Abu Said al-Sukkari
- Died
- 275 AH
- Born in
- -
Abu Said al-Sukkari (212–275 AH / 827–888 CE) was an early philologist, grammarian, and Quran reciter from Basra, noted for his extensive transmission and editing of Arabic poetry, including Sharh Diwan al-Shu'ara al-Hudhaliyyin (Commentary on the Diwan of the Hudhali Poets).
Lineage and Early Life
Al-Hasan ibn al-Husayn ibn Abd Allah ibn Abd al-Rahman ibn al-Ala ibn Abi Sufra descended from the line of al-Muhallab ibn Abi Sufra. He was born in 212 AH (827 CE).
Education and Scholarship
Al-Sukkari studied under notable scholars and transmitters of his era, hearing hadith and language from Yahya ibn Ma'in, Abu Hatim al-Sijistani, al-Abbas ibn al-Faraj al-Riyashi, Muhammad ibn Habib, Umar ibn Shabba, and Dawud ibn Bilal al-Sa'di.
He taught Quranic recitation and transmitted a wide array of early poetic collections and lore from the Basran tradition. Among his students and narrators were al-Tabarani, Abu Sahl Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Ziyad al-Qattan, Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Ibrahim al-Hakimi, and Muhammad ibn Abd al-Malik al-Tarikhi. Abu Sahl transmitted from him his compilation Akhbar lusus al-Arab wa-ash'aruhum (Accounts and Poetry of Arab Brigands).
Standing
Biographers praised al-Sukkari for his accuracy and integrity. Al-Khatib al-Baghdadi described him as trustworthy, religious, and truthful, observing that a large portion of early literary writings circulated through his transmission. Yaqut al-Hamawi cited him as a prolific, reliable transmitter, while al-Dhahabi commended him as a master of literature and a remarkable authority in compiling ancient Arabic verse.
Death
Al-Sukkari died in 275 AH (888 CE) according to Ibn al-Munadi, which al-Khatib al-Baghdadi noted as the sounder date; a conflicting report by Ibn Qani' places his death in 290 AH. When news of his death reached the grammarian Tha'lab, he recited lines of poetry reflecting on solitude and mortality.
Answer updated
List of Works
Diwan Abi al-Aswad al-Duali is an early compilation of verse and associated anecdotes, collected and edited by the philologist Abu Said al-Sukkari. It gathers poetic pieces ranging from aphorisms, moral admonitions, and ethical counsel on temperance to personal disputes, social interactions, elegies, and political commentary from the early Umayyad era.