Abu Bakr al-Warraq
- Died
- 378 AH
- Born in
- Baghdad
Abu Bakr al-Warraq (293–378 AH / 905–988 CE) was a Baghdadi hadith scholar and transmitter, known for his dictation sessions on prophetic traditions, including Fadl Yawm Arafah (The Virtue of the Day of Arafah) .
Background and Education
Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Isma'il ibn al-Abbas ibn Muhammad ibn Umar ibn Mihran al-Baghdadi was born in Baghdad in 293 AH / 905–906 CE . Known by the titles al-Mustamli and al-Warraq (the copyist), he was introduced to hadith study at an early age by his father, the hadith scholar Abu Ali Isma'il ibn al-Abbas al-Warraq, who brought him to attend the circles of prominent scholars such as Ahmad ibn al-Hasan al-Sufi to hear their transmissions .
He studied under and transmitted from his father, as well as notable Baghdadi authorities including Abu al-Qasim Abd Allah ibn Muhammad al-Baghawi, Muhammad ibn Muhammad al-Baghandi, al-Hasan ibn al-Tayyib al-Shuja'i, Umar ibn Abi Ghaylan al-Thaqafi, and Hamid ibn Muhammad ibn Shu'ayb al-Balkhi .
Teaching and Standing
Al-Warraq narrated hadith prolifically in Baghdad and conducted dictation sessions (amali) . His students and those who transmitted on his authority included leading traditionists such as al-Daraqutni, Abu Bakr al-Barqani, Abu al-Qasim al-Azhari, al-Hasan ibn Muhammad al-Khallal, and Abu Muhammad al-Jawhari .
Biographers recorded mixed assessments regarding his transmission reliability. When asked about him by al-Khatib al-Baghdadi, al-Barqani declared him fully trustworthy (thiqah thiqah) . Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Abi al-Fawaris described him as alert and possessing good knowledge, but noted that he exhibited some leniency after his original manuscripts were lost, prompting him to reconstruct new copies from other people's books . Similarly, Ubayd Allah al-Azhari deemed him a memorizer (hafidh) who was somewhat soft in narration because he transmitted without his original texts . Al-Atiqi noted that despite the loss of his written originals, he understood hadith well, narrated early in his career, and maintained an upright standing .
Death
Al-Warraq died in Baghdad in Rabi' al-Akhir 378 AH / July–August 988 CE, at the age of eighty-five .
Answer updated
List of Works
Fadl Yawm Arafah (The Virtue of the Day of Arafah) is a short hadith monograph detailing prophetic traditions regarding the merits and devotional acts of the ninth day of Dhu al-Hijjah. Arranged as a single dictation session comprising nine transmitted reports recorded with their full chains of transmission, the booklet covers specific virtues and rituals connected to the Day of Arafah and the adjacent days of pilgrimage, including fasting, supplications, takbir, and sacrifice.