Name and Lineage of Imam Tirmidhi

His name was Muhammad and his kunyah was Abu Isa. His lineage, according to most narrations, is: Muhammad ibn Isa ibn Sawrah ibn Musa ibn Dahhak al-Sulami al-Bughi al-Tirmidhi.
According to some other reports, his lineage is: Muhammad ibn Isa ibn Sawrah ibn Shaddad al-Sulami al-Bughi al-Tirmidhi — that is, instead of Musa ibn Dahhak, it is Shaddad, as mentioned in al-Sam'ani’s book *al-Ansab*.
In *Tahdhib al-Kamal* by al-Mizzi, it is recorded as: Muhammad ibn Isa ibn Sawrah ibn Sakan al-Sulami al-Bughi al-Tirmidhi — meaning instead of Musa, it is Sakan.

Birth of Imam Tirmidhi (رحمہ اللہ)

Imam Tirmidhi (رحمہ اللہ) was most likely born around 210 AH, though according to some scholars, it was in 209 AH. His grandfather was originally from Marw and migrated to Tirmidh during the time of Layth ibn Yasar, settling there permanently. Imam Tirmidhi was born in the city of Tirmidh, situated on the River Balkh—also known as the River Jaihun. Due to his birth and residence there, he became famously known as “Tirmidhi.” The name “Tirmidh” is most commonly pronounced with a kasrah (i.e., 'i' sound) on both the “t” and “m,” though it is sometimes pronounced with a fatḥah or ḍammah as well. He was called “Salmi” in relation to the Banu Sulaym branch of the Ghilan tribe, and “Bughi” due to his connection with the village of Bugh, located near Tirmidh—about six farsakhs away—where he eventually passed away.

Imam al-Tirmidhi’s Loss of Sight

There is a claim that Imam al-Tirmidhi was born blind, but the correct view is that he lost his eyesight in old age after extensive travel and dedication to the study and transcription of Hadith. The loss of vision may have been caused by excessive reading and writing.

According to Imam al-Hakim, he wept so much out of the fear of Allah in his later years that he lost his eyesight, and he spent many years of his life in this state. [Tadhkirat al-Huffaz 2/634, Tahdhib al-Tahdhib]

It is a strange coincidence that the great commentator of Sunan al-Tirmidhi, ‘Allamah ‘Abd al-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri, also went blind in the final stage of his life, just before completing his commentary on Sunan al-Tirmidhi. His closest students completed the work under his supervision.

Travels and Learning of Imam Tirmidhi

According to the methodology of the hadith scholars, Imam Tirmidhi travelled to the intellectual centers of the Islamic lands for the narration and acquisition of hadith. He extensively heard hadith from the scholars of Hijaz (Makkah and Madinah), Baghdad (Iraq), Jazirah, Basrah, Wasit, and Khurasan. However, he could not travel to Egypt and Syria.

Hafiz al-Dhahabi and Ibn Hajar say: Imam Tirmidhi travelled through the Islamic lands and heard hadith from a large number of narrators from Khurasan, Iraq, and Hijaz. He benefited from the service of the hadith scholars of Nishapur, Merv, Isfahan, and other places.

Your Era and the Rise of Hadith Sciences

Your era was marked by the flourishing and advancement of Hadith sciences. You met many great Hadith scholars, benefited from them, listened to Hadith, and narrated them. Hafiz al-Dhahabi listed your teachers and Hadith masters in his books “Tadhkirat al-Huffaz” and “Siyar A‘lam al-Nubala”, from whom you heard Hadith. Some of the prominent among them include:

➊ Ibrahim ibn ‘Abdullah ibn Hatim al-Harawi (d. 244 AH) ➋ Abu Mus‘ab Ahmad ibn Abi Bakr al-Zuhri al-Madani (d. 242 AH) ➌ Ahmad ibn Mani‘ ➍ Ishaq ibn Rahwayh ➎ Isma‘il ibn Musa al-Fazari al-Suddi (d. 245 AH) ➏ Abu Dawood Sulayman ibn al-Ash‘ath (Compiler of Sunan) (d. 275 AH) ➐ Suwayd ibn Nasr ibn Suwayd al-Marwazi (d. 243 AH) ➑ ‘Abdullah ibn Mu‘awiyah al-Jumahi (d. 243 AH) ➒ ‘Ali ibn Hujr al-Marwazi (d. 244 AH) ➓ ‘Ali ibn Sa‘id ibn Masruq al-Kindi al-Kufi (d. 249 AH) ⓫ ‘Amr ibn ‘Ali al-Fallas (d. 942 AH – likely a typographical error, possibly 242 AH) ⓬ Muhammad ibn Bashar Bandār (d. 252 AH) ⓭ Qutaybah ibn Sa‘id al-Thaqafi Abu Raja’ (d. 240 AH) ⓮ Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Malik ibn Abi al-Shawarib (d. 244 AH) and others ⓯ Mahmud ibn Ghilan al-Marwazi al-Baghdadi (d. 239 AH)

⓰ Alongside narrating Hadith, you acquired knowledge of Hadith sciences, narrator evaluation, and Hadith jurisprudence from Imam Muhammad ibn Isma‘il al-Bukhari.

⓱ You also heard Hadith from Imam Muslim and even narrated one Hadith from him in your collection.

Prominent Hadith Scholars Who Studied Under Imam Tirmidhi

Many eminent scholars of Hadith had the honour of studying under Imam Tirmidhi. Among them are the following narrators: ➊ Abu Bakr Ahmad bin Isma'il bin 'Amir al-Samarqandi ➋ Abu Hamid Ahmad bin 'Abdullah bin Dawud al-Marwazi ➌ Ahmad bin 'Ali bin Hasanwayh al-Muqri ➍ Ahmad bin Yusuf al-Nasafi ➎ Abu al-Harith Asad bin Hamdawayh ➏ Hammad bin Shakir Waraq al-Nasafi ➐ Makhul bin Fadl al-Nasafi ➑ Mahmood bin Anbar al-Nasafi ➒ Abu al-Fadl Muhammad bin Mahmood bin Anbar al-Nasafi ➓ 'Abd bin Muhammad bin Mahmood al-Nasafi ⓫ Dawood bin Nasr bin Suhayl al-Barzawi ⓬ Muhammad bin Makki bin Nuh al-Nasafi ⓭ Muhammad bin Sufyan bin Nadr al-Nasafi ⓮ Muhammad bin Mundhir bin Sa’id al-Harawi ⓯ Haytham bin Kulayb al-Shashi (Narrator of al-Shama’il) ⓰ Muhammad bin Mahboob Abu al-‘Abbas al-Mahboobi al-Marwazi (Narrator of Sunan al-Tirmidhi) ⓱ Imam Bukhari also narrated a Hadith from him, about which Imam Tirmidhi himself says: “This Hadith was heard from me by Muhammad bin Isma’il.” The Hadith is: “From Abu Sa’id: O Ali! It is not permitted for anyone to be in a state of janabah in the mosque except me and you.” [Sunan al-Tirmidhi 3727]

Imam al-Tirmidhi’s Worship and Piety

Imam al-Tirmidhi was not only a leader in the sciences and disciplines of Hadith, but he was also renowned for his devotion, piety, asceticism, and God-consciousness. Al-Hakim says: When Imam al-Bukhari passed away, he did not leave behind anyone like al-Tirmidhi in terms of memorization, asceticism, and piety. Due to his intense fear of Allah, Imam al-Tirmidhi wept so much that he eventually lost his eyesight and remained blind for many years. [Tadhkirat al-Huffaz, Tahdhib al-Tahdhib]

Imam Tirmidhi’s Scholarly Works

Since Imam Tirmidhi (رحمه الله) was highly proficient not only in Hadith and its sciences, but also in history, jurisprudence (fiqh), and Quranic exegesis (tafsir), he authored numerous scholarly books on various subjects. Among his well-known works are:
➊ Kitab al-Jami` — popularly known as *Sunan al-Tirmidhi*.
➋ Al-Shama'il al-Nabawiyyah — commonly known as *Shama'il al-Tirmidhi*, a renowned collection of Hadiths related to the noble character and attributes of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. ‘Abd al-Haqq al-Dehlawi praised this book in his *Ashi‘at al-Lam‘at*.
➌ Kitab al-‘Ilal — on this subject, he authored two books:
① *Kitab al-‘Ilal al-Saghir* and
② *Kitab al-‘Ilal al-Kabir*, where he extensively benefited from his teacher Imam al-Bukhari (رحمه الله).
➍ Kitab al-Zuhd
➎ Kitab al-Tarikh
➏ Al-Asma’ wa al-Kuna
➐ Kitab al-Tafsir
➑ Kitab al-Jarh wa al-Ta‘dil.

Demise of Imam Tirmidhi

According to the well-known narration, Imam Tirmidhi (رحمه الله) passed away on the night of Saturday, 13th Rajab, 279 AH, in the city of Tirmidh at the age of seventy. However, Ibn Khallikan (رحمه الله) has written, quoting al-Sam‘ani (رحمه الله), that “Imam Tirmidhi passed away in the town of Bugh, in the year 279 AH,” which is located six farsakhs (approximately eighteen miles) from Tirmidh.

Imam Tirmidhi’s Rank in Hadith Scholarship

Imam Tirmidhi (رحمه الله) is a unanimously acknowledged, renowned, and trustworthy Hadith scholar and Hafiz. He held a prominent status among the scholars of Hadith memorization. Imam Tirmidhi (رحمه الله) stated: My teacher, Imam Bukhari (رحمه الله), once said to me, “You benefited from me more than I could benefit from you.” [Tahdhib al-Kamal]

Statement by Abu As‘ad Abdur Rahman bin Muhammad Idrisi:

Abu ‘Isa al-Tirmidhi was proverbial in memorization of Hadith. One such incident is narrated by his teacher Abu Bakr Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Harith al-Marwazi. He reports that he heard Ahmad bin Abdullah bin Dawud say: I heard Imam Tirmidhi say, “Once I was on the way to Makkah and had written two booklets of Hadith from a certain Shaykh. When I met the Shaykh, I asked to hear Hadith from him, thinking I had those two booklets with me. The Shaykh agreed to recite the Hadith, but when I checked, I found I was only holding two blank notebooks. The Shaykh began reciting the Hadith and noticed I was holding blank pages. He said, ‘Are you not ashamed to act this way in front of me?’ I explained the situation and said, ‘I have memorized all the Hadith.’ He said, ‘Then recite them.’ I recited the Hadith to him, but he didn’t believe me and asked, ‘Did you memorize these before coming?’ I asked him to narrate more Hadith. He then recited forty Hadith and told me to repeat them. I recited them back without a single letter's difference. The Shaykh then said, ‘I have never seen anyone like you.’” [Tahdhib al-Tahdhib, al-Siyar 13/273]

Statement by Hafiz Abu Ya'la:

"Muhammad bin Isa bin Surah is unanimously agreed upon as a trustworthy Hadith scholar and Imam. He is the author of a book on Hadith, and many statements of Jarh (criticism) and Ta'deel (praise) have been narrated from him... He is a renowned Imam known for his integrity, trustworthiness, and knowledge."

Statement by Hafiz Abu Saad Abdur Rahman bin Muhammad Idrisi:

"Among the scholars of Hadith whom others follow in knowledge, Imam Tirmidhi was one of the leading Imams. He authored the books *Jami‘*, *Tarikh*, and *‘Ilal*. His writings reflect the depth of a well-grounded religious scholar. He was renowned for his exceptional memory in Hadith."

Statement by Imam Ibn Hibban:

"He (Imam Tirmidhi) was among the leading Imams of Hadith who collected narrations, authored books on Hadith, memorized Hadith, and engaged in scholarly discussions regarding them." [Al-Thiqat, Tadhkirat al-Huffaz, Nukat al-Himyān by Al-Safadi, Tahdhib al-Kamal]

Statement by Imam Al-Sam‘ani:

"Imam Tirmidhi (may Allah have mercy on him) was, by unanimous agreement, the Imam of his era and an author of scholarly works. He was among the Imams of Hadith who were followed in the field of Hadith sciences."

Statement by Imam Ibn Khallikan:

"Imam Tirmidhi, without dispute, was the Imam of his era and an author of well-known works. He was among the scholars of Hadith whose leadership was followed in the science of Hadith." A similar statement was also made by Imam Ibn Khallikan. [Al-Ansab, Wafayat al-A‘yan]

Testimony by Al-Hakim al-Naysaburi:

Imam Al-Hakim said: I heard ‘Umar ibn ‘Alaq say, “When Imam al-Bukhari passed away, he did not leave behind in Khurasan anyone like Abu ‘Isa al-Tirmidhi in knowledge, memorization, piety, and asceticism. Al-Tirmidhi wept so much out of the fear of Allah that he became blind and remained blind for many years.” [Siyar A‘lam al-Nubala’ 13/273, Tadhkirat al-Huffaz 2/634, Tahdhib al-Tahdhib 9/389]

The Hadith master of Khurasan, Imam Abu Ahmad al-Hakim al-Naysaburi (d. 378 AH), narrated from one of his teachers that when Imam Muhammad ibn Isma'il (al-Bukhari) passed away, he did not leave behind among his students anyone superior to Imam al-Tirmidhi in knowledge, memorization, asceticism, and piety. Al-Tirmidhi would weep so much out of the fear of Allah that he eventually became blind.

Statement by Imam Abu al-Fadl Muhammad ibn Tahir al-Maqdisi:

“Muhammad ibn ‘Isa ibn Sawrah al-Tirmidhi, who was blind, was among those Imams of Hadith who were followed in the field of Hadith. He wrote books on Hadith, history, and the hidden defects (ʿilal) of narrations—works that reflect the depth of a true scholar. He is often cited as an example in the memorization of Hadith.”

Statement by Imam al-Mizzi:

“He was a memorizer of Hadith, the author of Al-Jamiʿ and other books, and among the leading Imams of the world in terms of memorization and reliability. Through him, Allah benefited the Ummah.” [Tahdhib al-Kamal]

Statement by Imam al-Dhahabi:

In *Siyar A‘lam al-Nubala’*, Imam al-Dhahabi refers to Imam al-Tirmidhi as a Hafiz, scholar, Imam, and distinguished authority. He states that Imam al-Tirmidhi is the author of Al-Jami‘ and works on ‘Ilal (hidden defects). In *Tadhkirat al-Huffaz*, he adds that Imam al-Tirmidhi was a Hadith memorizer, the author of Al-Jami‘, unanimously agreed upon as trustworthy. The statement of Ibn Hazm calling him unknown holds no weight. [Tadhkirat al-Huffaz]

Statement by Hafiz Ibn Hajar al-‘Asqalani:

He stated: “He [al-Tirmidhi] was among the leading Imams of the world in terms of memorization and reliability.” [Taqreeb al-Tahdheeb]
In the introduction to *Fath al-Bari*, he writes: “Al-Tirmidhi acquired knowledge from Al-Bukhari and relied on him extensively.” [Hady al-Sari, p. 492]

Statement by Taashkubri Zadah:

He writes: “He [al-Tirmidhi] was a Hadith memorizer and among the eminent Imams. He was also skilled in jurisprudence. He acquired Hadith from a group of Hadith scholars and met with the early prominent shaykhs.” [Miftah al-Sa‘adah]

Criticism and Defense Regarding Imam al-Tirmidhi

Ibn ‘Imad al-Hanbali says: “Imam al-Tirmidhi held a distinct position among his contemporaries. In memorization and precision, he was a sign and example.” [Shadharat al-Dhahab]
Imam al-Tirmidhi is unanimously regarded as a trustworthy hadith scholar, a critic of hadith, and a religious Imam. His compilations are famous and well-known. Despite his widespread reputation and status, Ibn Hazm stated in the book of al-Ittisal under the chapter of inheritance laws that al-Tirmidhi is a majhool (unknown) narrator. The scholars have objected to this statement.

◈ Al-Dhahabi: In Mizan al-I‘tidal, he writes: “Al-Tirmidhi is a hadith memorizer and among the notable scholars. He is the author of al-Jami‘ and is unanimously considered trustworthy. The claim by Ibn Hazm that al-Tirmidhi is unknown is not worth considering. Ibn Hazm neither knew al-Tirmidhi nor was he aware of the existence of Jami‘ al-Tirmidhi and ‘Ilal al-Tirmidhi.” [Mizan al-I‘tidal]

◈ In Siyar A‘lam al-Nubala’, al-Dhahabi, after mentioning the virtues and faults of Ibn Hazm, states: “I love Abu Muhammad Ibn Hazm for his love of authentic hadith and his knowledge of it, even though I do not agree with him due to the numerous errors he made in the science of narrators, hadith defects, and matters of principles and branches. I categorically state his errors in many issues, but I do not declare him a disbeliever nor misguided. I hope for Allah’s pardon and forgiveness for him. I acknowledge and affirm his sharp intellect and vast knowledge. I saw that he quoted someone who said that the greatest and most important book is the Muwatta of Imam Malik. He commented: rather, the greatest books are Sahih al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim, Sahih Ibn al-Sakan, al-Muntaqa of Ibn al-Jarud, and al-Muntaqa of Qasim ibn Asbagh. Then come Sunan Abi Dawood, Sunan al-Nasa’i, the Musannaf of Qasim ibn Asbagh, and the Musannaf of Abu Ja‘far al-Tahawi.”

Al-Dhahabi says: Ibn Hazm did not mention Ibn Majah or Jami‘ al-Tirmidhi, as these two books did not reach al-Andalus until after his death. [Siyar A‘lam al-Nubala’]

◈ Hafiz Ibn Hajar: In Tahdhib al-Tahdhib, he writes: Al-Khalili declared al-Tirmidhi as unanimously trustworthy, but Ibn Hazm admitted his ignorance about this because in the book of inheritance in al-Ittisal, he labeled Muhammad ibn ‘Isa al-Tirmidhi as majhool. No one should say perhaps Ibn Hazm didn’t know him or his memorization and works, for he used similar expressions about many famous trustworthy hadith scholars such as Abu al-Qasim al-Baghawi, Isma‘il ibn Muhammad al-Saffar, and Abu al-‘Abbas al-Asam, etc.

What is surprising is that Hafiz Ibn al-Faradi mentioned al-Tirmidhi in his book al-Mu’talif wa al-Mukhtalif and highlighted his scholarly status—so how did Ibn Hazm miss such information? [Tahdhib al-Tahdhib]

It should be noted that such ignorance regarding renowned scholars is not unique to Ibn Hazm. It is reported that Imam al-Bayhaqi did not possess the books Sunan al-Nasa’i, Jami‘ al-Tirmidhi, and Sunan Ibn Majah. However, he did have al-Mustadrak ‘ala al-Sahihayn of al-Hakim, from which he narrated many hadiths. [Tadhkirat al-Huffaz, Introduction to Tuhfat al-Ahwadhi 1/271]

Prominent Students of Imam Abu Dawood and Narrators of His Works

Many renowned scholars of Hadith had the honor of being students of Imam Abu Dawood. Among the narrators of his book *Sunan* are the following:

• ➊ Abu Amr Ahmad bin Ali bin Hasan al-Basri
• ➋ Abu Ali Muhammad bin Ahmad bin Amr al-Lu'lu'i (d. 333 AH)
• ➌ Abu al-Tayyib Ahmad bin Ibrahim al-Ishnani al-Baghdadi
• ➍ Abu Sa’id Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Sa’id bin Ziyad al-A’rabi (d. 340 AH)
• ➎ Abu Bakr Muhammad bin Abdul Razzaq bin Dasa (d. 346 AH)
• ➏ Abu al-Hasan Ali bin al-Hasan bin al-Abd al-Ansari (d. 328 AH)
• ➐ Abu Isa Ishaq bin Musa bin Sa’id al-Ramli al-Warraq (d. 320 AH)
• ➑ Abu Usamah Muhammad bin Abdul Malik bin Yazid al-Rawwas
• ➒ Abu Salim Muhammad bin Sa’id al-Jaludi

Among the narrators of his other books are:

• ➊ Abu Abdullah Muhammad bin Ahmad al-Basri
• ➋ Abu Bakr Ahmad bin Sulayman al-Najjad
• ➌ Ismail bin Muhammad al-Saffar
• ➍ Abu Ubayd Muhammad bin Ali al-Ajuri

Among other well-known scholars who were also his students are:

• ➊ His son, Abu Bakr
• ➋ Abu Awanah Ya’qub bin Ishaq al-Isfara’ini
• ➌ Harb bin Isma’il al-Kirmani
• ➍ Zakariya al-Saji
• ➎ Abu Bakr Muhammad bin Khallal
• ➏ Ahmad bin Yasin al-Harawi and others

From among the authors of the *Sihah Sittah* (The Six Authentic Books of Hadith):

• ➊ Imam Tirmidhi
• ➋ Imam Nasa’i

Both Imam Tirmidhi and Imam Nasa’i were students of Imam Abu Dawood. His own teacher, Imam Ahmad, also narrated the Hadith of ‘Atirah from him.