The Life of Ibn Hanbal

Ahmad ibn Hanbal (d. 241 H/855 AD), renowned for his profound knowledge of hadiths, the reports of the Prophet's sayings and deeds, is a major figure in the history of Islam. He was famous for living according to his own strict interpretation of the Prophetic model and for denying himself the most basic comforts, even though his family was prominent and his city, Baghdad, was then one of the wealthiest in the world. Ibn Hanbal's piety and austerity made him a folk hero, especially after he resisted the attempts of two caliphs to force him to accept rationalist doctrine. His subsequent imprisonment and flogging is one of the most dramatic episodes of medieval Islamic history. His principled resistance influenced the course of Islamic law, the rise of Sunnism, and the legislative authority of the caliphate. The Life of Ibn Hanbal is a translation of the biography by Ibn al-Jawzi, newly abridged for a paperback readership by Michael Cooperson. Set against the background of debates over reason and legitimate government, it tells the formidable life story of one of the most influential Muslims in history.