Ibn Zanbur al-Warraq
- Died
- 396 AH
- Born in
- -
Abu Bakr Ibn Zanbur al-Warraq (d. 396 AH / 1005 CE) was a hadith transmitter and copyist based in Baghdad, noted for his transmission of several fourth-century hadith compilations.
Lineage and Transmissions
His full name is given as Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Umar ibn Ali ibn Khalaf ibn Muhammad ibn Zanbur ibn Amr ibn Tamim al-Baghdadi al-Warraq. Although some sources abbreviated his lineage as Muhammad ibn Umar ibn Khalaf ibn Zanbur, genealogist Ibn Makula noted that Ali was his grandfather and Khalaf was his great-grandfather.
Ibn Zanbur studied and transmitted hadith from several prominent authorities of his era, including Abu al-Qasim al-Baghawi (also known as Ibn Bint Mani‘), Abu Bakr ibn Abi Dawud, Yahya ibn Sa'id, and Umar ibn Muhammad al-Duri. A number of scholars related traditions on his authority, including Abu al-Qasim al-Azhari, Abu Muhammad al-Khallal, Duja al-Aswad, and Abu Abd Allah Ibn al-Sunni al-Qasri. The last surviving traditionist to narrate directly from him was Abu Nasr al-Zaynabi.
Scholarly Standing and Death
Hadith critics expressed reservations regarding Ibn Zanbur's precision. Al-Khatib al-Baghdadi classified him as "very weak" (da'if jiddan). Al-Azhari evaluated him as weak specifically in what he narrated from al-Baghawi, though he affirmed that Ibn Zanbur's direct audition from al-Duri was authentic. Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Utiqi remarked that he displayed laxity in his narrations. Later scholars such as Al-Dhahabi nonetheless preserved and cited his transmission pathways due to their elevated chains of transmission (isnad 'ali), specifically for texts such as Ibn Abi Dawud's Kitab al-Ba'th (The Book of the Resurrection).
Ibn Zanbur died in the month of Safar 396 AH (October–November 1005 CE).
Answer updated
List of Works
Min Hadith al-Baghawi wa Ibn Sa'id wa al-Hashimi is a short hadith compilation (juz'). The text gathers individual prophetic traditions and reports transmitted through chains from prominent traditionists, primarily Abu al-Qasim al-Baghawi, Yahya ibn Muhammad ibn Sa'id, and al-Hashimi.