Ibn Abi Dawud

Abu Bakr Ibn Abi Dawud (230–316 AH / 844–929 CE) was a Hadith scholar, Quranic specialist, and the leading traditionalist of Baghdad in his era, known for his work Kitab al-Masahif Mirat al-Zaman fi Tawarik…+1.

Lineage and early life

He was Abu Bakr 'Abd Allah ibn Sulayman ibn al-Ash'ath ibn Ishaq ibn Bashir ibn 'Amr ibn 'Imran al-Azdi al-Sijistani, the son of the prominent compiler of prophetic traditions Abu Dawud al-Sijistani Tarikh Dimashq li-Ibn Asa…. He was born in Sijistan in 230 AH, though a variant report places his birth in 235 AH Mirat al-Zaman fi Tawarik…+1. Accounts differ regarding his early upbringing, stating that he was raised in Nishapur or grew up in Baghdad Tarh al-Tathrib fi Sharh …+1. His father took him on extensive scholarly journeys across the Islamic lands, where he heard traditions in Khurasan, al-Jibal, Isfahan, Fars, Basra, Kufa, Baghdad, Mecca, Medina, the Jazira, the Levant, and Egypt before permanently settling in Baghdad Mirat al-Zaman fi Tawarik…+1.

Education and teaching career

During his travels, Ibn Abi Dawud studied under numerous prominent scholars, including Abu Sa'id al-Ashajj, 'Amr ibn 'Ali al-Fallas, 'Isa ibn Hammad Zughbah, Muhammad ibn Aslam al-Tusi, Ahmad ibn Salih al-Misri, and Hisham ibn Khalid Tarh al-Tathrib fi Sharh …+1.

In Baghdad, the ruling authority erected a pulpit for him from which he held public hadith dictation sessions Mirat al-Zaman fi Tawarik…+1. His student Abu Hafs ibn Shahin noted that Ibn Abi Dawud dictated traditions for years entirely from memory without holding a book, and after losing his sight, his son Abu Mu'ammar would sit beneath him prompting hadith topics while he recited them by heart al-Mawsua al-Fiqhiyya al-…+1. When visiting Sijistan without written notes, he dictated 30,000 traditions from memory; after scholars checked the transcripts, they found errors in only a few reports Lisan al-Mizan.

A large number of scholars transmitted traditions from him, including al-Daraqutni, Ibn Mujahid, Abu Bakr al-Shafi'i, Abu al-Husayn ibn Sam'un, and Ibn al-Sunni Tarh al-Tathrib fi Sharh …+2. He also composed a celebrated didactic creedal poem rhyming in the letter ha (al-Ha'iyya), outlining traditionalist Sunni tenets regarding the Quran and divine attributes Mukhtasar Tabaqat al-Hana…+1.

Scholarly standing and controversies

Ibn Abi Dawud was widely recognized as a leading authority of Iraq; Salih ibn Ahmad Jazarah remarked that although there were older shaykhs in Baghdad, none matched Ibn Abi Dawud in precision and scholarly mastery Tarh al-Tathrib fi Sharh …+1. Al-Daraqutni evaluated him as trustworthy (thiqa), though he noted that he made frequent mistakes when discussing and analyzing hadith Tarh al-Tathrib fi Sharh …+1. Ibn 'Adi recorded that he was accepted by the scholars of hadith Tarh al-Tathrib fi Sharh …+1.

Due to professional rivalry and his assertive temperament, reciprocal criticisms occurred between him and contemporaries such as Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari and Yahya ibn Muhammad ibn Sa'id Tarh al-Tathrib fi Sharh …+1. Hostile statements were also transmitted from his father and other figures such as Ibrahim al-Isfahani, while later evaluators considered such remarks to reflect youthful hyperbole in speech rather than unreliability in transmitting reports Lisan al-Mizan+1.

Death

Ibn Abi Dawud died in Baghdad in Dhu al-Hijjah 316 AH (January 929 CE) Tarikh Baghdad+1. Reports place his death on a Monday night, with burial on Monday the 18th of Dhu al-Hijjah, or on Sunday with twelve nights remaining of the month Tarikh Baghdad+1. His age at death was reported as eighty-seven years and three months, or eighty-six years and some months Tarikh Baghdad+1. His funeral drew an estimated crowd of around 300,000 mourners; funeral prayers were performed over him in multiple locations, led by Muttalib al-Hashimi at the Mosque of al-Rusafa, before he was buried in the cemetery of Bab al-Bustan Tarikh Baghdad+1.