al-Naysaburi, Abu al-Barakat
- Died
- 541 AH
- Born in
- Baghdad
Abu al-Barakat al-Naysaburi (465–541 AH / 1072–1147 CE) was a Sufi master and hadith transmitter based in Baghdad, recognized as the head of the Ribat Shaykh al-Shuyukh and known for his forty-hadith collection, al-Arba‘un .
Lineage and Early Life
His full name was Isma‘il ibn Abi Sa‘d Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Dust Dada al-Naysaburi al-Sufi, and he bore the honorific Shaykh al-Shuyukh . Ibn al-Jawzi and Sibt Ibn al-Jawzi gave his grandfather's name as Mahmud rather than Muhammad . His father, Abu Sa‘d Ahmad ibn Muhammad, originated from Nishapur but relocated to Baghdad, where he sold his property in Nishapur to construct a large Sufi lodge (ribat) . Abu al-Barakat was born in Baghdad in 465 AH (1072 CE) and was raised in the Sufi tradition under the guidance and discipline of his father, whom he subsequently succeeded as head of the ribat after his father's death in 479 AH .
Education and Travels
Abu al-Barakat received his training from numerous scholars in Baghdad and abroad. Among his principal teachers were his father, the brothers Abu Nasr and Abu al-Fawaris ibn Abi Muhammad ibn Ali al-Zaynabi, Abu al-Qasim Abd al-Aziz ibn Ali al-Anmati, Ali ibn Ahmad ibn al-Busri, Ali ibn Muhammad al-Kufi, Isma‘il ibn Mas‘adah al-Isma‘ili, Malik ibn Ahmad al-Baniyasi, Abd al-Baqi ibn Muhammad al-‘Attar, and Rizq Allah ibn Abd al-Wahhab al-Tamimi .
He journeyed to Syria, passing through Aleppo en route to visit Jerusalem . During his travels, he stayed at the Khanqah al-Sumaysatiyyah in Damascus, where he transmitted hadith before returning to Baghdad . His students included his sons Abd al-Rahim and Abd al-Latif, the historians Ibn Asakir and Abu Sa'd al-Sam'ani, his maternal grandson Ibn Sukaynah, Abd al-Khaliq ibn Asad, Sulayman al-Mawsili, and Ahmad ibn al-Hasan al-‘Aquli .
His transmitted hadith collection, Juz’ fihi arba‘un hadithan min al-sihah al-‘awali (commonly referred to as al-Arba‘un), comprises forty authentic traditions transmitted through elevated chains of narration compiled from his hearings .
Standing and Death
Scholars praised Abu al-Barakat for his piety, reliability, and character. Al-Sam‘ani described him as dignified, imposing, and of praiseworthy deportment, remarking that he never observed any flaw in him during his extensive studies under him while residing at his ribat . Ibn Asakir and later biographers described him as righteous and trustworthy (salih, thiqah) .
Abu al-Barakat died in Baghdad on 10 Jumada al-Akhirah 541 AH (November 1146 CE), though another report places his death in Jumada al-Ula of that year . He was buried in the cemetery of al-Shuniziyyah . According to a report preserved by Ibn al-Najjar from Ibn Sukaynah, when Abu al-Barakat was on his deathbed and unable to speak, his daughter asked him what he felt, whereupon he wrote on her hand: "Repose, fragrance, and a Garden of Delight" ( فَرَوْحٌ وَرَيْحَانٌ وَجَنَّتُ نَعِيمٍ ), and passed away . A funeral feast costing approximately three hundred dinars was held following his death .
Answer updated
List of Works
al-Arbaun li Abi al-Barakat al-Naysaburi, also known as Juz’ fihi arba‘un hadithan min al-sihah al-‘awali, is a collection of forty authentic prophetic traditions transmitted through elevated chains of narration. The work presents each tradition with its complete chain leading back to the Prophet, accompanied by an editorial assessment of the chain's status.