al-Zubayr ibn Bakkar
- Died
- 256 AH
- Born in
- Medina
al-Zubayr ibn Bakkar (172–256 AH / 788–870 CE) was a genealogist, historian, and hadith transmitter from Medina who served as the judge of Mecca, best known for his authoritative work on Arab genealogy, Jamharat Nasab Quraysh wa-Akhbariha (The Compendium of the Lineage of Quraysh and Their Traditions) .
Lineage and Early Life
He was Abu Abd Allah al-Zubayr ibn Abi Bakr Bakkar ibn Abd Allah ibn Mus'ab ibn Thabit ibn Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr ibn al-Awwam al-Qurashi al-Asadi al-Zubayri . Born in Medina in 172 AH / 788 CE, he was raised in the Hejaz within a prominent scholarly and political family descended from the companion al-Zubayr ibn al-Awwam .
During his formative education, he studied under numerous scholars, including his uncle Mus'ab ibn Abd Allah al-Zubayri, Sufyan ibn Uyayna, Abu Damra Anas ibn Iyad, al-Nadr ibn Shumayl, and the historian Ali ibn Muhammad al-Mada'ini .
Career and Travels
Al-Zubayr traveled multiple times to Baghdad, making his final recorded journey there in 253 AH, and he transmitted hadith in the city during his later years . In the Abbasid capital, he served as a tutor to the prince al-Muwaffaq, the son of Caliph al-Mutawakkil, for whom he compiled the historical collection al-Akhbar al-Muwaffaqiyyat (The Muwaffaq Traditions) . He also compiled early biographical accounts of the Prophet's household in Kitab Azwaj al-Nabi (Book on the Wives of the Prophet) .
His father, Bakkar, had held the judgeship of Mecca, and Caliph al-Mutawakkil subsequently appointed al-Zubayr to the judicial post in Mecca, a role he maintained continuously until his death .
A substantial cohort of scholars transmitted from him, including Ibn Majah in his Sunan, Abu Hatim al-Razi, Ibn Abi al-Dunya, Abu al-Qasim al-Baghawi, and al-Mahamili . Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Hatim noted that while he met and observed al-Zubayr, he did not record traditions directly from him .
Scholarly Standing
Al-Zubayr was widely recognized for his mastery of Qurayshite genealogies, historical traditions, and Arabic poetry . Al-Daraqutni declared him trustworthy (thiqah), and al-Khatib al-Baghdadi described him as an established, trustworthy authority who was deeply versed in genealogy and the lore and achievements of earlier generations . Abu al-Qasim al-Baghawi similarly characterized him as knowledgeable, reliable, and trustworthy .
A dissenting assessment came from Ahmad ibn Ali al-Sulaymani, who listed al-Zubayr among those alleged to fabricate hadith and elsewhere labeled him as rejected in narration (munkar al-hadith) . Later biographical critics, including al-Dhahabi, explicitly dismissed al-Sulaymani's claim, affirming that al-Zubayr was a trustworthy vessel of learning whose status remains unaffected by that criticism .
Death
Al-Zubayr died in Mecca while serving as its judge in Dhu al-Qi'dah 256 AH / 870 CE, at the age of eighty-four . His death occurred on a Sunday night, with accounts placing it either with seven nights remaining in the month or nine nights remaining . The cause of death was an accidental fall from the roof of his residence, which fractured his collarbone and hip .
His son Mus'ab led the funeral prayer, and the funeral was attended by Muhammad ibn Isa ibn al-Mansur . He was interred in the cemetery of al-Hajun in Mecca, adjacent to the grave of Ali ibn Isa al-Hashimi .
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List of Works
al-Akhbar al-Muwaffaqiyyat (also known as al-Muwaffaqiyyat fi al-akhbar wa-al-ash'ar) is a classical compilation of historical reports, genealogical traditions, and poetry. It gathers historical anecdotes, narratives concerning early Islamic and pre-Islamic figures, and poetic verses.
al-Muntakhab min Kitab Azwaj al-Nabi (Selection from the Book on the Wives of the Prophet) is an early biographical work dedicated to the biographies of the Mothers of the Believers. It contains historical accounts and reports chronicling the Prophet's marriages and the virtues of his wives with chains of transmission.
Jamharat Nasab Quraysh wa Akhbariha (The Compendium of the Genealogy of Quraysh and Their Traditions) is an early genealogical and historical work dedicated to the lineages, biographies, and historical traditions of the tribe of Quraysh.