Religious services of Imam Tabarani

Preserving and serving the blessed Ahadees of the Holy Rasool صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم is a remarkable achievement of our righteous predecessors. Among those righteous predecessors who attained a prominent status in serving Hadees is also the name of Muhaddis-e-Islam, Haafiz-ul-Hadees, Abul Qaasim, Sulayman Bin Ahmad Tabarani رَحْمَۃُ اللہِ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ .

Birth

He رَحْمَۃُ اللہِ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ was born in Safar-ul-Muzaffar 260 Hijri. (Tazkira-tul-Huffaz, vol. 3, pp. 85)

Commencement of the journey for acquiring [religious] knowledge

He رَحْمَۃُ اللہِ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ  started his journey for acquiring the religious knowledge at the age of 13. Therefore, he رَحْمَۃُ اللہِ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ  quenched his thirst for gaining the religious knowledge through the learned scholars of the cities of Syria, Haramayn Tayyibayn, Yemen, Egypt, Baghdad, Kufa, Basra and Isfahan etc. (Tazkira-tul-Huffaz, vol. 3, pp. 85)

He رَحْمَۃُ اللہِ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ attained knowledge from more than one thousand blessed Muhaddiseen. Out of them, the names of Imam Nasa`ee, Imam Abu Zar’ah Saqafi Dimashqi and Shaykh ‘Ali Bin ‘Abdul Azeez Baghawi etc., are worth mentioning. (Tazkira-tul-Huffaz, vol. 3, pp. 85)

Three hundred thousand Ahadees

He رَحْمَۃُ اللہِ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ  had a great insight into the field of Hadees. Sayyiduna Abul ‘Abbas Ahmad Bin Mansoor رَحْمَۃُ اللہِ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ  states: I have narrated three hundred thousand Ahadees from Imam Tabarani رَحْمَۃُ اللہِ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ . (Siyar A’laam-un-Nubala, vol. 12, pp. 268)

He رَحْمَۃُ اللہِ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ stayed in Isfahan as a Muhaddis for 60 years. (Siyar A’laam-un-Nubala, vol. 12, pp. 265)

Literary compositions

He رَحْمَۃُ اللہِ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ  is among those righteous predecessors who have written numerous books. Out of all his books, Mu’ajim-e-Salasah [معاجمِ ثلاثہ] is the reason for his prominence. These Mu’ajim include:

٭ Al Mu’jam-ul-Kabeer consists of 60,000 Ahadees.

٭ In Al-Mu’jam-ul-Awsat, he has compiled wonderful and interesting parables of one thousand Shuyukh as well as Ahadees.

٭ In Al-Mu’jam-us-Sagheer, he has compiled each and every Hadees of over one thousand Shuyukh and at the end, he رَحْمَۃُ اللہِ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ complied 2000 narrations of women.

Other than Mu’ajim-e-Salasah, following books are also worth mentioning:

٭ Kitab Ma’rifat-us-Sahabah

٭ Kitab Dalaail-un-Nubuwwah

٭ Kitab-ud-Du’a

٭ Kitab-ur-Ramee [كِتَابُ الرَّمی]

٭ Kitab ul Manasik

٭ Kitab-ul-Awwaliyyah fi Khilafah Abi Bakr-o-‘Umar [كِتَابُ الاولویۃ فِی خِلاَفَۃ ابی بَكر وَ عُمَرَ]

٭ Kitab-ut-Tafseer

٭ Musnad ‘Aaishah

٭ Musnad Abi Hurairah etc. (Siyar A’laam-un-Nubala, vol. 12, pp. 269)

Demise and burial

It is narrated that the enemies of Islam cast magic spell upon him in his last days. Due to it, he رَحْمَۃُ اللہِ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ lost his eyesight. He passed away on 27^th or 28^th Zul-Qa’dah 360 Hijri. He lived a long life of one hundred years and ten months. (Siyar A’laam-un-Nubala, vol. 12, pp. 269)

His funeral Salah was led by Imam Abu Nu’aym Asbahani رَحْمَۃُ اللہِ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ  and was laid to rest beside the companion of the Holy Rasool صَلَّى اللہُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم, Sayyiduna Humama-tad-Dawsee رَضِىَ اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهُ. (Tabqat-ul-Hanabilah, vol. 2, pp. 43)

Imam Tabarani رَحْمَۃُ اللہِ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ  spent his entire life in serving Hadees. People benefited from him within his lifetime and after his demise, they are benefiting from his books.

May Allah Almighty shower His mercy upon him and forgive us for his sake!

اٰمِيۡن   بِجَاهِ   النَّبِيِّ  الۡاَمِيۡن   صَلَّى  اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى  عَلَيۡهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم