Al-Bayhaqiyy defended and upheld 'Ahlu s-sunnah's creed through extensive works and teachings

والصَّلَاةُ والسَّلاَمُ عَلَى سَيّدِنَا مُحَمَّدٍ أَشْرَفِ اْلمُرْسَلِيْنَ وَعَلَى آلِهِ وَصَحْبِهِ الطَّيّبِيْنَ الطَّاهِرِيْن

He is the distinguished Imam, the jurist, the specialist in Prophetic Tradition, the expert in the foundations of faith, the learned scholar, the ascetic, the pious, Shaykh 'Abu Bakr 'Ahmad Ibnu l-Husayn Ibni ^Aliyy Ibni ^Abdi l-Lah Ibni Musa Al-Bayhaqiyy Al-Khusrawjirdiyy.

He studied the science of the foundations of faith according to the school of thought of Imam Al-Ach^ariyy before dedicating himself to composing numerous works and epistles. Through his prolific writings, he became not only the foremost authority of his time in the field of Hadith but also a paragon of insight, intellectual acumen, and asceticism.

He was born in the month of Sha^ban in the year 384 of the Hegira in the village of Khusrawjird, one of the villages in the region of Bayhaq. The biographer Yaqut Al-Hamwiyy described Bayhaq as "one of the large agglomerations of Naysabur, densely populated and comprising many communes including three hundred and twenty-one villages."

Imam Al-Bayhaqiyy grew up during a period marked by increasing misfortune and discord; adversity severely afflicted the Muslims as the Levant region succumbed to the sudden invasion of the Byzantine emperor Basil II. Despite these challenges, Al-Bayhaqiyy, driven by his love for religious science, set out to Iraq and then to the Hijaz in pursuit of knowledge. Along his journey, he encountered and studied under numerous illustrious scholars. Some sources suggest that he learned from over a hundred teachers, including such renowned figures as Al-Hakim An-Naysaburiyy  (the author of the famous collection Al-Mustadrak), 'Abu ^Abdi r-Rahman As-Sulamiyy, ’Abu ‘Ishaq Al_’Isfarayiniyy, ’Abu dharr Al-Harawiyy, ’Abu Bakr ‘ibni Furak, ’Abu Bakr At-Tusiyy, Abu t-Tayyib Sahlu ibnu Muhammad, Abu Mansur Al-Baghdadiyy, ^Abdu l-Lah Al-Juwayniyy, the father of ‘Imamu l-Haramayn  (the Imam of the two Holy Mosques of Mecca and Medina), among many others.

Scholars' Praise for Him

Ibnu l-Jawziyy said of Imam Al-Bayhaqiyy: "He was the preeminent authority of his time in memorisation, mastery, and authoring. He excelled both in the science of Hadith and the foundations of faith and was among the great disciples of Al -Hakim ’Abu ^Abdi l-Lah."

Imam At-Taj As-Subkiyy remarked: "Imam Al-Bayhaqiyy was one of the beneficent scholars of Islam, through whom believers remain well-guided and who call to the path approved by Allah. He was an eminent jurist, an outstanding Hafidh, an unrivalled specialist in the foundations of the faith, an ascetic, pious and devoted to Allah, and an ardent defender of the path of the People of Truth in the foundations of the faith and the rules of law. He was a mountain among mountains of knowledge."

Yaqut Al-Hamwiyy extolled him, saying: "He is the imam, the hafidh, the expert in the science of the foundations of the faith, the pious, who surpassed his contemporaries in combining memorisation, mastery, and fervent devotion in religious practice. He was one of the great disciples of Abu ^Abdi l-Lah Al-Hakim, echoing his teachings to such an extent that he surpassed his master in certain areas and became his reference."

Ibnu Khilikan, in his book " Wafayatu l-‘a^yan", describes him as the “distinguished shafi^iyy jurist, the renowned hafidh, and the prominent figure of his era. Among the best students of Al-Hakim ‘Abu ^Abdi l-Lah in the science of Hadith, he stands out as the only one who diversified his knowledge by mastering various sciences, thereby surpassing his master in several fields.” Ibnu ^Asakir Ad-Dimashqiyy lauded him, remarking: ‘With exemplary patience in his faith and asceticism, he followed in the footsteps of the scholars and found contentment with little in this world until death claimed him from Naysabur. May Allah have mercy on him.’

His belief

Imam Al-Bayhaqiyy, may Allah have mercy upon him, unequivocally adhered to the ‘ash^ariyy belief. This assertion is not merely supported by the testimony of scholars and historians but also by his own written works, most notably "Al-i^tiqad " and " Al-‘Asma’u wa s-Sifat" wherein he exempts Allah from being located in a place.

Thus, in the book " Al-‘Asma’u wa s-Sifat" he states: "Some of our colleagues have justified the negation of locality concerning Allah ta^ala by citing the saying of the Prophet which means: 'You are Adh-Dhahir, so nothing is above You, and You are Al-Batin, so nothing is below You.' And if there is nothing above Him and nothing below Him, He is not in a place."

And further on, in the chapter entitled "The Names of Allah ta^ala that deny any resemblance to His creatures," it states: "[...] among which is Al-Muta^ali. Al-Halimiyy remarked, 'This signifies that He is free from the characteristics of creatures, such as having a wife, children, limbs, organs, sitting, concealing Himself from view behind a veil, moving from one place to another, and similar attributes. For these attributes imply an end, a need, or a change, and are therefore impossible. None of this is
befitting or possible for Al-Qadim (He Who is without beginning).’"

In his book " Al-I^tiqad" Imam Al-Bayhaqiyy elaborates on Allah's exemption from possessing limbs, a body, and movement. He states: "We know from His words [suratu sh-Shura /11] which mean: 'Nothing is like Him' and from rational demonstration that Allah's ^ayn is not an eye, that His yadayn are not hands, and that His wajh is not an image. These are attributes peculiar to His Being, which we confirm through the Book and the Sunnah without likening them to the attributes of creatures."

He further expounds: "In summary, it is obligatory to know that al-‘istiwa’  of Allah is not a straightness following a distortion, nor an establishment in a place, nor contiguity with any creature whatsoever. Rather, He is mustawin ^ala ^arshih as He has informed us, that is, without a how, without place, and without any resemblance to His creatures. His ’ityan is not a movement from one place to another, His maji’ is not a physical arrival, His nuzul is not a descent, His nafs is not a body, His wajh is not an image, His yad is not a hand, and His ^ayn is not an eye."

In the chapter titled "The Creation of Acts" in the same book, Imam Al-Bayhaqiyy clarifies that the acts of creatures, whether good or evil, are all created by Allah ta^ala. He states: "Allah ^azza wa jall says in surat Ghafir /62: 'It is Allah your Lord, The Creator of all things.' This includes substances and acts, both good and evil. Allah says in surat Ar-Ra^d/16: 'Or do they attribute to Allah partners who would create the equivalent of what He creates to the point that they can no longer dissociate from whom the creation is? Say: Allah is the Creator of all things.' Thus, Allah denied the existence of any creator other than Him and affirmed that everything apart from Him is created. If Allah subhanah had not created our deeds, He would be the Creator of some things to the exclusion of others, which contradicts the meaning of this ‘ayah.

"Since deeds are, in reality, far more numerous than substances, their claim—that Allah is the Creator of substances while humans are the creators of their deeds—implies that the creations attributed to humans exceed in number those attributed to Allah. This further suggests that their power surpasses His and that their praise is more meritorious than that of their Lord."

Now, since Allah ta^ala says [suratu s-Saffat/96] which means: ‘Allah created you and your deeds’, He has de facto confirmed that their deeds are also His creatures’.

Still in the same book, Al-Bayhaqiyy demonstrated that believers will see Allah in the Hereafter: ‘To claim that the meaning intended by His word subhanah [suratu l-Qiyamah/23], which means “looking at their Lord”, would be meditation and reasoning is an aberration, for paradise is not an abode for debate and reflection but necessarily a residence of retribution. Nor can it be construed as waiting, for the bliss in Paradise is not subject to waiting and for waiting diminishes and taints the joy [...] Moreover, when the gaze is mentioned in conjunction with the face, it signifies the gaze of the eyes on the face.’

His works

After travelling to various countries in his quest for knowledge and drawing wisdom from different sources, he returned to his native region. He dedicated himself to writing works and epistles in the fields of belief, the foundations of faith, Hadith, the foundations of the Prophetic Tradition, and law. The number of these works approaches a thousand volumes.

Among his best-known works

• "As-Sunanu l-kubra": This is one of his most significant works, in which he compiled numerous sayings, deeds, and other signs of approval of the Messenger, as well as the consensus of the companions on various subjects. It is a voluminous collection of Hadiths classified according to the legal issues to which they relate. Imam As-Subkiyy praised its merits, stating: "In the science of Hadith, there is no collection as eloquent, methodical, and harmonious." As-Sakhawiyy remarked: "This is a book that cannot be dispensed with, as it contains most of the Hadiths relating to laws. As ‘Ibnu Salah said, it has no equivalent in its field. It is for this reason that it deserves to be prioritised over other collections of Hadith. However, its lesser prominence can be attributed to the earlier emergence of its peers and their greater eminence."
• "Ma^rifatu s-Sunani wa l-'athar" consolidates numerous precepts from the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of the Prophet. [He indicated what Ash-Shafi^iyy relied on to support his demonstrations in the foundations of Belief and its ramifications].
• "Al-Mabsut" compiles the sayings of Imam Ash-Shafi^iyy found in his own writings or attributed to him in unauthenticated narrations.
• "Al-'Asma'u wa s-Sifat" elucidates the meanings of the perfect Names of Allah ta^ala and references their sources, drawing from the Quran, the Sunnah, and the Consensus of scholars.
• "Al-I^tiqad" serves as a record of the beliefs of 'Ahlu s-sunnah wa l-Jama^ah. In his introduction, he states: "What we have documented in this book encapsulates the belief and declarations of 'Ahlu s-sunnah wa l-Jama^ah."
• "Dala'ilu n-Nubuwwati wa ma^rifatu ‘ahwali sahibi sh-Shari^ah" focuses on the birth of the Prophet, his childhood, his noble lineage, his history, his physical characteristics, his exemplary conduct, and his miracles.
• Shu^abu l-‘Iman
• "Manaqibu sh-Shafi^iyy" is a biography of Imam Ash-Shafi^iyy that details his knowledge, works, asceticism, piety, and exemplary conduct.
• "Ad-Da^awatu l-kabir" is a compilation of many invocations the Prophet uttered or taught to his companions.
• "Ad-Da^awatu s-Saghir", "Az-zuhdu l-kabir″, "‘Ithbatu ^adhabi l-qabri wa su'alu l-Malakayn", "’Ahkamu l-Qur'an", "Al Madkhalu ‘ila kitabi s-sunan”, “Al ba^thu wa n-nushur”, “Takhriju ‘ahadith l-’umm", “Al khilafiyat bayna sh-Shafi^iyyi wa ‘Abi Hanifah“, "Juz'u l-qira'ati khalfa l-‘imam", "Al ‘Adab", "Al ‘Arba^ina l-kubra", ‘al “Arba^ina s-sughra”.

These are just a few examples of his extensive body of work across various fields, demonstrating his profound knowledge and erudition.

His death

Yaqut Al-Hamwiyy, in his book " Muj^amu l-buldan" recorded that Imam Al-Bayhaqiyy was to Naysabur to teach the book " Al-ma^rifah." He accepted and journeyed there in the year 441 AH. Subsequently, he returned to his hometown, where he remained until his passing in the month of Jumada l-‘ula in the year 458 AH.

Adh-Dhahabiyy , in his book Tadhkiratu l-Huffadh, noted that towards the end of his life, Imam Al-Bayhaqiyy relocated from Bayhaq to Naysabur, where he imparted knowledge through his writings. He passed away in Naysabur on the 10th of Jumada l-‘ula in 458 AH. His body was brought back to Bayhaq for burial. May Allah bestow His mercy upon him.