like as, according to him, Hadith Da’if (Weak Hadith) is that Hadith in which do not enter falsehood and evil, moreover, do not find in the sanad (the serial of narrators) of Hadith any person who is accused by lying. He gives evidence with Hadith Da’if for assistance not for protestation. His efforts was since nearly twenty years, and he has completed evidences for jurisprudential chapters by collecting Hadiths of law in chapters from the very difficult sources with comments on every Hadith in the end of every page of his book- I‘la’ al-Sunan.