Biography of Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal

Aḥmad bin Muḥammad bin Ḥanbal Abū ʠAbd Allāh al-Shaybānī (780 - 855 CE / 164 - 241 AH) was an important Muslim scholar and theologian. He is considered the founder of the Hanbali school of Islamic jurisprudence. Ibn Hanbal is one of the most celebrated Sunni theologians, often referred to as "Sheikh ul-Islam,"honorifics given to the most esteemed doctrinal authorities in the Sunni tradition. Ibn Hanbal personified the theological views of the early orthodox scholars, including the founders of the other extant schools of Sunni fiqh. Hanbal was a strong spokesman for the usage of hadiths.