❞ كتاب Foundation of the Sunnah ❝ ⏤ الامام احمد ابن حنبل

Indeed all praise belongs to Allaah, we praise Him, seek His aid
and His forgiveness. We seek refuge in Allaah from the evils of
our souls and the evils of our actions. Whomsoever Allaah
guides there is none to misguide and whomsoever Allaah
misguides there is none to guide. I bear witness that none has
the right to be worshipped except Allaah Alone; without any
partners and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and
Messenger. Allaah sent him to remove mankind from the abyss
of misguidance and shirk to the light of Islaam and guidance.
To proceed:
This is the second treatise in the collection ‘Aqaa’idus-Salaf wa
Ashaabul-Hadeeth (The Beliefs of the Pious Predecessors and
the People of Hadeeth). I present it to the respected readers
after Allaah has ennobled me by making me concerned with it
and by checking and verifying the ahaadeeth mentioned
therein, (all) by the bounty of Allaah, the Exalted.
The importance of this treatise, like the importance of the one
before it 1

is that it belongs to an honorable Imam, the revered
Imam, the scholar, the teacher, the Reviver of the Sunnah, the
Subduer of Innovation, Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Hanbal, may
Allaah be pleased with him.
And this is a summarisation of his belief, may Allaah have
mercy upon him, drawn from the Qur’aan and the Sunnah and

from that which the scholars of the Salaf and the Ashaabul-
Hadeeth (People of Hadeeth) were upon and which they

adopted and divulged and made the people hold as their belief.
I was eager that those whose works are included in this
collection be (only) those whom the scholars can depend upon
with respect to their sayings, as well as the smallness and

1 Referring to Sareehus-Sunnah of at-Tabaree.

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condenses of the work in question, so that it can he easily
understood and acquired by the people in general.
This (present) treatise actually consists of a number of the
works of Imaam Ahmad on the subject of creed. I came across

them during my verification of the book ‘Tahaqaatut-
Hanaabilah’ by Qaadi Muhammad ibn Abee Ya’laa, and these

are:
The first treatise ‘Usoolus-Sunnah’ (The Foundations of the
Sunnah). I have also verified it using the manuscript of our
Shaikh, Muhammad Naasirud-Deen al-Albaanee which was
published in the magazine ‘al-Mujaahid’ in the Sha’baan edition,
1411H.
The second treatise ‘The Sunnah upon which the Messenger
(swallallahu alaihi wasallam) died.’

The third treatise ‘A Description of the Believer from Ahlus-
Sunnah Wal – Jamaa’ah 2

Aboo ‘Abdur-Rahmaan Fawwaaz Ahmad Zumarlee
15th Shawwaal 1411H
Tripoli
Lebanon

2

Both of these are included in this book after the text of Usoolus-
Sunnah.

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PART ONE

A BRIEF NOTE ON USOOL-US-SUNNAH

This treatise has been mentioned in Tabaqaatul- Hanaabilah (1/
241-246) in the biography of ‘Abdoos ibn Maalik, one of the
nearest students of Imaam Ahmad.
Another concise summary of his creed can be found in the
same work Tabaqaatul-Hanaabilah (1/311-313), “Abul-Husain

Muhammad ibn Abee Ya’laa said: I quoted from Ahmad ash-
Shanjee with his isnaad that he said: I heard from Muhammad

ibn ‘Awf saying: Ahmad ibn Hanbal dictated to me...” and then
he mentioned it.
The Imaam al-Laalikaa’ee has also mentioned this creed in his
Sharh Usool I‘tiqaad Ahlis-Sunnah wal-Jamaa‘ah (1/156-164)
where he said, “‘Alee ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Abdullaah as-Sakaree
informed us that ‘Uthmaan ibn Ahmad ibn ‘Abdullaah ibn
Bareed (or Yazeed) ad-Daqeeqee narrated to us saying: Aboo
Muhammad al-Hasan ibn ‘Abdul-Wahhaab, Abul-Anbar narrated
to us: reading from his book, in the month of Rabee’ul-Awwal,
two hundred and ninety-three (293H), saying: Aboo Ja’far
Muhammad ibn Sulaymaan al-Munqiri, of Tinnees, narrated to
us Saying: ‘Abdoos ibn Maalik al-’Attaar narrated to us saying:
I heard Aboo ‘Abdullaah Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Hanbal
saying...,” then he mentioned the creed, all of it.
Also the magazine, al-Mujaahid, published the treatise,
‘Usoolus-Sunnah’ in the Sha’baan edition in 1411H taken from
the manuscript which had been put together with the

painstaking efforts of our Shaikh Muhammad Naasirud-Deen al-
Albaanee, may Allah protect him 3.

3
From the manuscript copy (no. 68, Q. 10-15) which is kept at the
Dhaahiriyyah Library in Damascus, Syria.

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There are some differences between the manuscripts and I
have indicated them in my footnotes to the text of this creed.
Steps in the Verification of this Treatise
(i) I have depended upon the two printings of this creed in
my verification of it. The first: the one present in Tabaqaatul.
Hanaabilah and the second, the one mentioned in Shark Usool
I’tiqaad of the Imaam al-Laalikaa’ee. The first one has been
published in the magazine al-Mujaahid and was taken from the
manuscript copy of the Muhaddith of the Era, Muhammad
Naasir ud-Deen Albaanee, may Allaah protect him, and I have
recondled between whatever differences were found in the
manuscripts
(ii) I have referenced the Qur’anic aayahs, the ahaadeeth
and their sayings wherever I found it possible.
(iii) I have provided biographies of the notable people that have
been mentioned in the treatise
I ask Allaah that He gives me success in that which He loves
and is eased with from among the sayings, actions and beliefs.
That He moves us from falling into mistakes, that He grants us
safety from desires and innovations and that he makes this
work in the balance my good deeds on the day that I meet
Him.
Aboo ‘Abdur-Rahmaan Fawwaaz Ahmad Zumarlee
15th Shawwaal 1411H
Tripoli
Lebanon
THE FOUNDATIONS OF THE SUNNAH
Al-Qaadee Abul-Husain Muhammad ibn Abee Ya’laa said: I read
to al-Mubaarak saying to him: ‘Abdul-’Azeez al-Azjee informed
us: ‘Alee ibn Bushraan informed us: ‘Uthmaan, known as
Ibnus-Samaak, informed us: al-Hasan ibn ‘Abdul-Wahhaab

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narrated to us: Sulaymaan ibn Muhammad al-Munqari narrated
to Us: ‘Abdoos ibn Maalik al-’Attaar narrated to me: I heard
Aboo ‘Abdullaah Ahmad ibn Hanbal, may Allaah be pleased with
him, saying:
“The Fundamental Prindples of the Sunnah 4
with us 5
are:

1. Holding fast to what the Companions 6

of the Messenger

of Allah were upon. 7
4
The term Sunnah here refers to the principles and foundations of the
correct Islamic ‘aqeedah (belief) and manhaj (methodology) since the
Salaf would apply this term to matters of ‘aqeedah and manhaj - as can
be seen from their books and Writings, for example:
1. Kitaabus-Sunnah of Imaam Ahmad (d. 241H)
2. As-Sunnah of al-Athram (d. 2731-I)
3. Kitaabus-Sunnah of Aboo Daawood (d. 275H)
4. Kitaabus-Sunnah of Ibn Abee ‘Aasim (d. 287H)
5. Kitaabus.Sunnah of ‘Abdullaah, the son of Imaam Ahmad (d.
290H)
6. As-Sunnah of al-Marwazee (d. 2921-I)
7. Sareehus-Sunnah of Ibn Jareer at-Tabaree (d. 3101-I)
8. As-Sunnah of al-Khallaal (d. 311 H)
9. Sharhus-Sunnah al-Barbahaaree (d. 329 H)
10. As-Sunnah of al-’Assaal (d. 349H)
11. As-Sunnah of at-Tabaraanee (d. 360H)
The term ‘Sunnah’ was employed in this context to differentiate between
those maters of ‘aqeedah and manhaj that the Salaf were upon from
those matter which were innovated by the deviant and misguided sects.
5
Meaning the scholars of the Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaa’ah and at the
head his time was Imaam Ahmad ibn Hanbal. And in this regard, way of
the Salaf, to point out to the people and the general followers and
adherents of the Sunnah so that their ‘aqeedah manhaj (methodology)
could he learnt and adhered to, as the Imaam Ayyoub as-Saklitiyaanee
(d. 131 H]) said: “From the success of a youth or a non-Arab is that
Allah guides him to a Scholar of the Sunnah.” Reported by al-Laalikaa’ee
in Sharh Usoolil-I’tiqaad, no. 30.
6
Arabic Sahaabah or Ashaab (singular: Sahaabee). With respect to the
Sharee’ah definition of a Sahaabee or Companion then Al-Haafidh Ibn

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2. Taking them [and their way] as a model to be followed.
8
3. The abandonment of innovations 9

and every innovation

is misguidance. 10
al-Hajr said: The most correct of what I have come across is that a
Sahaabee is one who met the Prophet (swallallahu alaihi wasallam)
whilst believing in him, and died as a Muslim. So that includes the one
who remained with him for a long time or a short time, and those who
narrated from him and those who did not and those who saw him but did
not sit with him and those who could not see him due to blindness.”
Al-Isaabah of lbn Hajr (1/4-5). See also point no 44 for Imaam Ahmad’s
definition of a Sahaabee.
7
The Messenger of Allah (swallallahu alaihi wasallam) said: “Indeed the
Children of Israa’eel split up into seventy-one sects and my Ummah will
split up into seventy-three, all of them are in Fire except one.” It was
said, “What is the one?’ He said, “That which I and my Companions are

upon.” Reported by at-Tirmidhee, no. 2792, al-Haakim, 1/128-129, al-
Laalikaa’ee, no. 147, ash-Shaatihee in his Al-I’tisaam, 1/189 and 2/186,

Ibn Hajr in Takhreej Ahaadeeth al-Kashaaf, no. 63 and others from
‘Ahdullaah ibn ‘Amr ibn al-’Aas (radhiyallahu anhu).
8
Abdullah ibn Mas’ood said, “Verily, we emulate and do not initiate and
we follow and we follow and do not innovate.” Reported by al-Laalikaa’ee
in Usoolul-I’tiqaad, 1/86. Aboo Bakr as-Siddeeq (radhiyallahu anhu) said,
“Indeed, I am a follower and I am not an innovator.” Reported in
Kitaabas-Sifaat of Ibn Qudaamah al-Maqdisee in the chapter: Fee
Fadaa’itil-Ittibaa and it is taken from the long khutbah of Aboo Bakr after
the pledge of allegiance, refer to At-Taareekh of at-Tabaree.
9
Linguistically bid’ah (innovation) means ‘a newly invented matter.’ The
Sharee’ah definition of bid’ah is, “A newly invented way (beliefs and
actions) in the religion, in imitation of the Sharee’ah (prescribed Law), by
which nearness to Allaah is sought, not being supported by any authentic
proof - neither in its foundations, nor in the manner in which it is
performed.” Al-I’tisaam of ash-Shaatibee, 1/37.
Avoiding innovations is one of the great foundations and principles of Ahl
us-Sunnah wal-Jamaa’ah and it involves:
• having hatred for it
• keeping away from it
• warning the people about

 This is the second treatise in the collection The Beliefs of the Pious Predecessors and the People of Hadeeth. The Author present it to the respected readers after Allah has ennobled him by making him concerned with it and by checking and verifying the ahaadeeth mentioned therein, all by the bounty of Allah, the Exalted