al-Bandar
- Died
- 360 AH
- Born in
- -
Abu Bakr al-Bandar (268–360 AH / 881–971 CE; also reported 267 AH) was a Baghdadi hadith transmitter of Anbari origin, known for his hadith collection Hadith Abi Bakr al-Anbari.
Identity and Background
His full name was Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Ja'far ibn Muhammad ibn al-Haytham ibn 'Imran ibn Yazid al-Anbari al-Bandar, and he was also known by the patronymic Ibn Abi Ahmad. He traced his origin to al-Anbar and lived in Baghdad. His cognomen al-Bandar designates a wholesale merchant. According to his student Muhammad ibn Abi al-Fawaris, he was born in 268 AH (881/882 CE), though another dating places his birth in 267 AH (880/881 CE).
Hadith Transmission
Al-Bandar transmitted hadith from a number of ninth-century authorities, including Ibn Abi al-'Awwam (Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Yazid al-Riyahi), Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Yazid al-Anbari, and Ja'far ibn Muhammad al-Sa'igh. A substantial two-volume compilation of his transmissions, Hadith Abi Bakr al-Anbari, was selected and organized for him by the scholar 'Umar al-Basri, from which a smaller abridgment was also circulated.
Among those who narrated from him were prominent hadith scholars, including Abu Bakr al-Barqani, Abu Nu'aym al-Isbahani, Muhammad ibn Abi al-Fawaris, al-Husayn ibn Shuja' al-Sufi (known as Ibn al-Mawsili), and Bushra ibn 'Abd Allah al-Fatini.
Scholarly Standing
Al-Bandar held high and scarce chains of transmission and preserved accurate written records recorded in his father's handwriting. When al-Khatib al-Baghdadi asked al-Barqani whether any scholar had criticized al-Bandar, al-Barqani confirmed that no one had disparaged him and attested that his audition of hadith was sound based on his father's scripts. Ibn Abi al-Fawaris described him as having elevated chains and excellent original manuscripts, though he remarked that he was moderate in rank and had "a little something" about him; 'Abd al-Rahman al-Mu'allimi noted that this qualification likely pertained to a slight personal shortcoming rather than an impairment in his transmission. Al-Dhahabi characterized him as the long-lived transmitter and central hadith reference of Baghdad.
Death
Al-Bandar died suddenly on the Day of Ashura in the year 360 AH (971 CE) at around ninety years of age.
Answer updated
List of Works
This work is a compilation of prophetic traditions and historical reports gathered from transmissions from earlier scholars. Accompanied by full chains of transmission, its contents cover a variety of legal rulings, doctrinal and eschatological matters, and historical events.
This specialized hadith collection (juz') is a concise selection extracted from a larger two-volume compilation. Its purpose is to preserve prominent, high-standard chains of transmission for prophetic hadiths and related reports.
This hadith tract (juz') preserves prophetic traditions documented with complete chains of transmission from ninth-century authorities. The collection spans various doctrinal, legal, and ethical subjects, including prayer, ritual purity, eschatology, and moral admonitions.