Ibn Abi Garzah
- Died
- 276 AH
- Born in
- Kufa
Ahmad ibn Hazim ibn Abi Garzah (ca. 180s–276 AH / ca. 800s–890 CE) was a Kufan hadith scholar and compiler, best known for his tradition collection al-Musnad.
Lineage and Background
His full name was Abu 'Amr Ahmad ibn Hazim ibn Muhammad ibn Yunus ibn Muhammad ibn Hazim ibn Qays ibn Abi Garzah al-Ghifari al-Kufi. He belonged to the Banu Ghifar and was a direct descendant of the Companion Qays ibn Abi Garzah al-Ghifari. His father, Abu Dharr Hazim ibn Muhammad, was also a hadith narrator who transmitted from his own mother, Hammadah bint Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Layla, and was evaluated as truthful by Abu Hatim al-Razi. Ibn Abi Garzah was born in Kufa in the 180s AH.
Scholarly Pursuits and Transmission
Ibn Abi Garzah studied hadith under several prominent authorities, including Ja'far ibn 'Awn, Ya'la ibn 'Ubayd, 'Ubayd Allah ibn Musa, Abu Nu'aym al-Fadl ibn Dukayn, Ahmad ibn Yunus, 'Affan ibn Muslim, and Isma'il ibn Aban.
Scholars from Iraq and traveling students transmitted traditions from him. His students included Mutayyin, Muhammad ibn 'Ali ibn Duhaym al-Shaybani, Ibn 'Uqdah, Ibrahim ibn 'Abd Allah ibn Abi al-'Aza'im, and Khaythama ibn Sulayman al-Qurashi. In addition, Ibn Abi Hatim engaged in written correspondence with him to receive his transmissions. Ibn Abi Garzah compiled a large hadith collection titled al-Musnad, a surviving portion of which is titled Musnad 'Abis al-Ghifari.
Reception and Standing
Biographers and hadith critics regarded Ibn Abi Garzah as a reliable traditionist. Ibn Hibban included him in his biographical work on reliable transmitters (al-Thiqat) and remarked that he was precise (mutqin). Maslama ibn Qasim al-Qurtubi declared him to be a trustworthy Kufan narrator. Al-Dhahabi described him as an imam, a memorizer of hadith (hafiz), and truthful (saduq).
Death
Ibn Abi Garzah died in Dhu al-Hijjah 276 AH (890 CE). Ibn Hibban placed his death at the beginning of 277 AH.
Answer updated
List of Works
Musnad Abis al-Ghifari (fully al-Juz' fihi Musnad 'Abis al-Ghifari wa-jama'a min al-sahaba) is a hadith tract representing an extant portion (juz') from an extensive compilation of traditions. Organized according to the musnad genre, the work arranges reports under the names of Companion narrators, beginning with Abis al-Ghifari and continuing with a group of other Companions.