A Woman of Rare Knowledge

The knowledge of Hafsah (rahimahaAllah) was such that Iyaas ibn Mu’awiyyah said:  ‘I did not meet anyone whom I can prefer over Hafsah.’ He was asked: ‘What about Hasan al Basri and Muhammad ibn Sireen?’ He said: ‘As for me I do not prefer anyone over her. She learnt the Qur’an by heart when she was twelve years old.’ (Al Mizzi, Tahdheeb al-Kamaal, 152.)

He said this even though the brother of Hafsah (rahimahaAllah) had met thirty Companions of the Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) (Siyar, vol 4, page 606) and even though A’wf al-A’rabi said: “Ibn Seereen had good knowledge (hasanul i’lm) in Law of Decent and Distribution (al-Faraaidh), Jurisdiction (al-Qadaa’) and Estimation (Al Hisaab).”(Siyar, vol 4, page 609)

And Hishaam ibnu Hassaan said: “I saw Al-Hasan (Hasan al Basri), and (Muhammad) ibnu Seereen, and I did not see anyone that I thought was cleverer than Hafsah.” (Sifah As-Safwah, Dhikr Al Mustafiyaat min A’abidaat al Basrah, Vol 2, Page 709)

Not only had she memorized the Qur’an by the age of twelve but she had deep knowledge pertaining to the recitation of the Qur’an. Hishaam narrates that when Ibn Sireen (her brother) would find something difficult and ambiguous (ashkala ‘alayhi) regarding the Qiraa’ah (recitation), he would say, “Go and ask Hafsah how to recite.” (Sifah As-Safwah, Dhikr Al Mustafiyaat min A’abidaat al Basrah)

She was both a great muhaddithah (scholar of hadeeth) and faqeehah (jurist). She had learnt many ahaadeeth from the great Companion Anas ibnu Maalik. (Ibn Hibbaan, K. al-Thiqaat, iv. 194.)

This is why ahaadeeth narrated by her from Anas ibnu Maalik can be found in Saheeh al Bukhari, for example, ‘Aasim narrates from her from Anas that the Prophet said:

‘Plague is martyrdom for every Muslim.’ (Reported by Al Bukhari, Saheeh, Tibb, baab: maa yudhkaru fi al-ta’oon.)

All six books of hadeeth mention her name as well as the books of Sunan and Masaaneed. One of the famous ahaadeeth she has narrated is the famous hadeeth regarding the washing of the dead, which she narrated from Umm A’tiyyah al Ansaariyyah. All the chains for this hadeeth go through Hafsah bint Sireen.

Akram Nadwi, in his book ‘Al-Muhaddithat’ wrote:

‘Though born a slave, Hafsah bint Sireen made the best of the opportunity presented to her and became one of the most important scholars of her time. Some considered her superior to Hasan al Basri.’ (Akram Nadwi, Al Muhaddithat, pg 101.)