Abu Ali al-Madaini
- Died
- 311 AH
- Born in
- -
Abu Ali al-Madaini (d. 327 AH / 939 CE) was a hadith transmitter based in Egypt, known for his hadith collection titled Fawaid Abi Ali al-Madaini.
Identity and Transmission
His full name was Ahmad ibn Ali ibn al-Husayn ibn Shu'ayb ibn Ziyad, and he was known by the kunya Abu Ali and the moniker Ibn Abi al-Hasan al-Saghir. He taught and transmitted hadith in Egypt during the early fourth century AH, with transmission sessions documented in Shawwal 310 AH.
Al-Madaini transmitted from several notable scholars and transmitters in Egypt, including Ismail ibn Yahya al-Muzani, al-Rabi ibn Sulayman al-Muradi, Yunus ibn Abd al-A'la, Bakkar ibn Qutayba, Bahr ibn Nasr, and Ahmad ibn Abd al-Rahim al-Barqi, from whom he narrated the latter's Tarikh. His transmissions frequently included chains going back to Malik ibn Anas. Among those who related hadith from him was Ibn Hibban, who included his narrations in his Sahih.
Scholarly Assessment and Death
Biographical opinions regarding al-Madaini differed among contemporary and later critics. Al-Daraqutni evaluated him positively, stating that "there is no harm in him" (la ba'sa bih). Ibn Yunus remarked that while he was not of the highest degree of reliability, he was generous, of good memory (hasan al-hifz), and possessed a playful wit. In contrast, Maslama ibn Qasim censured him sharply, alleging that he was a troublesome person of excessive levity and contending that nothing should be recorded on his authority.
Al-Madaini died in the year 327 AH (939 CE); Ibn Yunus placed his death in the month of Rabi' al-Awwal, whereas Maslama ibn Qasim dated it to Safar.
Answer updated
List of Works
Fawaid Abi Ali al-Madaini (The Hadith Benefits of Abu Ali al-Madaini) is a hadith compilation that focuses predominantly on chains of transmission going back to Malik ibn Anas.