IN THIS POST we shall see how Imam Ahmad b. Hanbal’s spiritual vision was part of a larger part of his overall path of tahqiq al-ikhlas — ‘actualising true sincerity’ to Allah. For whatever else it might mean, spirituality in Islam is about the ruh or ‘Spirit’. It is about how to strip away the pretensions we inwardly harbour, reign in the ego’s posturing, and expel our self-glory to the fringes so that the glory of Allah may take centre-stage.

1. EXPELLING SELF-GLORY

Hence, we read that His uncle once went to see him to find him with his chin cupped in his hands. ‘O nephew!’ he asked, ‘What is troubling you? Why so glum?’ Lifting his head, Imam Ahmad replied: ‘O uncle! Glad tidings is for one whose mention Allah, mighty and majestic is He, has concealed.’1

It is this intense concern for tahqiq al-ikhlas, for ensuring the highest level of purity in intentions and motivations behind actions, that we note from Imam Ahmad when he was asked about love for the sake of Allah. His high-minded reply was to say: ‘It is that you not love Him for the sake of some worldly benefit.’2

And while we can (and should), of course, love Allah for worldly reasons too, Imam Ahmad’s spiritual ambition was about not cutting corners, but getting to the deepest or purest degree in spiritual affairs: Allah should be loved because He is Allah; He is loveable for Who He is!

It is the very same regard for the real deal that we note in his words about worldly detachment (zuhd): ‘Zuhd is of three degrees. Firstly, to shun the forbidden; which is the zuhd of the general folk. Secondly, to avoid the lawful, but superfluous; which is the zuhd of the elite. Thirdly, to leave anything which distracts one from Allah; this is the zuhd of the knowers of Allah.’3

And on being asked what reliance upon Allah (tawakkul) entails, he offered this remark: ‘Giving-up looking around for hope in people.’4

2. TRANSFORM, DON’T MERELY TRANSITION

Spirituality, in terms of Islam, isn’t really about smiling or polite conduct. Nor is it primarily about feelings — especially not the fluffy, sentimental kind. It is about taking a small axe, or a chisel, to chip away at all the dirt, debris and dark stuff in our soul, in order to become more receptive, more responsive, to Allah’s light. It’s about the uncomfortable job of shattering the ego and its false pretensions. It is about emptying the heart of all the aghyar or ‘other’ gods and deities it gets enslaved to besides Allah — fame, wealth, status, false desires, self-infatuation … the list, as we all know too well, is a long one. In this sense, too many ‘practicing’ Muslims just tend to transition, but not transform. They transition from chasing after fast cars, fancy clothes, being seen with the in-crowd, and becoming obsessed with celebrities. Instead, they crave religious fame and status. They chase after being known as respositories of religious learning or wisdom. They pine to be din ‘influencers’. Outwardly, the dunya is no longer the topic of banter. Inwardly, however, the gremlins, the ego, it’s all still there. In other words: There has been a transition, but no genuine transformation.

3. SEEING THE SAINT, SEEING THE SUNNAH

More than just definitions of terms or heart-stirring statements, for Imam Ahmad spirituality was about engaging with Allah, and with others. Islam is about rijal and ahwal, not aqwal — it’s about people and spiritual states, not mere theories and statements. While in secular education it’s perfectly acceptable or normal for the academic to have a lifestyle different to what he or she may be teaching, Islamic teaching demands that the teacher be a person who practices what they teach others of Godliness and of how to be a better person: O you who believe! Why do you say that which you do not do? Most odious it is in Allah’s sight that you should say that which you do not do. [Q.61:2] In Islam, everything that is taught or learnt must be about how to improve oneself. Be it the smallest ruling in fiqh, or some point of adab or ‘aqidah, or some Islamic YouTube video deconstructing Christianity or atheism, all such learning must me about how to better oneself in terms of how to improve the soul’s disposition to Allah, or to others. But the secular attitude is not like that. One learns in order to gain prestige, or as a means to make money, or for some other worldly motive. But they don’t learn to necessarily become a better person. The secular educational process is not for this. There’s a complete disconnect between what we know and how we are or behave. But this is simply not the prophetic way, nor was it the way of the salaf.

For this reason devoutness and worldly detachment, rather than scholarly credentials, was what Imam Ahmad actively sought out from students or future companions. This is why when Imam Ahmad was asked, as he lay on his death bed, who should guide the group after him, he proposed ‘Abd al-Wahhab. This raised some eyebrows on account of ‘Abd al-Wahhab, whilst being a person of immense piety, didn’t possess the breadth of knowledge in hadith that others in the group did. So when Imam Ahmad’s suggestion was queried, he replied:5 ‘He is a righteous man, his like will be enabled to do what is correct.’

We see the same preference for godliness over academics in his response about the great saint Ma‘ruf al-Karkhi, when someone queried the scope of his knowledge: ‘He possesses the very essence of knowledge: the reverent fear of Allah (khashyatu’Llah).’6

4. BE WISE ASCETICS, NOT EGOTISTICAL ACADEMICS

‘Abd Allah, Imam Ahmad’s second son, remarked: ‘My father bore solitude better than anyone. No one ever saw him save in the mosque, attending a funeral, or visting the sick. He hated walking through the markets.’7

Yet despite this penchant for wahdah, ‘solitude’, he would inquire after those who were destitute or who were pious renunciants, hoping he might meet them and serve their needs. For a man who very much kept himself to himself, this again is telling. We might have expected that it would be the talented students who had sharp memories or who were quick at grasping abstract concepts to be granted special attention. But such people are not mentioned in any anecdote, neither in positive or negative terms. Instead, Imam Ahmad’s attention was focused on individuals who were led by the fruits of true knowledge to a pious, ascetic, renuncient lifestyle. The core of his close circle were those very much committed to a devout, renuncient life. Around the core was a larger body of students who shared and sought the high piety Imam Ahmad inspired in them. There are many zuhhad in the Hanbali tabaqat literature who were either close friends, associates or pupils of Imam Ahmad. Among them were al-Marrudhi, al-Harabi, and Ibn Hani.

The same goal is seen at work in Imam Ahmad’s book, Kitab al-Zuhd. It’s a book whose spiritual vision isn’t conveyed through theory, but via relating stories and narratives of the awliya and renunciants themselves. Through their lives, acts and spiritual wisdoms the history of human piety unfolds. On being informed how two of the great awliya, Fudayl b. ‘Iyyad and Fath al-Mawsili, bore extreme poverty patiently and without complaint, Imam Ahmad’s eyes welled up with tears and he said: ‘May Allah have mercy upon them. It used to be said: “Upon mentioning the righteous, mercy descends.”’8

That living embodiments of prophetic asceticism is what truly drew Imam Ahmad’s admiration, rather than formal learning, is also evident from what Salih narrates: ‘My father would send for me whenever a renuncient or an ascetic (zahid aw mutaqashshif) visited him so I might look at him. He loved that I become like this.’9

Hence, what most mattered to Imam Ahmad should matter to us too. We, too, should have such an aspiration. We, too, should love the awliya. After all, the Prophet ^ﷺ did say: al-mar’u ma‘a man ahabb — ‘A person will be [raised] with those whom he loves.’10

≈

^{1. Cited in Ibn al-Jawzi, Manaqib Imam Ahmad b. Hanbal (Saudi Arabia: Dar al-Hajr, 1984), 377.}

^{2. Cited in Ibn Abi Ya‘la, Tabaqat al-Hanabilah (Riyadh: Maktabah al-Malik Fahd, 1999), 1:146; entry no.50, of Abu Bakr al-Marrudhi.}

^{3. Cited in Ibn al-Qayyim, Madarij al-Salikin (Makkah: Dar ‘Alam al-Fawa’id, 2019), 2:223. The first level of zuhd is an obligation upon every Muslim. The second is encouraged and praiseworthy. The third, that is the whole aim of any serious suluk. The first two degrees can be attained through striving, bi’idhni’Llah. The third is Pure Gift, because of the first two.}

^{4. Cited in Ibn al-Jawzi, Manaqib al-Imam Ahmad, 271.}

^{5. Cited in Al-Marrudhi (Riyadh: Dar al-Samay’i, 1997), Kitab al-Wara’, 7; no.4.}

^{6. Cited in Ibn Abi Ya‘la, Tabaqat al-Hanabilah, 2:479.}

^{7. Cited in Ibn al-Jawzi, Manaqib al-Imam Ahmad, 373.}

^{8. ibid., 365.}

^{9. Cited in al-Dhahabi (Beirut: Mu’assasah al-Risalah, 1991), Siyar A‘lam al-Nubala, 10:361.}

^{10. Al-Bukhari, no.3688; Muslim, no.2639.}