Ibn Zanjويه
- Died
- 251 AH
- Born in
- -
Ibn Zanjawayh (c. 180–251 AH / c. 796–865 CE) was a Khurasanian hadith scholar and jurist from Nasa, best known for his legal-financial treatise Kitab al-Amwal (The Book of Revenues) .
Lineage and Travels
His full name was Humayd ibn Mukhallad ibn Qutayba ibn Abd Allah al-Azdi al-Nasawi, with the kunya Abu Ahmad . His father Mukhallad was known by the nickname (laqab) "Zanjawayh", which became the family appellation by which he was widely recognized . He was born around 180 AH (796 CE) in Nasa in the region of Khurasan . In personal appearance, he was noted for not dyeing his gray hair .
He embarked on extensive journeys in pursuit of hadith, traveling through the Hijaz, Iraq, Syria—where he visited Aleppo—and Egypt . He also taught in major scholarly centers, including Nishapur and Baghdad .
Education, Teachers, and Students
Ibn Zanjawayh studied under numerous prominent scholars of his era, including al-Nadr ibn Shumayl, Yazid ibn Harun, Ja'far ibn Awn, Ubayd Allah ibn Musa, Wahb ibn Jarir, and Isma'il ibn Abi Uways . He also transmitted from Abu Ubayd al-Qasim ibn Sallam and met Ahmad ibn Hanbal .
A broad cohort of leading traditionists transmitted from him, including Muhammad ibn Isma'il al-Bukhari, Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj, Abu Dawud, al-Nasa'i, Abd Allah ibn Ahmad ibn Hanbal, and Ibrahim ibn Ishaq al-Harbi . He composed al-Targhib wa-l-Tarhib (Exhortation and Deterrence) alongside his major compilation on taxation and public revenue, Kitab al-Amwal .
Scholarly Standing
Ibn Zanjawayh was widely praised by his contemporaries and biographers for his precision, breadth of knowledge, and legal acumen. Ahmad ibn Sayyar described him as a leading figure in religious knowledge who possessed excellent jurisprudence and held high esteem among the people of his hometown . Abu Ubayd al-Qasim ibn Sallam praised him alongside his peer Ahmad ibn Shabawayh, remarking that no youth had come to them from Khurasan comparable to the two of them .
In biographical evaluation, al-Nasa'i declared him trustworthy (thiqah), and Abu Hatim al-Razi graded him as truthful (saduq) . Ibn Hibban highlighted his role in championing Sunnah traditions, noting that he was the scholar who openly established the Sunnah in Nasa .
Death
According to the Egyptian chronicler Abu Sa'id ibn Yunus, Ibn Zanjawayh arrived in Egypt, transmitted hadith there, and subsequently departed, dying in 251 AH (865 CE) . Another report places his death in Egypt in that same year, while alternative accounts state that he died earlier, in Nishapur in 247 AH (861 CE), or in 248 AH .
Answer updated
List of Works
Kitab al-Amwal (The Book of Revenues) is an early classical treatise on Islamic public finance, state administration, and legal rulings governing taxation and public wealth. The work gathers prophetic hadiths, statements of the Companions, administrative practices of early caliphs, and reports from early jurists to address financial obligations, revenue generation, and treasury expenditure.