نماذج من رسائل الأئمة السلف وأدبهم العلمي-البشائر

Namadhij min Rasa'il al-A'immah al-Salaf wa Adabihim al-Ilmi

A concise and valuable collection presenting three letters exchanged by leading Mujtahid Imams of the second Islamic century, illustrating both their approaches to important theological and juristic questions and the exemplary scholarly etiquette with which they conducted disagreement.

The first is Imam Abu Hanifah’s letter to the Basran jurist ʿUthman ibn Muslim al-Batti, written in response to al-Batti’s enquiry concerning Abu Hanifah’s position on iman (faith) and the allegation that he held the doctrine of irjaʾ. Abu Hanifah carefully explains his understanding of the issue and explicitly rejects the charge of being a Murjiʾi.

The remaining two letters comprise a notable exchange between Imam Malik ibn Anas and Imam al-Layth ibn Saʿd. Imam Malik writes to al-Layth emphasizing the special scholarly standing of Madinah and the importance of adhering to the inherited practice of its scholars. Al-Layth responds by explaining why he differed from the scholars of Madinah on certain legal questions and cites examples of their rulings which he considered open to objection in light of other evidence.

Together, these letters offer a fascinating window into second-century Islamic scholarship, encompassing questions of creed, jurisprudence, legal evidence and the authority of Madinan practice. More importantly, they provide practical models of adab al-ikhtilāf: scholars presenting evidence, responding to criticism and defending their conclusions with clarity while maintaining mutual respect, affection and brotherhood.