Abu Tahir ibn Abi Hashim
- Died
- 349 AH
- Born in
- Baghdad
Abu Tahir ibn Abi Hashim (280–349 AH / 893–960 CE) was a Baghdadi scholar of Qur'anic recitations (qirāʾāt), grammarian, and hadith transmitter who became the leading authority on recitation in Baghdad following the death of his teacher Ibn Mujahid.
Life and Education
Abu Tahir Abd al-Wahid ibn Umar ibn Muhammad ibn Abi Hashim al-Bazzar was born in Rajab 280 AH (893 CE); his ancestor Abu Hashim's given name was Yasar. He resided on the eastern side of Baghdad. Abu Tahir studied Qur'anic recitation under fifty-one scholars, most notably Abu Bakr ibn Mujahid, Ahmad ibn Sahl al-Ushnani, and Abu Uthman Sa'id ibn Abd al-Rahim al-Darir. In Arabic grammar, he studied the Kitab of Sibawayh under Ibn Durustawayh. He also transmitted hadith from figures such as Abu Bakr ibn Abi Dawud, Muhammad ibn Ja'far al-Qattat, and Ahmad ibn Faraj al-Darir.
Following the death of Ibn Mujahid, the scholarly community agreed to appoint Abu Tahir to teach recitation in his master's seat. Leading scholars gathered in his teaching circle, and numerous students recited under him, including Abu al-Qasim Abd al-Aziz ibn Ja'far al-Farisi, Ali ibn Ahmad al-Hammami, Ali ibn Muhammad al-Jawhari, and Ubayd Allah al-Masahifi.
Scholarly Standing and Reception
Abu Tahir was regarded as a trustworthy and authoritative master of Qur'anic reading and Arabic grammar. Abu Amr al-Dani stated that no one after Ibn Mujahid matched Abu Tahir in knowledge, understanding, truthfulness of speech, and uprightness of method. In grammatical theory, he followed the Kufan school. Among his writings were Jami al-Bayan (also titled al-Bayan wa-l-Fasl) and Kitab Shawadhdh al-Saba.
Reciters criticized Abu Tahir for one particular transmission: he differed from all his peers by applying vowel deflection (imālah) to the letter nūn of the word al-nās when in the genitive case within the reading of Abu Amr ibn al-Ala.
Death
Abu Tahir died on Thursday, with eight nights remaining in Shawwal 349 AH (960 CE). His student Abu al-Qasim al-Shahid related that while walking with him past the al-Khayzuran cemetery in Baghdad, Abu Tahir paused, wept, and remarked on the mercy of God toward those who had been buried there for so long.
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List of Works
Akhbar fi al-Nahw, also known as Akhbar al-Nahwiyyin, is a short treatise (juzʾ) containing twenty-five narrated reports on the origins of Arabic grammar, early grammarians, grammatical solecism (laḥn), and the virtue of learning the Arabic language.
Akhbar al-Nahwiyyin (Accounts of the Grammarians) is a biographical work devoted to recording historical reports, anecdotes, and transmissions concerning Arabic grammarians.