Imām Muḥammad’s name and lineage:
Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥasan ibn Farqad al-Shaybānī.
Al-Qāḍī Abū Khāzim (raḥimahullāh) said: ‘He is originally from a village near Ramla, Palestine. I know of it and some people from there. Then, they moved to Kūfah.’
It is said that he is from the Jazira Region as well as Harasta.
Imām al-Kawtharī (raḥimahullāh) said: ‘Perhaps, the accurate opinion is that he is from the Jazira Region, from the branch of Banū Shaybān; Diyār al-Rabīʿah. (Diyār al-Rabīʿah is the medieval Arabic name of the easternmost and largest of the three provinces of the Jazira.) Then, his father became a soldier in Syria, became wealthy and moved his family at one time to Harasta and another to the village in Palestine. Both of these places are in Syria.’
His birth:
He was born in the year 132AH according to the correct opinion. It is also said in the year 135AH.
His teachers:
He grew up in a wealthy family. When he attained the age of discretion, he memorised the Noble Qur’ān and retained what was easy for him. He then started attending lessons on the Arabic language and the science of narrating Ḥadīth.
When he attained the age of 14, he attended a gathering of Imām Abū Ḥanīfah (raḥimahullāh) to ask him a question. He asked: ‘What is your opinion regarding a young boy who reached the age of puberty (bulūgh) after praying ʿIshā’? Should he repeat it?’ Imām Abū Ḥanīfah replied: ‘Yes.’ So, he stood, removed his shoes and repeated the ṣalāh in a corner of the masjid. This is the first lesson he learnt from Imām Abū Ḥanīfah (raḥimahullāh).
When he observed him repeating the ṣalāh, he was astonished and remarked, ‘Indeed, this boy will be successful, if Allāh ﷻ wills.’ And so it came to pass. Allāh ﷻ instilled a love for Fiqh in his heart after he witnessed the grandeur of the gathering.
Consequently, he returned to Imām Abū Ḥanīfah’s lessons, aspiring to become well-versed in Fiqh. However, Imām Abū Ḥanīfah (raḥimahullāh) advised him, ‘Commit the Qur’ān to memory first.’ This was because, according to him, memorising the Qur’ān is essential for becoming well-versed in Fiqh. He believed that as long as evidence from the Qur’ān could be utilised, other sources should not be used. The Qur’ān holds the highest precedence in evidential matters, and its general statements are considered absolute unless specified otherwise.
It was apparent that his memorisation of the Qur’ān was not strong at that time. So, he stayed away for seven days and then returned with his father, declaring, ‘I have committed it to memory.’ He then posed a question to Imām Abū Ḥanīfah (raḥimahullāh), who asked: ‘Did you get this question from someone else, or did you think of it yourself?’ He replied: ‘I thought of it myself.’ Imām Abū Ḥanīfah (raḥimahullāh) remarked: ‘You have asked a question worthy of scholars. Continue to attend the gatherings.’
From then, he dedicated himself to knowledge completely and adhered to the gatherings of Imām Abū Ḥanīfah. He used to write the answers to questions and compile them. After accompanying him for four years, Imām Abū Ḥanīfah (raḥimahullāh) passed away. So, he completed studying Fiqh at the feet of Imām Abū Yūsuf (raḥimahullāh) according to the methodology of Imām Abū Ḥanīfah .
He also learnt from other scholars such as Sufyān al-Thawrī, Misʿar ibn Kidām, Abū Muʿāwiyah al-Ḍarīr, Zufur ibn al-Hudhayl, al-Ḥasan ibn ʿUmārah, Yūnus al-Sabīʿī, Muḥammad ibn Abān, al-ʿAlā’ ibn Zuhayr, Mālik ibn Anas, al-Ḍaḥḥāk ibn ʿUthmān, Ibn ʿUyaynah, Shuʿbah ibn al-Ḥajjāj, al-Awzāʿī, Ibn al-Mubārak and others (raḥimahumullāh).
Scholars’ praise for him:
Imām al-Shāfiʿī (raḥimahullāh) said: ‘I have not seen anyone more intelligent, knowledgeable of fiqh, ascetic, pious and better in speech and narration than Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥasan.’ He also said: ‘If I were able to say that the Qur’ān was sent down with the language of Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥasan, I would’ve said so due to his eloquence.’
Imām al-Ṭaḥāwī (raḥimahullāh) said: ‘He used to read a third of the Qur’ān every day and night.’
Imām Mālik ibn Anas (raḥimahullāh) said: ‘No one of significance came from the east, except this boy.’ As he spoke, his eyes fell upon Muḥammad, who was present in the gathering.
Imām Abū Yūsuf (raḥimahullāh) said: ‘He is the most knowledgeable of people.’
Imām Muḥammad ibn Salamah (raḥimahullāh) said: ‘He divided the night into three portions: one portion for sleep, another for ṣalāh and the third for studying. He stayed awake a lot and was asked: “Why don’t you sleep?” He said: “How can I sleep when the eyes of the Muslims have closed due to their reliance on us? They say: ‘If an issue occurs, we will bring it to him and he will reveal it to us.’ Hence, if we sleep, it will be a waste to the religion.”’
Imām al-Dhahabī (raḥimahullāh) said: ‘He was among the cleverest people in the world.’
His works:
Imām Muḥammad (raḥimahullāh) authored numerous significant works, some of the most renowned being:
- Al-Aṣl which is also known as al-Mubsūṭ. This has been published in Qatar in 12 volumes, albeit with inadvertent omissions in the chapters on al-Manāsik and Ḥajj. It is said that this is his first authored book, hence the name al-Aṣl. It is not established whether he himself named the book as such or if it came later. He (raḥimahullāh) authored the book in separate volumes. Each chapter of al-Aṣl, such as the chapter on ṣalāh, zakāh, ṣawm, etc., was an independent volume, as stated by Jalabī. Some chapters were written in a question-and-answer form, while for others he simply listed the issues.
- Al-Āthār, a book consisting of the aḥādīth transmitted by Imām Muḥammad from Imām Abū Ḥanīfah and other scholars. Sometimes, these narrations are followed by his and Imām Abū Ḥanīfah’s opinions and whether he adopts the narrated account or not. The book was printed in Lucknow in 1883, in Lahore in 1309 al-Hijrī (1891 Gregorian), in Peshawar in 1987, and in Cairo in 2007, edited by Aḥmad ʿĪsā al-Maʿṣarāwī.
- Al-Ḥujjah ʿalā Ahl al-Madīnah, a book comprising of Imām Muḥammad’s refutation of the people of Madīnah regarding their juristic opinions, using aḥādīth and rational arguments. It is the oldest book in the field of jurisprudential differences. It was printed in India, edited by Mahdi Ḥasan al-Kīlānī in the year 1964.
- Al-Kasb which is also called al-Iktisāb fī al-Rizq al-Mustaṭāb, has reached us with the commentary of Imām al-Sarakhsī and is found in his al-Mabsūṭ. It has been printed in several editions, the best of which was printed with the research of our esteemed scholar, the late Shaykh ʿAbd al-Faṭṭāh Abū Ghuddah, in Aleppo in 1417 al-Hijrī (1997 Gregorian).
- Al-Jāmiʿ al-Ṣaghīr, one of the books of Ẓāhir al-Riwāyah, comprises topics and issues narrated by Imām Muḥammad from Imām Abū Yūsuf, who in turn received them from Imām Abū Ḥanīfah (raḥimahumAllāh). Each chapter is attributed with the chain ‘Muḥammad ʿan Yaʿqūb ʿan Abū Ḥanīfah,’ noting their differences of opinion in places. Organised by Abū Ṭāhir al-Dabbās and al-Ḥasan ibn Aḥmad al-Zaʿfarānī, it comprises of 1,532 concise judicial issues without evidentiary support. This concise compilation has been extensively studied by Ḥanafī scholars, who have provided commentaries and structured its content systematically.
- Al-Jāmiʿ al-Kabīr, one of the books of Ẓāhir al-Riwāyah, is a substantial work by Imām Muḥammad (raḥimahullāh), authored independently from the narration of Imām Abū Yūsuf. Significantly larger than al-Jāmiʿ al-Ṣaghīr, it focuses less on chapters of worship (al-ʿIbādāt) but extensively elaborates on other topics. Similar to al-Jāmiʿ al-Ṣaghīr, it lacks explicit evidences. It showcases Imām Muḥammad’s juristic aptitude by addressing each chapter’s issues based on judicial principles without explicitly mentioning them. Subsequent jurists further explored and expounded upon these principles in their commentaries and analyses of the text, leading to numerous explanations and structural summaries of the book. The book was printed in India, edited by Abū al-Wafā al-Afghānī in the year 1356 al-Hijrī (1937 Gregorian), then it was reprinted in Beirut.
- Al-Siyar al-Ṣaghīr, one of the books of Ẓāhir al-Riwāyah, is highly likely included in the book al-Aṣl in the copies that we have. An independent edition was printed with the research of Majīd Khaddūrī in Beirut in 1975, relying on some copies of al-Aṣl. The book includes issues of jihād, war, peace and related matters that fall within the subject of international law today.
- Al-Siyar al-Kabīr, one of the books of Ẓāhir al-Riwāyah, is broader than al-Siyar al-Ṣaghīr but subject matter is the same. It is said to be one of the final works of Imām Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥasan (raḥimahullāh). The book exists mixed with the commentary of Imām al-Sarakhsī, where its issues have blended with the commentary and are not completely distinct. It was printed with the commentary of al-Sarakhsī in Hyderabad in 1335-1336 al-Hijrī in four volumes, and in Cairo, Jāmiʿah al-Duwal al-ʿArabiyyah printed it in five volumes edited by Ṣalāh al-Dīn al-Munjid in 1971-1972. Cairo University printed the first volume of the book edited by Muḥammad Abū Zahra and Muṣṭafā Zayd in 1958, but this work was not completed.
- Al-Muwaṭṭa’, Imām Muḥammad’s narration of Imām Mālik’s Muwaṭṭa’, where Imām Muḥammad received Muwaṭṭa’ directly from Imām Mālik when he travelled to Madīnah. Additionally, he added his opinions and those of Imām Abū Ḥanīfah (raḥimahumullāh) and whether he adopts the narrated account or not in the chapter, while mentioning narrations which support his opinion. This is one of the most famous transmissions of Muwaṭṭa’ Imām Mālik. The book has been printed in several old editions in India, and it was printed in Cairo, edited by ʿAbd al-Wahhāb ʿAbd al-Laṭīf in the year 1962. It was also printed with its commentary, al-Taʿlīq al-Mumajjad ʿalā al-Muwaṭṭa’ Muḥammad by ʿAbd al-Ḥayy al-Laknawī, edited by Taqī al-Dīn al-Nadwī in 1412 Hijri (1991 Gregorian) in Bombay/Damascus.
His demise:
He (raḥimahullāh) died in the year 189AH in Rayy. Hārūn al-Rashīd (raḥimahullāh) said: ‘I buried jurisprudence and the Arabic language in Rayy.’ This is because it is said that Imām al-Kisā’ī (raḥimahullāh) passed away two days after Muḥammad. It is also said that they both died on the same day.
[Translated from al-Madkhal al-Mufaṣṣal ilā al-Fiqh al-Ḥanafī and Kitāb al-Aṣl; edited by Dr. Muhammad Buinukalin]
