Ibn al-Maghazli
- Died
- 483 AH
- Born in
- -
Ibn al-Maghazli (d. 483 AH / 1090 CE) was a traditionist, jurist, and historian from Wasit in Iraq, best known for his biographical and hadith compilation Manaqib Ali on the virtues of Ali ibn Abi Talib.
Life and Scholarly Activity
His full name was Abu al-Hasan Ali ibn Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn al-Tayyib ibn Abi Ya'la (also vocalized as Ibn Abi al-'Ula) al-Jullabi al-Wasiti. Based in Wasit, he engaged extensively in the collection and transcription of hadith, compiling personal notebooks and collecting foundational source manuscripts. Among his historical writings was a continuation (dhayl) to the local biographical history Ta'rikh Wasit by Bahshal, alongside a compilation of his own teachers (Mashyakha). His work Manaqib Ali brought together chains of transmission regarding the virtues and familial reports of Ali ibn Abi Talib and members of the Prophet's ﷺ household, including Fatimah.
Standing and Criticism
Biographical assessments of Ibn al-Maghazli vary between appreciation of his local historical documentation and criticism of his hadith transmission. Al-Sam'ani praised him as a knowledgeable and virtuous scholar who possessed extensive insight into the notable figures and transmissions of Wasit, noting that he examined his continuation of Wasit's history and made selections from it.
Conversely, Al-Safadi recorded that he made frequent mistakes and had limited retention and critical discernment in hadith. Later critics, including Ibn Taymiyyah, evaluated his transmission as weak, arguing that hadith criticism was not his specialized discipline and that Manaqib Ali incorporated numerous unauthentic and fabricated narrations collected indiscriminately from earlier compilations, such that his solitary reporting could not serve as legal or theological proof.
Death
In early 483 AH, Ibn al-Maghazli traveled to Baghdad, where he stayed for a few days. On Sunday, 10 Safar 483 AH (April 1090 CE), he went down to the Tigris River at the Bab al-'Azba district to perform ablution (wudu), slipped into the water, and drowned. He was recovered immediately and his body was carried back to Wasit, where he was buried.
Answer updated
List of Works
Manaqib Ali (The Merits of Ali) is a collection of hadiths and biographical reports dedicated to the virtues, lineage, and life of the fourth Caliph, Ali ibn Abi Talib, as well as reports concerning members of his household such as Fatimah. The work compiles narrations with chains of transmission (isnad) tracing back through various earlier authorities and books.