TIRMIDHI, AT-

in full Abu 'isa Muhammad Ibn 'isa Ibn Sawrah Ibn Shaddad At-tirmidhi died c. 892 Arab scholar and author of one of the six canonical collections of spoken traditions (hadith) attributed to the Prophet Muhammad. The life of at-Tirmidhi is poorly documented. He journeyed to Khorasan, to Iraq, and to the Hejaz in search of material for his collection and studied with such renowned scholars of Hadith as Ahmad ibn Hanbal, al-Bukhari, and Abu Da'ud as-Sijistani. His canonical collection al-Jami' as-sahih (The Sound Collections) includes every spoken tradition that had ever been used to support a legal decision, as well as material relating to theological questions, to religious practice, and to popular belief and custom. Of special interest in this work are the author's critical remarks on the links in the chains of transmission (isnads). In the Kitab ash-shama'il (Book of Good Qualities), at-Tirmidhi presented those hadiths specifically commenting on the character and life of Muhammad.