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When was Bidaya wa Nihaya created?
Bidaya wa Nihaya was created in 1960.
What movie and television projects has Amal Zayed been in?
Amal Zayed has: Performed in "El-muttahama" in 1942. Performed in "Taqiyyat al ikhfa" in 1944. Performed in "Bidaya wa nihaya" in 1961. Played Amina in "Bayn el kasrain" in 1964. Played Mother in "Kasr El Shawk" in 1967. Played Mother in "Afrit merati" in 1968. Performed in "Shey min el khouf" in 1969.
What movie and television projects has Sanaa Gamil been in?
Sanaa Gamil has: Performed in "Abid el mal" in 1953. Performed in "Bidaya wa nihaya" in 1961. Performed in "Fagr Yom gedid" in 1964. Played Hafiza in "Al-zawja al-thaniya" in 1967. Played Adeela in "The Back Streets" in 1974. Played Om Naima in "Hekmatak ya rab" in 1976. Performed in "La dame du Caire" in 1992. Played Latifa Hanem in "Sawwaq el hanem" in 1993. Performed in "Edhak el soura tetlaa helwa" in 1998.
What movie and television projects has Abdel Khalek Saleh been in?
Abdel Khalek Saleh has: Performed in "Bidaya wa nihaya" in 1961. Performed in "El naddara el sawdaa" in 1963. Played Assistant Minister in "Cairo" in 1963. Performed in "El motamarreda" in 1963. Played Priest in "Il figlio di Cleopatra" in 1964. Performed in "El laila el akhira" in 1964. Performed in "Elf laila wa laila" in 1964. Performed in "Iterafat zoj" in 1965. Played Yassir in "Endama nouheb" in 1967. Performed in "Al saat al rahiba" in 1970. Performed in "Al sa at al akhira" in 1970.
What movie and television projects has Salah Mansour been in?
Salah Mansour has: Performed in "Gharam wa intiqam" in 1944. Performed in "Saa la kalbak" in 1952. Performed in "Gharimet hub" in 1959. Performed in "Mala zekrayat" in 1961. Performed in "Bidaya wa nihaya" in 1961. Performed in "El less wal kilab" in 1962. Performed in "Lan aataref" in 1962. Played Doctor in "Cairo" in 1963. Performed in "Ana el hareb" in 1963. Performed in "Egihteraf, -al" in 1965. Performed in "Thawrat al Yaman" in 1966. Performed in "Tifahet Adam" in 1966. Performed in "El iteraf" in 1966. Performed in "Hareb min el ayyam" in 1966. Played Edaba Bey in "El eib" in 1967. Played Mayor in "Al-zawja al-thaniya" in 1967. Played Ibrahim in "Thalass kassas" in 1968. Performed in "Ayyam el-hob" in 1968. Played Monged in "Al-qadia 68" in 1968. Played Aboul Dahab in "Merati magnouna... magnouna..." in 1968. Played Salama in "Al-boustaguy" in 1968. Played Sheikh Bedeir in "Kandil om Hashem" in 1968. Played Hosny in "Abwab El-Lail" in 1969.
What movie and television projects has Amina Rizk been in?
Amina Rizk has: Played Suad, the gipsy in "Suad al ghagharia" in 1928. Performed in "Awlad el zawat" in 1932. Performed in "Al defaa" in 1935. Performed in "El magid el khalid" in 1937. Performed in "Saet el tanfiz" in 1938. Performed in "Kaiss wa leila" in 1939. Performed in "El doctor" in 1940. Performed in "Kalb el murra" in 1940. Performed in "Rajul bayn murratain" in 1941. Performed in "Awlad al fouqara" in 1942. Performed in "Assifa alal rif" in 1942. Played Cleopatra in "Cleobatra" in 1943. Performed in "Taqiyyat al ikhfa" in 1944. Performed in "Man al gani" in 1944. Performed in "El boassa" in 1944. Performed in "Al umm" in 1946. Performed in "Yad Allah" in 1946. Performed in "Dahaya el madania" in 1946. Performed in "Malika fi gehennam" in 1947. Performed in "Samaret el garima" in 1947. Performed in "Salwa" in 1947. Performed in "Ankam el Arab" in 1947. Performed in "Aishat fi zalam" in 1948. Performed in "Hareb min el sijn" in 1948. Played Mother in "Kul beit illa rajul" in 1949. Performed in "El saada el muharrama" in 1952. Played Actress in "Amwal el yatama" in 1953. Performed in "Hub fil zalam" in 1953. Performed in "Port Said" in 1957. Performed in "Hub wa idam" in 1957. Performed in "Doa al karawan" in 1959. Performed in "Kulub el azara" in 1959. Performed in "Aaz el habaieb" in 1961. Performed in "Bidaya wa nihaya" in 1961. Performed in "Dema alal Nil" in 1961. Performed in "El haked" in 1962. Performed in "El telmiza" in 1962. Performed in "El rajul el taalab" in 1962. Performed in "El shoumou el sawdaa" in 1962. Played The Aunt in "Ressalah min emraa maghoula" in 1963. Performed in "Shayatin el lail" in 1965. Performed in "El wadia" in 1966. Played Mother in "Kandil om Hashem" in 1968. Performed in "Bamba kasher" in 1974. Played Actress in "Orid hallan" in 1975. Played Mother in "Omahat fi al manfa" in 1981. Performed in "Al-saqqa mat" in 1981. Played Tafeeda in "Al-ins wal jinn" in 1985. Performed in "Seraa al ahfad" in 1989. Played Baraka in "Al-mouled" in 1989. Played Mother in "Ard el ahlam" in 1993. Performed in "Fi el eshk w elsafar" in 1994. Played Old Woman in "Nasser 56" in 1996. Played (2000) in "Opera Ayda" in 2000.
What movie and television projects has Farid Shawqi been in?
Farid Shawqi has: Performed in "Malak al rahma" in 1946. Performed in "Al-sittat afarit" in 1947. Performed in "Talak Suad hanem" in 1948. Performed in "Mughamarat Antar wa Abla" in 1948. Performed in "El laab bil nar" in 1948. Performed in "Rajulun la yanam" in 1949. Performed in "El katel" in 1949. Played Cabaret Guest in "Ghazal al-banat" in 1949. Performed in "El nasseh" in 1949. Performed in "Hokm al kawi" in 1950. Performed in "Felfel" in 1950. Performed in "Lo sparviero del Nilo" in 1950. Played Ibrahim in "El sakr" in 1950. Performed in "Bayumi effendi" in 1950. Performed in "Sitt al hosn" in 1950. Performed in "El akl zina" in 1950. Played Rushdi in "Baba Amin" in 1950. Performed in "Intekam el habib" in 1951. Performed in "Amir el antikam" in 1951. Played Sherif in "Taa la salim" in 1951. Performed in "Habibi katir" in 1951. Performed in "Ana al maadi" in 1951. Performed in "Widaan ya gharami" in 1951. Performed in "Shebbak habibi" in 1951. Performed in "El zuhur el fatina" in 1952. Performed in "Asrar el naas" in 1952. Performed in "Intisar el Islam" in 1952. Performed in "El osta Hassan" in 1952. Performed in "Cass el azab" in 1952. Performed in "Abid el mal" in 1953. Performed in "Lisanak husanak" in 1953. Performed in "Ibn al ajar" in 1953. Performed in "Tarik el saada" in 1953. Performed in "Ghaltet ab" in 1953. Performed in "Hamido" in 1953. Performed in "Zalamtu ruhi" in 1953. Performed in "Maktub alal guebin" in 1953. Performed in "Zalamuni el habaieb" in 1953. Performed in "Hub fil zalam" in 1953. Performed in "Raya wa Sekina" in 1953. Performed in "Al-faris al-aswas" in 1954. Played Actor in "Siraa Fil-Wadi" in 1954. Performed in "Afritet Ismail Yassine" in 1954. Performed in "Khatafa mirati" in 1954. Performed in "Ibn el harra" in 1954. Performed in "Nachala hanem" in 1954. Performed in "Beyt al Taa" in 1954. Performed in "El zulum haram" in 1954. Performed in "Tager al fadayeh" in 1954. Performed in "Abu Dahab" in 1954. Performed in "Lamin hawak" in 1954. Performed in "El mohtal" in 1954. Performed in "El murra kulshi" in 1954. Performed in "Baad al wedah" in 1954. Performed in "Aziza" in 1955. Performed in "Fatawat el Husseinia" in 1955. Performed in "Gaaluni mujriman" in 1955. Performed in "El namrud" in 1956. Performed in "Rasif rakam khamsa" in 1956. Performed in "Ard el ahlam" in 1957. Performed in "El fatawa" in 1957. Performed in "Port Said" in 1957. Performed in "Toggar el mawt" in 1958. Performed in "Bab el hadid" in 1958. Performed in "Mugarem fi ijaza" in 1958. Played Hamza Bahlawan in "Saher el nessaa" in 1958. Performed in "Sawak nus el lail" in 1958. Performed in "Abu Hadid" in 1959. Performed in "El akh el kabir" in 1959. Played Abu Ahmad in "Abu Ahmad" in 1960. Performed in "El imlak" in 1960. Performed in "Souk el selah" in 1960. Played Baltay in "Wa Islamah" in 1961. Performed in "Jaoz marti" in 1961. Performed in "Dema alal Nil" in 1961. Performed in "El nassab" in 1961. Played Antar Bin Chaddad in "Antar bin chaddad" in 1961. Performed in "Bidaya wa nihaya" in 1961. Performed in "Abid el gassad" in 1962. Performed in "El haked" in 1962. Performed in "El rajul el taalab" in 1962. Performed in "Rabea el adawaya" in 1963. Performed in "Rajul fil zalam" in 1963. Performed in "Ana el hareb" in 1963. Performed in "Al massiada" in 1963. Performed in "Tarik al shaitan" in 1963. Performed in "El nashal" in 1963. Performed in "Batal lil nehaya" in 1963. Performed in "Elf laila wa laila" in 1964. Played himself in "Ana wa hua wa hia" in 1964. Performed in "Amir el dahaa" in 1964. Performed in "Fatat el mina" in 1964. Performed in "Matloub zawja fawran" in 1964. Performed in "El mared" in 1964. Performed in "El mughammara el kabira" in 1964. Performed in "Sahib el galala" in 1964. Performed in "Shayatin el lail" in 1965. Performed in "El mudir el fanni" in 1965. Performed in "Tarid el firdaos" in 1965. Performed in "El jassus" in 1965. Performed in "Kunuz el muchajeb" in 1966. Performed in "Hareb min el ayyam" in 1966. Performed in "El zoj el azeb" in 1966. Played Medhat in "Gharamiate magnoun" in 1967. Played Magdy in "El aris el thani" in 1967. Played Sherif Bay in "Aguazet seif" in 1967. Played Farid in "Ebn el-hetta" in 1968. Performed in "Cemile" in 1968. Performed in "Vahsi bir erkek sevdim" in 1968. Played Ibrahim in "Ana al-doctor" in 1968. Performed in "Al-shaitan" in 1969. Played Abbas in "Eyvah" in 1970. Played Osman in "Makber" in 1971. Performed in "Wakr al-ashrar" in 1972. Performed in "Al-khatafin" in 1972. Played Hassan Abu Ali in "Rihlat el saada" in 1972. Performed in "Tariq al-intiqam" in 1972. Played Diab in "Al karnak" in 1975. Played Shawqi, Farid in "Afwah wa araneb" in 1977. Played Mahmoud Abddl Magid in "Ota ala nar" in 1977. Played Fouad in "Ankethou Hathehi Al-Aela" in 1979. Played Ahmed in "Ragol Fakad Aklah" in 1980. Performed in "Oyun la tanam" in 1981. Performed in "Taer ala el tariq" in 1981. Performed in "Al shaytan yaez" in 1981. Performed in "Al-saqqa mat" in 1981. Performed in "Qahwet al mawardy" in 1982. Played Fahmy El-Kashef in "Al-ghoul" in 1983. Played Mohamed El-Asyouty in "Ya Rab Walad" in 1984. Played Ahmad Attallah in "Qadeyat Am Ahmad" in 1985. Played Ragab in "Ragab al wahsh" in 1985. Performed in "Ashmawi" in 1987. Performed in "Imraa Motalaka" in 1988. Performed in "Al khadem" in 1990. Performed in "Emraa Ayla lelsokot" in 1992.
What movie and television projects has Omar Sharif been in?
Omar Sharif has: Played Ahmed in "Siraa Fil-Wadi" in 1954. Performed in "Shaytan al-Sahra" in 1954. Played Ahmed in "Ayyamine el helwa" in 1955. Played Ragab in "Siraa Fil-Mina" in 1956. Played Ahmed in "Ard el salam" in 1957. Performed in "Shatie el asrar" in 1958. Played Aziz in "La anam" in 1958. Played Goha in "Goha" in 1958. Performed in "Ghaltet habibi" in 1958. Performed in "Maweed maa maghoul" in 1959. Played Muhassab in "Seraa fil Nil" in 1959. Performed in "Fadiha fil Zamalek" in 1959. Performed in "Min ajal emraa" in 1959. Played Adel in "Sayedat el kasr" in 1959. Performed in "Lawet el hub" in 1960. Performed in "Gharam el assiad" in 1961. Played Ibrahim in "Fi baitina rajul" in 1961. Performed in "Hubbi el wahid" in 1961. Performed in "Ishayat hub" in 1961. Played Khalid in "Nahr el hub" in 1961. Performed in "Bidaya wa nihaya" in 1961. Played Sherif Ali in "Lawrence of Arabia" in 1962. Played himself in "Girl Talk" in 1962. Played himself in "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" in 1962. Played Himself - Nominee: Best Actor in a Supporting Role in "The 35th Annual Academy Awards" in 1963. Played himself in "Cinema" in 1964. Played himself in "Die Drehscheibe" in 1964. Played Sohamus in "The Fall of the Roman Empire" in 1964. Played Francisco in "Behold a Pale Horse" in 1964. Played Davich in "The Yellow Rolls-Royce" in 1964. Performed in "El mamalik" in 1965. Played himself in "Pasternak" in 1965. Played Temujin-Genghis Khan in "Genghis Khan" in 1965. Played himself in "Moscow in Madrid" in 1965. Played Yuri in "Doctor Zhivago" in 1965. Played Davich in "The Car That Became a Star" in 1965. Played himself in "Zhivago: Behind the Camera with David Lean" in 1966. Played Dr. Rad in "Poppies Are Also Flowers" in 1966. Played himself in "The Joey Bishop Show" in 1967. Performed in "Lionpower from MGM" in 1967. Played himself in "The Phil Donahue Show" in 1967. Played Major Grau in "The Night of the Generals" in 1967. Played Himself - Co-Presenter: Best Cinematography in "The 39th Annual Academy Awards" in 1967. Played Archduke Rudolf in "Mayerling" in 1968. Played Nick Arnstein in "Funny Girl" in 1968. Played himself in "Sophia: A Self-Portrait" in 1968. Played himself in "Vienna: The Years Remembered" in 1968. Played himself in "This Is Your Life" in 1969. Played Federico Fendi in "The Appointment" in 1969. Played himself in "The David Frost Show" in 1969. Played himself in "Della" in 1969. Played Un turfiste in "Trois hommes sur un cheval" in 1969. Performed in "The Festival Game" in 1970. Played himself in "V.I.P.-Schaukel" in 1971. Played himself in "Show Petula Clark" in 1971. Played Uraz in "The Horsemen" in 1971. Played Abel Zacharia in "Le casse" in 1971. Played Vogel in "The Last Valley" in 1971. Played Captain Nemo in "La isla misteriosa" in 1973. Played Feodor Sverdlov in "The Tamarind Seed" in 1974. Played himself in "Glen Campbell: The Campbells Are Coming" in 1974. Played Captain Alex Brunel in "Juggernaut" in 1974. Played Nicky Arnstein in "Funny Lady" in 1975. Played Nick Arnstein in "Funny Girl to Funny Lady" in 1975. Played himself in "Good Morning America" in 1975. Played Andre Ferren in "Ace Up My Sleeve" in 1976. Played himself in "Saturday Night at the Mill" in 1976. Played Host in "Mysteries of the Great Pyramid" in 1977. Played himself in "Over Easy" in 1977. Played himself in "The Jim Nabors Show" in 1978. Played Prince Hassan in "Ashanti" in 1979. Played Ivo Palazzi in "Bloodline" in 1979. Played Louie Lefevre in "Pleasure Palace" in 1980. Played The Deacon in "The Baltimore Bullet" in 1980. Played Bart in "Oh Heavenly Dog" in 1980. Played Indian Brigadier in "Inchon" in 1981. Played Meno Argenti in "Green Ice" in 1981. Performed in "Ayoub" in 1983. Played Alex Joski in "La Martingale" in 1983. Played Koda Dad in "The Far Pavilions" in 1984. Played himself in "Gran premio internazionale della TV" in 1984. Played McCorquodale in "Edge of the Wind" in 1985. Performed in "Vicious Circle" in 1985. Played Sultan Hassan in "Harem" in 1986. Performed in "The Mind of David Berglas" in 1986. Played Czar Nicholas II in "Anastasia: The Mystery of Anna" in 1986. Played Prince Feodor Romodanovsky in "Peter the Great" in 1986. Played himself in "Universum" in 1987. Played Rashid Saud in "Grand Larceny" in 1987. Played himself in "Le divan" in 1987. Played Alex in "Les pyramides bleues" in 1988. Played Jonathan in "Keys to Freedom" in 1988. Played Himself - Host in "Mysteries of the Pyramids" in 1988. Performed in "Quattro piccole donne" in 1989. Played Mohamed Gad El Kareem in "Al-aragoz" in 1989. Played himself in "The Pat Sajak Show" in 1989. Played himself in "The American Film Institute Salute to David Lean" in 1990. Played Dima in "The Rainbow Thief" in 1990. Played Arab chief in Cairo in "Mountains of the Moon" in 1990. Played Hagop in "Mayrig" in 1991. Played Emir Beni-Zair in "Il principe del deserto" in 1991. Played himself in "Jonathan Ross Presents for One Week Only: Alejandro Jodorowsky" in 1991. Performed in "Al-moaten Masry" in 1991. Played Constantin Demiris in "Memories of Midnight" in 1991. Played himself in "Querida Concha" in 1992. Played himself in "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" in 1992. Played Emir Beni-Zair in "Beyond Justice" in 1992. Played Tsai Mang Hua in "Tengoku no Taizai" in 1992. Played Hagop in "588 rue paradis" in 1992. Played himself in "Encantada de la vida" in 1993. Played Hagop in "Mayrig" in 1993. Played himself in "Bridge Deluxe with Omar Sharif" in 1993. Performed in "Dehk, we leab we gad we hob" in 1993. Played Safar Khan in "Lie Down with Lions" in 1994. Played himself in "Vaya nochecita" in 1995. Played Narrator in "Umm Kulthum" in 1996. Played himself in "Lebanon... Imprisoned Splendour" in 1996. Played himself in "Magacine" in 1996. Played himself in "Especial humor: Vaya... y vuelta" in 1996. Played Razumovsky in "Catherine the Great" in 1996. Played Khalil Gibran in "Heaven Before I Die" in 1997. Played himself in "Tout le monde en parle" in 1998. Played Grandfather in "Mysteries of Egypt" in 1998. Played Melchisidek in "The 13th Warrior" in 1999. Performed in "Return of the Thief of Baghdad" in 1999. Performed in "Going Public" in 2000. Played himself in "Legends" in 2000. Played The King in "Shaka Zulu: The Citadel" in 2001. Played himself in "Friday Night with Jonathan Ross" in 2001. Played Victor in "The Parole Officer" in 2001. Played himself in "The 100 Greatest Films" in 2001. Performed in "Censor" in 2001. Played himself in "Double je" in 2002. Played Nakht in "Pyramid" in 2002. Played Taxi driver in "Petits mythes urbains" in 2003. Played The Taxi Driver in "Petits mythes urbains" in 2003. Played Himself - Interviewee in "75 Years of the Academy Awards: An Unofficial History" in 2003. Played Monsieur Ibrahim Deneji in "Monsieur Ibrahim et les fleurs du Coran" in 2003. Played himself in "The 100 Greatest Musicals" in 2003. Played himself in "Imagine" in 2003. Played himself in "Hollywood Legenden" in 2004. Played himself in "Tavis Smiley" in 2004. Played Sheikh Riyadh in "Hidalgo" in 2004. Played Narrator in "The Search for Eternal Egypt" in 2005. Played Yuri in "20 to 1" in 2005. Played San Pietro in "San Pietro" in 2005. Played Sargon in "Gilgamesh" in 2005. Played Prince Memucan in "One Night with the King" in 2006. Played Jethro in "The Ten Commandments" in 2006. Played Principe Nicola in "Fuoco su di me" in 2006. Played himself in "Sfuoco su di me" in 2006. Played Hans Canon in "Kronprinz Rudolf" in 2006. Played Prince Feodor Romodanovsky in "La tele de tu vida" in 2007. Played himself in "British Film Forever" in 2007. Played himself in "Greatest Ever Romantic Movies" in 2007. Played himself in "Bandes originales: Maurice Jarre" in 2007. Played Raouf in "Hanan Wa Haneen" in 2007. Played Narrator in "10,000 BC" in 2008. Played Himself - Interviewee in "A Night at the Movies: The Gigantic World of Epics" in 2009. Played Konstantine in "The Last Templar" in 2009. Performed in "Al Mosafer" in 2009. Played himself in "Chasing Mummies" in 2010. Played himself in "A la recherche des Mangeurs de Morts" in 2011. Played Moulay Hassan in "Rock the Casbah" in 2013. Played Abbot Lucan in "Victrix" in 2015.
Who is Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn hanbal abu abd Allah al-dhuhli al-shaybani al-marwazi al-baghdadi explain in brief?
Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Hanbal, Abu `Abd Allah al-Dhuhli al-Shaybani al-Marwazi al-BaghdadiAhmad ibn Muhammad ibn Hanbal, Abu `Abd Allah al-Dhuhli al-Shaybani al-Marwazi al-Baghdadi (d. 241). Al-Dhahabi says of him: "The true Shaykh of Islam and leader of the Muslims in his time, the hadith master and proof of the Religion. He took hadith from Hushaym, Ibrahim ibn Sa`d, Sufyan ibn `Uyayna, `Abbad ibn `Abbad, Yahya ibn Abi Za'Ida, and their layer. From him narrated al-Bukhari [two hadiths in the Sahih], Muslim [22], Abu Dawud [254], Abu Zur`a, Mutayyan, `Abd Allah ibn Ahmad, Abu al-Qasim al-Baghawi, and a huge array of scholars. His father was a soldier û one of those who called to Islam û and he died young." Al-Dhahabi continues:`Abd Allah ibn Ahmad said: "I heard Abu Zur`a [al-Razi] say: 'Your father had memorized a million hadiths, which I rehearsed with him according to topic.'"Hanbal said: "I heard Abu `Abd Allah say: 'I memorized everything which I heard from Hushaym when he was alive.'"Ibrahim al-Harbi said: "I held Ahmad as one for whom Allah had gathered up the combined knowledge of the first and the last."Harmala said: "I heard al-Shafi`i say: 'I left Baghdad and did not leave behind me anyone more virtuous (afdal), more learned (a`lam), more knowledgeable (afqah) than Ahmad ibn Hanbal.'"`Ali ibn al-Madini said: "Truly, Allah reinforced this Religion with Abu Bakr al-Siddiq the day of the Great Apostasy (al-Ridda), and He reinforced it with Ahmad ibn Hanbal the day of the Inquisition (al-Mihna)."Abu `Ubayd said: "The Science at its peak is in the custody of four men, of whom Ahmad ibn Hanbal is the most knowledgeable."Ibn Ma`in said, as related by `Abbas [al-Duri]: "They meant for me to be like Ahmad, but û by Allah! û I shall never in my life compare to him."Muhammad ibn Hammad al-Taharani said: "I heard Abu Thawr say: 'Ahmad is more learned û or knowledgeable û than al-Thawri.'"Al-Dhahabi concludes: "Al-Bayhaqi wrote Abu `Abd Allah's biography (sîra) in one volume, so did Ibn al-Jawzi, and also Shaykh al-Islam [`Abd Allah al-Harawi] al-Ansari in a brief volume. He passed on to Allah's good pleasure on the day of Jum`a, the twelfth of Rabi` al-Awwal in the year 241, at the age of seventy-seven. I have two of his short-chained narrations (`awâlîh), and a licence (ijâza) for the entire Musnad." Al-Dhahabi's chapter on Imam Ahmad in Siyar A`lam al-Nubala' counts no less than 113 pages.One of the misunderstandings prevalent among the "Salafis" who misrepresent Imam Ahmad's school today is his position regarding kalâm or dialectic theology. It is known that he was uncompromisingly opposed to kalâm as a method, even if used as a means to defend the truth, preferring to stick to the plain narration of textual proofs and abandoning all recourse to dialectical or rational ones. Ibn al-Jawzi relates his saying: "Do not sit with the people of kalâm, even if they defend the Sunna." This attitude is at the root of his disavowal of al-Muhasibi. It also explains the disaffection of later Hanbalis towards Imam al-Ash`ari and his school, despite his subsequent standing as the Imam of Sunni Muslims par excellence. The reasons for this rift are now obsolete although the rift has amplified beyond all recognizable shape, as it is evident, in retrospect, that opposition to Ash`aris, for various reasons, came out of a major misunderstanding of their actual contributions within the Community, whether as individuals or as a whole.There are several general reasons why the Hanbali-mutakallim rift should be considered artificial and obsolete. First, kalâm in its original form was an innovation in Islam (bid`a) against which there was unanimous opposition among Ahl al-Sunna. The first to use kalâm were true innovators opposed to the Sunna, and in the language of the early scholars kalâm was synonymous with the doctrines of the Qadariyya, Murji'a, Jahmiyya, Jabriyya, Rawâfid, and Mu`tazila and their multifarious sub-sects. This is shown by the examples Ibn Qutayba gives of kalâm and mutakallimûn in his book Mukhtalif al-Hadith, none of which belongs to Ahl al-Sunna. Similarly the adherents of kalâm brought up in the speech of al-Hasan al-Basri, Ibn al-Mubarak, Ibn Rahuyah, Imam al-Shafi`i and the rest of the pre-Hanbali scholars of hadith are the innovators of the above-mentioned sects, not those who later opposed them using the same methods of reasoning. The latter cannot be put in the same category. Therefore the early blames of kalâm cannot be applied to them in the same breath with the innovators.Second, there is difference of opinion among the Salaf on the possible use of kalâm to defend the Sunna, notwithstanding Imam Ahmad's position quoted above. One reason why they disallowed it is wara`: because of extreme scrupulousness against learning and practicing a discipline initiated by the enemies of the Sunna. Thus they considered kalâm reprehensible but not forbidden, as is clear from their statements. For example, Ibn Abi Hatim narrated that al-Shafi`i said: "If I wanted to publish books refuting every single opponent [of the Sunna] I could easily do so, but kalâm is not for me, and I dislike that anything of it be attributed to me." This shows that al-Shafi`i left the door open for others to enter a field which he abstained from entering out of strict Godwariness.Third, kalâm is a difficult, delicate science which demands a mind above the norm. The imams forbade it as a sadd al-dharî`a or pre-empting measure. They rightly foresaw that unless one possessed an adequate capacity to practice it, one was courting disaster. This was the case with Ahmad's student Abu Talib, and other early Hanbalis who misinterpreted Ahmad's doctrinal positions as Bukhari himself stated. Bukhari, Ahmad, and others of the Salaf thus experienced first hand that one who played with kalâm could easily lapse into heresy, innovation, or disbelief. This was made abundantly clear in Imam Malik's answer to the man who asked how Allah established Himself over the Throne: "The establishment is known, the 'how' is inconceivable, and to ask about it is an innovation!" Malik's answer is the essence of kalâm at the same time as it warns against the misuse of kalâm, as observed by the late Dr. Abu al-Wafa' al-Taftazani. Malik's reasoning is echoed by al-Shafi`i's advice to his student al-Muzani: "Take proofs from creation in order to know about the Creator, and do not burden yourself with the knowledge of what your mind did not reach." Similarly, Ibn Khuzayma and Ibn Abi Hatim admitted their technical ignorance of the science of kalâm, at the same time acknowledging its possible good use by qualified experts. As for Ibn Qutayba, he regretted his kalâm days and preferred to steer completely clear of it.In conclusion, any careful reader of Islamic intellectual history can see that if the Ash`ari scholars of kalâm had not engaged and defeated the various theological and philosophical sects on their own terrain, the silence of Ahl al-Sunnamight well have sealed their defeat at the hands of their opponents. This was indicated by Taj al-Din al-Subki who spoke of the obligatoriness of kalâm in certain specific circumstances, as opposed to its superfluousness in other times. "The use of kalâm in case of necessity is a legal obligation (wajib), and to keep silence about kalâm in case other than necessity is a sunna."The biographical notice on Imam Ahmad in the Reliance of the Traveller reads: "Out of piety, Imam Ahmad never gave a formal legal opinion (fatwa) while Shafi`i was in Iraq, and when he later formulated his school of jurisprudence, he mainly drew on explicit texts from the [Qur'an], hadith, and scholarly consensus, with relatively little expansion from analogical reasoning (qiyâs). He was probably the most learned in the sciences of hadith of the four great Imams of Sacred Law, and his students included many of the foremost scholars of hadith. Abu Dawud said of him: 'Ahmad's gatherings were gatherings of the afterlife: nothing of this world was mentioned. Never once did I hear him mention this-worldly things.' ... He never once missed praying in the night, and used to recite the entire [Qur'an] daily. He said, 'I saw the Lord of Power in my sleep, and said, "O Lord, what is the best act through which those near to You draw nearer?" and He answered, "Through [reciting] (sic) My word, O Ahmad." I asked, "With understanding, or without?" and He answered, "With understanding and without."'. . . Ahmad was imprisoned and tortured for twenty-eight months under the Abbasid caliph al-Mu`tasim in an effort to force him to publicly espouse the [Mu`tazila] position that the Holy [Qur'an] was created, but the Imam bore up unflinchingly under the persecution and refused to renounce the belief of Ahl al-Sunna that the [Qur'an] is the uncreated word of Allah, after which Allah delivered and vindicated him. 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