al-Hasan bin Arafah

al-Hasan bin Arafah (150–257 AH / 767–871 CE) was an Iraqi hadith scholar and teacher based in Baghdad, widely recognized for his longevity, elevated chains of transmission, and his hadith collection Juz' Ibn 'Arafah al-Ansab - al-Samani+1.

Background and Family

His full name was al-Hasan bin Arafah bin Yazid al-Abdi, and he bore the kunya Abu Ali Tahdhib al-Tahdhib+1. He worked as an instructor (mu'addib or mu'allim) in Baghdad, residing in the quarter of Hawd Haylana at the crossroads known as al-Murabba'ah (or al-Chaharsuk) Tahdhib al-Tahdhib+1. He was born in 150 AH (767 CE)—the same birth year reported for al-Shafi'i and Bishr al-Hafi—though another report places his birth in 158 AH al-Ansab - al-Samani+1. He was the father of ten sons whom he named after the Ten Promised Paradise: Abu Bakr, Umar ibn al-Khattab, Uthman, Ali, Talha, al-Zubayr, Sa'd, Sa'id, Abd al-Rahman, and Abu Ubayda al-Ansab - al-Samani+1.

Education and Hadith Transmission

Al-Hasan studied hadith under a broad circle of prominent second-century authorities, including Abdullah ibn al-Mubarak, Hushaym ibn Bashir, Isma'il ibn 'Ayyash, Isma'il ibn 'Ulayya, Abu Bakr ibn 'Ayyash, Isa ibn Yunus, and Mubarak ibn Sa'id al-Thawri Tahdhib al-Tahdhib+1.

Due to his long life and early transmission, he served as a crucial link for successive generations of hadith scholars; he remarked that five successive generations (qurun) recorded hadith from him, spanning from senior contemporaries such as Yahya ibn Ma'in to later compilers Tarikh al-Islam+1. His students included major canonical compilers and traditionists such as al-Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah, Ibn Abi al-Dunya, Abdullah ibn Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Abu Ya'la al-Mawsili, Ibn Abi Hatim, and Abu al-Qasim al-Baghawi Tahdhib al-Tahdhib+1. His compiled text, Juz' Ibn 'Arafah, gained widespread transmission among later scholars seeking elevated chains ('uluww) of narration Siyar Aalam al-Nubala+1.

Scholarly Standing

Early critics consistently affirmed his reliability. Yahya ibn Ma'in described him as trustworthy (thiqah) and encouraged students to write from him Tahdhib al-Kamal fi Asma …+1. Abu Hatim al-Razi and his son Ibn Abi Hatim classified him as truthful (saduq) Tahdhib al-Tahdhib+1. Al-Nasa'i and al-Daraqutni stated that there was no harm in him (la ba'sa bihi), and Ibn Hibban listed him among trustworthy narrators in his al-Thiqat Tahdhib al-Tahdhib+1.

Death

Al-Hasan moved to Samarra late in life, where he died in 257 AH (871 CE) at the age of 110 years and was buried there al-Ansab - al-Samani+1. A report specifies that his death occurred four nights before the end of Dhu al-Hijjah 257 AH, while variant accounts give the years 252, 253, 256, or 258 AH Siyar Aalam al-Nubala+1.