Hakim at-Tirmidhi: The Great Sufi Who Inspired Ibn Arabi and Al-Ghazali

 

Hakim at-Tirmidhi: The Great Sufi Who Inspired Ibn Arabi and Al-Ghazali

It is Abu Abdillah Muhammad bin Ali bin Hasan (Hussein), the great Sufi of the 3rd century Hijriyyah who was born in Tirmidz at the beginning of the 3rd century. Regarding the biography of this great Sufi, not many have fully discussed it. However, according to Uthman Ismail Yahya, muhaqqiq of Hakim's book “Khatam al-Anbiya' , there is a manuscript containing al-Hakim's autobiographical writings entitled Buduwwu Sya'ni Abu Abdillah Muhammad al-Hakim At-Tirmidhi . Seeing the title, it is most likely that these notes or manuscripts were written by students or their followers.

Abu Abdillah al-Hakim at-Tirmidhi said:

Since I was 8 years old, I received direct guidance from my teachers. This strict guidance seemed to become my daily habit even as a substitute for playing in my childhood. From here I got a number of religious knowledge, both the sciences of transmission and the science of aqliyyah. This continued until I was near the age of twenty-seven years until then I traveled to the Baitul Haram. On the way to Makkah, I stopped in Iraq to study hadith from a number of muhaddits there. Then proceed to the city of Basra and continue the journey to the city of Makkad in the month of Rajab. In the middle of the end of the month of Rajab my journey to Mecca. Then I prayed in multazam. Straighten your intentions and repent. In particular, In Multazam I pray to be given the strength to be humble and sincere and to be able to memorize the Koran. I do not pray other than those wishes.

The Teacher and His Students

Although as told by Fariduddin al-Aththar that al-Hakim studied directly with the Prophet Khidir AS, but he also studied with his teachers.

Hasan bin Ali at-Tirmidhi who is none other than his father from whom he studied hadith and narrated it from him.

Jarud bin Muadz as-Sulami attirmidhi

Salih bin Abdullah attirmidhi

Salih bin Muhammad attirmidhi

And others

While among his students are:

Abu Muhammad Yahya bin Mansur al-Qadhi

Mansur bin Abdullah bin Khalid al-Harawi

Hasan bin Ali al-Jurjani

Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Isa

Abu Bakr bin al-Warraq

Abu Bakr Muhammad bin Ja'far bin al-Haitsam

The Influence of His Thoughts and Works

In addition to students who studied directly with al-Hakim at-Tirmidhi, there were a number of great scholars and Sufis who were influenced by his works and thoughts. According to Louis Massignon, Hakim at-Tirmidhi's influence was very large for the development of the world of Sufism and the Sufis after it. Ibn Arabi is one of them. Ibn Arabi's influence over Hakim at-Tirmidhi is very real. Even recognized by Ibn Arabi himself. One of his works reviews and answers Hakim at-Tirmidhi's question about the ultimate guardian (Khatamul awliya').

Even Ibn Arabi in a number of his works often quoted the name of al-Hakim at-Tirmidhi. In particular, Ibn Arabi wrote a special chapter or chapter in the book Futuhat al-Makkiyah to answer al-Hakim's question written in his work Khatmul Awliya' . And more specifically Ibn Arabi wrote a book about the answer to this question with the title, al-Jawab al-Mustaqim 'Amma Saalahu 'Anhu al-Hakim at-Tirmidhi .

Sheikh Dhiyauddin 'Ammar bin Muhammad bin Ghummar al-Badilisi (d.590 H) who wrote a work entitled Bahjat at-Thaifah billahi al-'Arifah , was also influenced by Hakim attirmidhi's Khatmul Awliya' as illustrated in the last chapter of the book. Likewise with Hujjatul Islam Imam al-Ghazali who is also one of the chapters in the book Ihya 'Ulumuddin influenced by the work of Hakim at-Tirmidhi al-Ikyas wa al-Mughtarin .

Wallahu A'lam Bisshawab