Ibn Rizquyah

Ibn Rizquyah (325–412 AH / 937–1021 CE) was a Baghdad-based hadith scholar and Shafi'i jurist, widely known for his extensive transmissions and dictation sessions (amali) held in the Great Mosque of the City of al-Mansur Tarikh al-Islam+1.

Life and Education

His full name was Abu al-Hasan Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Rizq ibn Abd Allah ibn Yazid al-Baghdadi al-Bazzaz Tarikh al-Islam. He was born in 325 AH and worked as a cloth merchant (bazzaz) Tarikh al-Islam. His hadith studies began at an early age; he recorded his first audition on Wednesday, 17 Jumada al-Ula 337 AH, from Ismail ibn Muhammad al-Saffar Tarikh Baghdad.

Among his prominent teachers were Ismail ibn Muhammad al-Saffar, Muhammad ibn Yahya al-Ta'i, Muhammad ibn al-Bakhtari, Ali ibn Muhammad al-Misri, and Abd Allah ibn Abd al-Rahman al-Askari Tarikh al-Islam. He also transmitted from his maternal uncle, Ahmad ibn Abd al-Rahman ibn Danawayh Tarikh Baghdad. In jurisprudence, he studied and transcribed legal commentary according to the Shafi'i school Tarikh Baghdad.

Scholarly Activity and Standing

Ibn Rizquyah held dictation assemblies (amali) in the Great Mosque of Baghdad (Jami' al-Madina) from shortly after 380 AH until shortly before his death Tarikh al-Islam. His transmissions were later compiled into collections such as his Amali dictations and Juz' Ibn Rizquyah al-Kabir al-Mujam al-Mufahras = Ta…+1. He lost his sight in the latter part of his life; the historian al-Khatib al-Baghdadi noted that Ibn Rizquyah was the first teacher from whom he recorded hadith, attending one of his dictation sessions in 403 AH after he had become blind Tarikh al-Islam.

A large number of students studied under him, including al-Khatib al-Baghdadi, Abu al-Husayn Muhammad ibn al-Muhtadi Billah, Muhammad ibn Ali al-Handaquqi, Abd al-Aziz ibn Tahir al-Zahid, Muhammad ibn Ishaq al-Baqarhi, and Nasr ibn Ahmad ibn al-Batar Tarikh al-Islam+1.

Scholars praised his reliability and ascetic temperament. Al-Khatib al-Baghdadi characterized him as trustworthy, truthful, copious in audition and writing, sound in creed, and constant in reciting the Quran Tarikh al-Islam. Abu Bakr al-Barqani affirmed his trustworthiness (thiqah), and Hibat Allah ibn al-Hasan al-Lalika'i noted the vastness of his hadith narrations Tarikh Baghdad. Abu al-Qasim al-Azhari related that when a vizier distributed large sums of money to scholars in Baghdad, Ibn Rizquyah was the only one who returned the gift out of scrupulousness and detachment Tarikh Baghdad. Ibn Rizquyah was also quoted as saying: "By Allah, I do not love life in this world for earning or commerce, but rather for the remembrance of Allah and for reciting hadith to you" Tarikh Baghdad.

Because of his high status as a transmitter, later figures who falsely claimed to have heard traditions from him—such as the Sufi teacher Abu Bakr al-Turaythithi—were challenged and discredited by critical scholars on the basis of Ibn Rizquyah's well-established date of death al-Muntazam fi Tarikh al-…+1.

Death

Ibn Rizquyah died on the morning of Monday, 16 Jumada al-Ula 412 AH Tarikh Baghdad. He was buried on the same day after the midday (Dhuhr) prayer in the Bab al-Dayr cemetery near the tomb of Ma'ruf al-Karkhi Tarikh Baghdad. His funeral prayer was led by his son Abu Bakr in the presence of al-Khatib al-Baghdadi Tarikh Baghdad.