DeIinition

Literally Musnad means 'supported. Musnad is a book that was compiled according to the
companions` masanid. For instance, hadith Irom Abu Bakr were organized in one chapter and the
title was Musnad Abu Bakr and he did the same thing to the rest oI the companions. He placed
Iirst the hadith narrated by the ten prominent companions who were granted by the prophet to
secure the Jannah. The detail will be explained more at the arrangement subtopic. The Musnad oI
Ibn Hanbal is probably the Iirst oI the six books oI hadith considered authentic by Sunni
Muslims. HaIiz Abu Musa Madyani wrote in 581 AH: 'This book is a great source and a reliable
reIerence work Ior researchers oI hadith. The author has selected Irom the bulky hadith literature,
a large number oI narrations to serve as guidelines and support Ior the people so that when
diIIerences arise they take reIuge in them and cite them as authentic.
1
Musnad Imam Ahmad is
very outstanding and impressive book when Ibn al-Jazari said about the book: 'On the Iace oI
the earth no better book oI hadith has been compiled.
2
Al-Dhahabi also wrote: 'This book
Iocused on the hadith oI the prophet. There are very Iew hadith not included whose authenticity
has been conIirmed. One oI the Iortunate things about the Musnad is that we Iind very Iew hadith
which are considered inauthentic.
3
Al-Suyuti continued: 'Even the weak hadith Iound in it are
near to hasan (Iair). Other than that, al-Suyuti also said in Tadrib al-Rawi which he took the
opinion oI al-Haythami that stated that al-Musnad Imam Ahmad is the most authentic than other
books.
4
Al-Dawmi took the views Irom al-Suyuti Irom his book Jami` al-Kabir which he said that
all hadith in al-Musnad are maqbul. II there are da`iI hadith, they will be close to hadith hasan.

1
Abu Musa alMadyanl khasa'l alMusnad (1hls LreaLlse has been publlshed aL Lhe beglnnlng of lbn Panbal's
Musnad by Ahmad Muhammad Shaklr) p 21
2
Al!azarl Muhammad bln Muhammad alMus'ad alAhmad fl khaLml Musnad allmam Ahmad (1hls LreaLlse has
been lncluded aL Lhe lnLroducLlon Lo Lhe Musnad by Shaklr )p28
3
Al!azarl Muhammad bln Muhammad alMus'ad alAhmad fl khaLml Musnad allmam Ahmad (1hls LreaLlse has
been lncluded aL Lhe lnLroducLlon Lo Lhe Musnad by Shaklr )p39
4
AlSuyuLl 1adrlb al8awl fl Sharh 1aqrlb alnawawl vol1 p 173