Imaam Abu al-Hasan al-Ijlee - rahimahullah

Name:

أَحْمَد بْن عَبْد اللَّه بْن صالح بْن مُسْلِم أَبُو الْحَسَن العجلي الكوفي

Ahmed bin Abdullah bin Saalih bin Muslim, Abu al-Hasan al-Ijlee al-Koofi

Tabaqah: 11 – From the Middle Level of those who narrated from Taba Taabi’een

Birth: 182 H in Koofah (Iraaq)

Teachers: Shubaabah bin Sawaar, Muhammad bin Ja’far known as Ghandar, Husayn bin Ali al-Ju’fi, Abu Dawood Umar bin Sa’d bin Ubayd al-Hafari, Abu Aamir Abdul Malik bin Amr al-Uqdi al-Qaysi, Muhammad bin Ubayd at-Tanaafsi, Ya’la bin Ubayd al-Tanaafsi, Muhammad bin Yoosuf al-Firyaabi and others.

Students: Saalih bin Ahmed bin Abdullah bin Saalih al-Ijlee, Sa’eed bin Uthmaan bin Sa’eed al-Tajeebi al-Andalusi, Muhammad bin Futays bin Waasil al-Ghaafqi, Abu Uthmaan Sa’eed bin Khumayr bin Abdur Rahmaan al-Qurtubi, Abu Muhammad Qaasim bin Muhammad bin Qaasim bin Muhammad bin Siyaar al-Qurtubi al-Bayaani – author of the book Al-Aydhaah fi ar-Radd Ala al-Muqallideen, Abu Sa’eed Uthmaan bin Jareer bin Humayd al-Kilaabi al-Bayri, Abdullah bin Muhammad bin Abi al-Waleed al-Qurtubi and others.

Status: Thiqah Thabat Imaam of Jarh wat Ta’deel

Books: Ma’rifat ath-Thiqaat min Rijaal Ahl al-Ilm wal Hadeeth wa min ad-Du’afa wa Dhikr Madhaahibuhum wa Akhbaaruhum i.e. Kitaab al-Taareekh or Kitaab ath-Thiqaat, Kitaab al-Jarh wat Ta’deel, Su’aalaat Abi Muslim Saalih bin Ahmed al-Ijlee li Abeehi / Probably they all are the names of the same book, wallahu a’lam.

Opinions of Ahl ul-Jarh wat Ta’deel:

There is a unanimous agreement on Imaam al-Ijlee’s being Thiqah, Jaleel ul-Qadr, and Saheeh ul-Aqeedah Aalim.

1-    Imaam Yahya ibn Ma’een was asked about Ahmed bin Abdullah bin Saalih bin Muslim al-Ijlee, so he said: “He is Thiqah Ibn Thiqah Ibn Thiqah”

[Taareekh Baghdaad: 4/215 T. 1906, Chain Saheeh]

2-    Imaam Abbaas bin Muhammad ad-Dauri said: “We used to consider him similar to Ahmed bin Hanbal and Yahya bin Ma’een”

[Taareekh Baghdaad: 4/214, Chain Saheeh]

3-    Abu al-Hasan Ali bin Ahmed bin Zakariyyah bin al-Khusayb al-Atraabilisi said about Saalih bin Ahmed bin Abdullah al-Ijlee that: “He is Thiqah Ibn Thiqah Ibn Thiqah”

[Taareekh Baghdaad: 4/214, Chain Saheeh]

And he also said: “Ibn Hanbal and Ibn Ma’een both used to narrate from him”

[Taareekh Baghdaad: 4/214-215, Chain Saheeh]

4-    Waleed bin Bakr al-Andalusi said: “Abu al-Hasan Ahmed bin Abdullah bin Saalih al-Koofi is from the A’immah of Ashaab ul-Hadeeth, and (from the) ascetic and god-fearing Huffaadh and Mutqin people”

[Taareekh Baghdaad: 4/214, Chain Saheeh]

5-    Khateeb al-Baghdaadi said: “He was Pious and Devout”

[Taareekh Baghdaad: 4/214]

6-    Maalik bin Eesa al-Maghribi said: “He is the most knowledgeable of people I have seen in Hadeeth”

[Taareekh Baghdaad: 4/214, Chain Saheeh]

7-    Shams ud-Deen Abu al-Khayr Muhammad bin Muhammad bin al-Jazri said: “He resided in Western Taraabuls, he was an Imaam Allaamah, Famous Thiqah, he narrated Qira’at from his father”

[Ghaayat un-Nihaayah fi Tabaqaat al-Qurra: 1/73 T. 323]

8-    Haafidh Dhahabi said: “He is al-Imaam al-Haafidh al-Qudwah”

[Tadhkirat ul-Huffaadh: 2/560 T. 582]

And he also said: “Al-Imaam al-Haafidh al-Awhad al-Zaahid”

[Siyar A’laam al-Nabula: 12/505]

Haafidh Dhahabi said about the Book of Imaam al-Ijlee “Kitaab al-Jarh wat Ta’deel (i.e. Al-Taareekh/Al-Thiqaat)” that: “He has a beneficial book on Jarh wa Ta’deel. I studied it and wrote Fawaaid from it, which indicates towards his expertise in this field and vastness of his memory”

[Al-Nabula: 12/506]

9-    Ibn Naasir ud-Deen ad-Dimashqi said: “He was an Imaam Haafidh, an Ideal from the Ascetics, he is considered similar to Ahmed bin Hanbal and Yahya bin Ma’een; and his book on Jarh wa Ta’deel points towards his vastness of memory and high expertise.”

[Shadhraat adh-Dhahab: 2/141]

10-          Salaah ud-Deen Khaleel bin Aybak as-Safdi said about the book of Imaam al-Ijlee that: “And this book is beneficial which points towards his vastness of memory”

[Al-Waafi bil Wafiyaat: 7/51 T. 674]

For more references see, Tabaqaat al-Huffaadh of as-Suyooti (P. 246 T. 547) and others.

Note: There is no Scholar before the 14^th century Hijri that we know of, who declared Imaam al-Ijlee to be Mutasaahil, rather everyone agrees to his being Thiqah and we have also mentioned above that the Scholars used to consider him a Major Imaam like Imaam Ahmed bin Hanbal and Imaam Yahya ibn Ma’een etc. Therefore, the saying of Dhahabi ul-Asr Shaykh Mu’allami al-Yamaani and others that he was Mutasaahil is wrong and rejected.

Death: He died in 261 H in Western Taraabuls (i.e. Maraakash) and his grave is located beside the sea-shore; and his son Saalih is also buried next to him – May Allaah have mercy on both of them!