It suffices as a honour that no scholar has mentioned al-Haafidh Ibn hajar Al-Asqalaanee except with good.
Al-Haafidh, the like of whom no mother has given birth to. A figure whom there was no Haafidh after. When scholars say ‘al-Haafidh,’ they refer to none but Ibn Hajar al-Asqalaanee. Just as when they say ‘Shaykhul-Islaam,’ they mean Ibn Taymiyyah.
He is Ahmad bn ‘Alee bn Hajar Al-Asqlaanee. He was born 773 Hijrah and died 852 Hijrah.
He was astounding in the quest for knowledge such that he could outdo his mates in no time. Thus it was not far before his teachers gave him the permissions to transmit knowledge due to his versatility and understanding.
He has many works to his credit in various Islamic fields especially in the field of hadith sciences such that his Fat’hul-Baaree remains the best book of commentary on Saheeh Bukhaaree. A book which no student of Islam nor Faqeeh can do without (except those who want to remain ignorant). In fact, muftis and firmly-grounded scholars have seen the book as a masterpiece which no library is complete without it.
Ibn hajar wrote the book between year 817 and 842 after the Hijrah. He was forty-four years old when he began to write it.
Fat’hul-Baaree remains a masterpiece that is unparalleled after the death of Ibn Hajar Al-Asqalaanee. Al-Imaam Ash-Shaukaanee was asked to write his own commentary on Saheeh al-Bukhaaree, he said: ‘There is no migration after the Conquest.’ Thus he likened Fat’hul-Baaree to the Conquest of Makkah. Indeed the book is a conquest in the Islamic learning circles.
Said the author of Tanbeeh ‘Alaa Mukhaalafaat al-‘Aqadiyyah Fee Fat’hil-Baaree p. 15: ‘It is not permissible whether as a matter of show of religiosity or good character for anybody to try to bring down the knowledge status of al-Haafidh Ibn Hajar Al-Asqalaanee nor to reduce his deeds and worth, the man was a Mujtahid who had a vast knowledge and will never be deprived of one of two benefits, by the Mercy of Allâh; his good deeds in the book (Fat’hul-Baaree) outdo and expiate his errors. We love al-Haafidh but the truth and Aqeedah are more beloved to us more than his person; this is the standpoint of al-Walaa Wal-Baraa…’
Suggested Reasons for Ash’aree Leaning of Ibn Hajar and the Fact That They Are Pardonable
Firstly you will never find it in any of the works of Ibn Hajr al-Asqalaanee where he said ‘I am a Ash’aree.’ There is a challenge by one of the contemporary Salafee Mashaayikh, Ash-Shaykh Falaah ismaaeel, that whoever finds it should produce it.
But Ibn Hajar fell into the pardonable errors of Ash’ariyyah due to the following reasons: He lived and grew up in a society where there were too much innovations and customs opposed to the Sharee’ah. His time was a time when the ‘Aqeedah of Ash’ariyyah was on the peak such that whoever opposed it would be in danger.
That he began learning at a very tender age from about 500 teachers many of whom were of Ash’aree leaning. Thus despite his wish to learn the correct ‘Aqeedah, he could not learn it from good teachers. His teachers too had come under the influence of what was in vogue at the time. May Allâh be merciful to all of them.
In spite of the above, al-Haafidh left a legacy for scholars and students of knowledge who came after him especially in the field of hadith and others with which Allâh has made him remembered on earth and which we hope Allâh will use to reward him in the Hereafter [whether the Jabtawis like it or not].
His book, Fat’hul-Baaree became smeared with some errors in ‘Aqeedah due to the fact that he relied greatly on the works of past commenters on Saheeh al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim such as al-Bayhaqee (from his books: al-Asmaa Wa As-Sifaat and Al-Itiqaad), so also al-Khattaabee (from his book, ‘Alaamus-Sunnah Fee Shar’h Saheeh al-Bukhaaree, and Ma’aalimus-Sunnan fee Shar’h Sunan Abee Daawud), Ibn Battaal (Shar’h al-Bukhaaree) as well as people like al-Qaadi Iyaad, al-Qurtubee, an-Nawawee in their respective commentaries on Saheeh Muslim and many other works. The people mentioned are known to have come under some influence of Ash’aree ‘Aqeedah especially in the aspects of their twisting of the Names and Attributes of Allâh. Al-Haafidh relied on those scholars not as a matter of blind-following rather after his own personal effort this is why there are some aspects whereby he refuted some of the Ash’aree positions due to what is clear to him in the proofs.
Thus it can be safely concluded that al-Haafidh did not follow the methodology of the Ash’aairah in his works such as Fat’hul-Baaree rather he was moving between the Aqeedah of the Salaf and that of the Ashaa’irah.
Al-Allaamah Muhammad Jaamee said, while commenting on the return of Abul-Hasan al-Ash’aree to the methodology of the Salaf in his comment on Fa’thul-Majeed that an-Nawawee, Ibn hajar, Ash-Shaukaaanee are from the scholars of Ahlus-Sunnah; they fell into errors but were never innovators nor Ash’arees.
He said: ‘Abul-Hasan {al-Ash’aree} returned to the manhaj of the Salaf but this never meant that some dirt never remained in his creed because he spent a great deal of time in scholastic theology; but the errors that came from him after were such that we hope would be washed away with his correct Salafee Aqeedah …this is often found with many Imaams such as Ibn Hajar al-Asqalaanee, al-Imaam an-Nawawee, and al-Imaam Ash-Shaukaanee as regard their falling into some mistakes with respect to the Names and Attributes of Allâh so also their twisting of the meanings of some Attributes (of Allâh); all these do not make them people of innovations neither can they be called Ash’arees. They are among the Imaams of Ahlus-Sunnah Wal’Jama’ah who fell into some errors.’
