Bismillahi Al-Rahmani Al-Rahim

Was Imam Ahmad an Arab?

Q al-salamu `alaykum

Was Imam Ahmad an Arab?

A wa `alaykum al-salam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu

Although some groups claim Imam Ahmad (Allah grant him mercy) as one of their own because his family lived in Merv and he was born soon after they moved to Baghdad. However, it turns out that both of the Imam's parents were Arab, and that both were descendants of the tribe Shayban. They resided in Merv because Imam Ahmad's father was a high ranking officer in the army, and that is where he was posted.

For more information, see Muhammad Abu Zahrah's Tarikh al-Madhahib al-Islamiyya, p468.

wa al-salamu `alaykum
--musa