Imām al-Tirmidhī

Abū ʿĪsā Muḥammad ibn ʿĪsā al-Tirmidhī [ أبو عيسى محمد بن عيسى الترمذي]

Early Life and Background

Imām al-Tirmidhī, whose full name was Abū ʿĪsā Muḥammad ibn ʿĪsā ibn Sawrah ibn Mūsā ibn al-Ḍaḥḥāk al-Sulamī al-Tirmidhī [ar: أبو عيسى محمد بن عيسى بن سورة بن موسى بن الضحاك السلمي الترمذي], was born in 209 AH (≈ 824 CE) in the city of Tirmidh (modern-day Termiz, Uzbekistan), situated on the banks of the Amu Darya River in Transoxiana (Khurasān).^1

He belonged to the Arab tribe of Sulaym, which had settled in that region following the Muslim conquests. His lineage was known for piety and learning.^2 Very little is known about his immediate family, but historical sources describe his upbringing as one steeped in devotion, Qurʾānic recitation, and pursuit of knowledge.^3

As a child, al-Tirmidhī grew up in a period when Khurasān was a flourishing intellectual hub, hosting circles of hadith scholars, jurists, linguists, and theologians. The city of Nishapur and nearby Bukhara were already producing figures such as Imām al-Bukhārī and Imām Muslim, who would become his senior contemporaries.^4

Youth and Early Studies

From a young age, al-Tirmidhī showed an exceptional memory and deep passion for ḥadīth. He began his studies in Tirmidh, later traveling across Khurasān, Transoxiana, and eventually to the major centers of learning in the Islamic world—Iraq, the Hijaz, and Syria—to collect and verify narrations.^5

Among his most important teachers were:

Imām al-Bukhārī, with whom he studied extensively and from whom he inherited both method and inspiration;^6
Imām Muslim ibn al-Ḥajjāj;^7
Qutaybah ibn Saʿīd, Isḥāq ibn Mūsā al-Anṣārī, Maḥmūd ibn Ghīlān, ʿAlī ibn Ḥujr [arabic: قتيبة بن سعيد، إسحاق بن موسى الأنصاري، محمود بن غيلان، علي بن حجر], and others;^8
And several hadith transmitters of the Basran and Kufan schools.^9

He was thus a direct disciple of the generation immediately following the great masters of hadith criticism, combining precision of narration (ḍabṭ - ضبط) with deep analytical skill (fiqh al-ḥadīth - فقه الحديث).

Adult Years: Scholarly Work and Method

Methodology and Contributions

Imām al-Tirmidhī’s most important contribution lies in his synthesis of ḥadīth transmission and jurisprudential analysis. Unlike al-Bukhārī and Muslim, who focused primarily on authentic narrations (ṣaḥīḥ), al-Tirmidhī classified hadiths according to their degrees of reliability—ṣaḥīḥ[صحيح], ḥasan[حسن], ḍaʿīf[ضعيف]—and provided scholarly commentary on their legal implications.^10

He was among the first to systematically define the category of “ḥadīth ḥasan - حديث حسن”, a term that would later become a cornerstone of hadith methodology.^11 His writings bridged hadith studies and practical fiqh, helping later jurists assess the relative strength of prophetic traditions in legal reasoning.

Jāmiʿ al-Tirmidhī (al-Sunan al-Tirmidhī)

His magnum opus, Jāmiʿ al-Tirmidhī—also known as Sunan al-Tirmidhī—is one of the Kutub al-Sittah (Six Canonical Collections).^12
It is remarkable not only for its comprehensiveness but for its unique commentary system, where the Imām would:

note differences among jurists (aʿmāl al-fuqahāʾ),
identify which hadiths were acted upon or disputed,
explain chains (isnād) and transmitters,
and occasionally add concise theological or linguistic notes.^13

He recorded approximately 3,956 hadiths in this work,^14 organizing them by subject—faith, purification, prayer, zakāh, fasting, pilgrimage, transactions, marriage, jihad, and so on—mirroring the structure of fiqh manuals.^15

Other Works

Al-Tirmidhī also authored several other significant books, many of which are now lost or exist only in partial manuscripts:

Work	Subject	Notes
Al-ʿIlal al-Kabīr - العلل الكبير	Technical defects in hadith chains	Discusses weak links, transmitter reliability, and subtle irregularities.
Al-Shamāʾil al-Muḥammadiyya - الشمائل المحمدية	Description of the Prophet ﷺ	One of the most beloved works detailing the Prophet’s physical traits, manners, and daily habits.^16
Al-Asmaʾ wa al-Kunā - الأسماء والكنى	Names and nicknames of narrators	Important for hadith verification and transmitter identification.
Al-Zuhd - الزهد	Spirituality and asceticism	A moral-theological collection encouraging simplicity and piety.

Relationship with Al-Bukhārī and Other Scholars

Al-Tirmidhī held his teacher Imām al-Bukhārī in the highest regard, often referring to him with reverence in his writings. He reportedly said, “I have not benefited from anyone as much as I have from Muḥammad ibn Ismāʿīl al-Bukhārī.”^17

When al-Bukhārī was forced to leave Nishapur during theological disputes, al-Tirmidhī was among the few who continued to defend and support him.^18 Their relationship represents one of the most profound bonds between teacher and student in hadith history.

Later Life and Death

In his later years, al-Tirmidhī returned to his homeland in Tirmidh, continuing to teach, write, and compile. Chroniclers such as al-Dhahabī and Ibn Ḥajar record that he may have lost his eyesight toward the end of his life—a trial he bore with patience and worship.^19

He passed away in 279 AH (≈ 892 CE) in Tirmidh.^20

Legacy and Influence

Imām al-Tirmidhī’s influence endures through both his methodology and his literary legacy:

Jāmiʿ al-Tirmidhī became a central reference in legal and hadith studies, particularly valued by the Ḥanafī and Shāfiʿī schools.^21
His introduction of the ḥasan classification refined the science of ḥadīth criticism for later scholars like Ibn Ḥajar and al-Suyūṭī.^22
His Shamāʾil al-Muḥammadiyya continues to be read in mosques and seminaries worldwide as a devotional portrait of the Prophet ﷺ.^23

Because of his balanced approach—combining technical precision, legal awareness, and spiritual sensibility—he is remembered as both a scholar of hadith and a guide of hearts. Many later scholars honored him with the title Imām al-Muḥaddithīn wa al-Fuqahāʾ (Imām of the Hadith Scholars and Jurists).

References

Encyclopaedia of Islam, 2nd ed., s.v. “al-Tirmidhī, Abū ʿĪsā Muḥammad ibn ʿĪsā.”
Jonathan A.C. Brown, Hadith: Muhammad’s Legacy in the Medieval and Modern World (Oxford: Oneworld, 2009), 49.
“Biography of Imām al-Tirmidhi,” IslamicFinder.org, accessed October 2025, https://www.islamicfinder.org/knowledge/biography/story-of-imam-tirmidhi.
The Muslim Vibe, “A Short Biography of Imām al-Tirmidhi,” accessed October 2025, https://themuslimvibe.com/faith-islam/a-short-biography-of-imam-tirmidhi.
Brown, Hadith, 50.
Ibn Ḥajar al-ʿAsqalānī, Tahdhīb al-Tahdhīb, vol. 9 (Cairo: Dār al-Maʿārif, 1968), 228.
Encyclopaedia of Islam, 2nd ed.
Al-Dhahabī, Siyar Aʿlām al-Nubalāʾ, vol. 13 (Beirut: Muʾassasat al-Risālah, 1982), 272.
IslamOnline.net, “Imām al-Tirmidhī (209–279 AH),” accessed October 2025, https://islamonline.net/en/imam-al-tirmidhi.
Brown, Hadith, 51.
Harald Motzki, The Origins of Islamic Jurisprudence (Leiden: Brill, 2002), 59.
Encyclopaedia of Islam, 2nd ed.
Ibn Ḥajar, Tahdhīb al-Tahdhīb, 229.
Sunnah.com, “About Jāmiʿ al-Tirmidhi,” accessed October 2025, https://sunnah.com/tirmidhi/about.
Encyclopaedia of Islam, 2nd ed.
OnePath Network, “The Life and Legacy of Imām al-Tirmidhi,” accessed October 2025, https://onepathnetwork.com/the-life-of-imam-tirmidhi.
Al-Dhahabī, Siyar Aʿlām al-Nubalāʾ, vol. 13, 275.
Brown, Hadith, 52.
Ibn Kathīr, Al-Bidāyah wa al-Nihāyah, vol. 11 (Cairo: Dār al-Fikr, 1986), 36.
Encyclopaedia of Islam, 2nd ed.
Brown, Hadith, 53.
Kamālī, A Textbook of Hadith Studies (Oxford: Islamic Foundation, 2005), 97.
OnePath Network, “The Life and Legacy of Imām al-Tirmidhi.”