Ibn Hamil
- Died
- 671 AH
- Born in
- Harran
Ibn Hamil (603–671 AH / 1206–1273 CE) was a Hanbali hadith scholar and traveling traditionist from Harran who settled in Damascus, known for his collection of elevated chains of transmission (Ahadith awalin min masmu'at Ibn Hamil).
Lineage and Early Life
His full name was Shams al-Din Muhammad ibn Abd al-Mun'im ibn Ammar ibn Hamil ibn Mawhub al-Harrani al-Hanbali, known by the kunyas Abu Abd Allah and Abu Muhammad, and styled with the title al-Ra'is. He was born in Harran in 603 AH (1206/1207 CE).
Travels and Hadith Studies
Ibn Hamil undertook extensive journeys to collect hadith across several major scholarly centers. In Baghdad, he heard narrations from scholars including Umar ibn Karam, Abu al-Hasan al-Qati'i, al-Hasan ibn al-Amir al-Sayyid, Zakariyya al-Ilbi, Abu Salih al-Jili, al-Anjab al-Hammami, al-Muhadhdhab ibn Qatida, and Ibn Ruzbah. In Damascus, his teachers included Ibn al-Zubaydi, Ibn al-Latti, Ja'far al-Hamdani, al-Musallam al-Mazini, Ibn Sabbah, Qadi Abu Nasr al-Shirazi, and al-Diya al-Maqdisi, under whom he trained extensively and from whom he transmitted in abundance.
During his journey to Egypt, he studied in Cairo under Ibn al-Sabuni, Ibn Rawaj, al-Sakhawi, and others, and in Alexandria under al-Safrawi, Murtada ibn Abi al-Jud, al-Hasan ibn Dinar, and the disciples of Abu Tahir al-Silafi. In Aleppo, he studied under Ibn Ya'ish, Ibn Rawahah, and Ibn Khalil, recording three-narrator hadiths (thulathiyyat) of al-Bukhari through the transmissions of Abu al-Waqt's circle.
Teaching and Standing
After settling in Damascus, Ibn Hamil held the position of Shaykh al-Hadith at the Alimah school (al-Madrasah al-Alimah). He was known for copying extensive volumes in his own hand, compiling narrations with elevated chains in his tract Ahadith awalin min masmu'at Ibn Hamil, and endowing his manuscripts and hadith parts (ajza') to the Diya'iyyah library.
Scholars characterized him as pious, modest, discreet, affable, and diligent in hadith scholarship. Shams al-Din al-Dhahabi remarked that he devoted himself fully to hadith, copiously transcribing and teaching it. Abd al-Mu'min ibn Khalaf al-Dimyati, who studied under him and transmitted from him, referred to him as al-Imam al-Hafiz. Among his other prominent students and narrators were Ibn al-Khabbaz, Ibn Abi al-Fath, and Ibn al-Attar.
Death
Ibn Hamil died on the eve of Wednesday, 8 Ramadan 671 AH (29 March 1273 CE) at the Small Hospital (al-Maristan al-Saghir) in Damascus. He was buried the following day at the foot of Mount Qasiyun.
Answer updated
List of Works
Ahadith Awalin min Masmuat Ibn Hamil (High-Chain Hadiths from the Auditions of Ibn Hamil) is a hadith tract (juz') that gathers narrations with elevated transmission chains (isnad 'ali) and poetic selections transmitted through personal audition chains.