Contribution to Hadīth collection and compilation
Imam Tirmidhī traveled to various places in search of knowledge Collection of Hadith. He stayed with prominent scholars of Hadīth in his time. Among the scholars he benefited from were Imam Bukhārī, Imam Muslim, Imam Abu Daud, A`s-Sijistānī, Qutaybah bn Sa’īd, Muhammad bn Bashar, Ishaq bn Musa and Sufyān bn Wakī ‘. He also met Imam Nasāī Ibn Mājah Muhammad al-Mathlan, Ziyad b. Yahya, Abubakar b. Abdul Azim and studied from them. Imam Tirmidhī was endowed with good character, retentive memory and piety. He was a man of integrity who combined search of knowledge with fear of Allah. As a result of that he was highly respected not only by his students but also by his teachers. Imam Bukhārī said to him once: “what I benefited from you is greater than what you benefited from me.” Many students transmitted from him. Prominent among them are: al-Haytham bn Kulayb, al-Shāshī, Makhlūb, Fadl, Muhammad Mahbūb al-Mahbūbī al-Mazrūī who was the transmitter of his major work on Hadīth compilation know as Sunan.
Discuss the contribution of Tirmidhī to Hadīth collection and transmission.
The Sunan tirmidhi is the major work on which the fame of the Imam rests in the Collection of Hadith. It is also called al-Jāmi‘u `t-Tirmidhī. The work deals with matters of religious observance, law, and personal relationship with God and fellow human beings. This work bears the title of Şahīh in the edition printed in Cairo in 1292, but elsewhere it is only called al-Jāmi‘u A glance at the list of chapters in the work shows that nearly one half of it is devoted to such subjects as dogmatic theology, popular beliefs, devotion, manners, education and hagiology. The work contains far fewer traditions than that of Bukhārī or Muslim but also less repetition; two of the chapters are particularly extensive. They are manāqib (Hagiology) and Tafsir al-Qur’ān (Exegesis of the Qur’ān). It contains 4,000 Hadīths. Traditions Tirmidhi’s work is distinquished by two features; the critical remarks concerning the Isnads (chains of trasmission) and the points of difference between the madhhabs which follow every tradition. On account of the latter feature Sunan tirmidhi ’s Collection of Hadith may be called the oldest work on ikhtilāf that has come down to us. In this method, he tried to mention the degree of reliability of each narrator and identify the names and the titles after which he gives his opinions about the quality of Tradition in point whether it is authentic (Şaħīħ) good (Hasan) or weak (Ðaīf). He also mentioned the opinion of early Jurists, lawyers and Imams concerning the subject.
Highlight the Contents of Sunan `t-Tirmidhī.
The Commentaries on the Sunan a`t-Tirmidhī Scholars who wrote commentaries on Sunan tirmidhi included:
(i) Imam Abubakr, Muhammad Abdullah al-Ishbīlī known as Ibn al-Arabi (d.543) in Fez. He entitled his work: Hārithatu `l-Ahwazī fi Sharh at-Tirmidhī. He spoke in it on Men, Chains and the Strange/Extraneous. He also spoke on variety of grammar, creed, rules, conducts and public interest (maşālih). He excelled in reconciling views and proofs; most especially, the school of thought of his teacher; all are with strong evidence, and brilliant explanation in eloquent Arabic with particular reference to Ibn Arabī. Printed in Egypt..
(ii)Suyūtī d. 911. Qūtu `l Mughtadhī alā Sunan tirmidhi. Prelude consists of place of a Jāmiu in Collection of Hadith, terminologies, concise work, based on printed in India. Some other commentaries have either remained in manuscripts of non extant or perished during fitan/ insurrection. Evaluate two commentaries written on the Sunan tirmidhi His Death: Imam Tirmidhī died at one of the boroughs of Tirmidhī circa 270/ 275 A.H