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AlGhazalisIhya-Book_of_knowledge, page : 74
five times?
This is but a small part of the lives of these three Imams. As to Ahmad ibn
Hanbal and Sufyan al Thawri, their followers are not as many as those of the
three other Imams, and of the two, the followers of Sufyan are the less
numerous. Nevertheles, of the five, Ahmad and Sufyan were the best known for
piety and ascetism. Since this book is, however, full of the account of their work
and words, there is no need to take up their lives in detail at this moment. For the
present, examine the lives of these three Imams and ask yourself whether these
states, words, and works, through, which they forsook the world and devoted
themselves to Allah, were merely the result of the knowledge of the several
branches of jurisprudence, such as contracts of the type of salam, hire, rental
and lease; and the different forms of divorce, namely, zihar, ila and li‟an; or the
result of a higher and nobler knowledge. Scrutinize, too, those who claim to be
following the example of these Imams and find out for yourself whether their
claim is true or false.
This is but a small part of the lives of these three Imams. As to Ahmad ibn
Hanbal and Sufyan al Thawri, their followers are not as many as those of the
three other Imams, and of the two, the followers of Sufyan are the less
numerous. Nevertheles, of the five, Ahmad and Sufyan were the best known for
piety and ascetism. Since this book is, however, full of the account of their work
and words, there is no need to take up their lives in detail at this moment. For the
present, examine the lives of these three Imams and ask yourself whether these
states, words, and works, through, which they forsook the world and devoted
themselves to Allah, were merely the result of the knowledge of the several
branches of jurisprudence, such as contracts of the type of salam, hire, rental
and lease; and the different forms of divorce, namely, zihar, ila and li‟an; or the
result of a higher and nobler knowledge. Scrutinize, too, those who claim to be
following the example of these Imams and find out for yourself whether their
claim is true or false.