Khalifa ibn Khayyat
- Died
- 240 AH
- Born in
- Basra
Khalifa ibn Khayyat (d. 240 AH / 854 CE) was an early Basran historian, genealogist, and hadith transmitter, best known for his chronicle Tarikh Khalifa ibn Khayyat and his biographical compendium al-Tabaqat.
Lineage and Background
His full lineage is Khalifa ibn Khayyat ibn Khalifa ibn Khayyat al-‘Usfuri al-Tamimi, and he was known by the agnomen Abu ‘Amr—though Abu Bakr is also recorded—and the nickname Shabab. The nisba al-‘Usfuri relates to the trade of safflower (‘usfur), used for dyeing garments. He was born into a scholarly family in Basra; his grandfather, Abu Hubayra Khalifa ibn Khayyat (d. 160 AH), was himself a notable hadith transmitter.
Education and Transmission
Khalifa studied in Basra and acquired broad expertise in genealogical lore, historical narratives (ayyam al-nas), and prophetic traditions. Among his prominent teachers were his father, Sufyan ibn ‘Uyaynah, Yazid ibn Zuray‘, Bishr ibn al-Mufaddal, Mu‘tamar ibn Sulayman, and Yahya al-Qattan, as well as historical authorities such as Hisham ibn al-Kalbi and Ali ibn Muhammad al-Mada'ini.
A substantial group of scholars transmitted reports from him. Most notably, Muhammad ibn Isma‘il al-Bukhari narrated several traditions from him in his Sahih. His other students included Abd Allah ibn Abd al-Rahman al-Darimi, Baqi ibn Makhlad, Abu Ya‘la al-Mawsili, Abu Bakr ibn Abi ‘Asim, and Zakariyya al-Saji.
Scholarly Standing and Reception
Khalifa was widely recognized as an authority on lineages, biographical ranks, and early Islamic historical events. Ibn Hibban characterized him as precise and deeply learned in genealogies and historical annals. Ibn ‘Adi defended his reliability, describing him as a truthful transmitter of upright standing (mustaqim al-hadith) and one of the alert traditionists, and dismissed a disparaging remark attributed to Ali ibn al-Madini as unauthentic due to a defective chain.
However, evaluations of his hadith transmission varied among critics. Abu Hatim al-Razi regarded him as not strong (ghayr qawi) and declined to transmit from him after questioning three reports found in his Musnad attributed to Abu al-Walid al-Tayalisi, which Abu al-Walid initially disavowed. Abu Zur‘ah al-Razi likewise crossed out traditions he had collected from him, Yahya ibn Ma‘in stated in one report that he was not among the primary hadith specialists, and al-Daraqutni noted that scholars had voiced criticisms against him.
Death
Khalifa ibn Khayyat died in 240 AH (854 CE), reportedly in his eighties.
Answer updated
List of Works
al-Tabaqat (The Generations) is an early biographical compendium of hadith transmitters across the first three centuries of Islam. It contains entries for approximately 3,375 figures, encompassing Companions, Successors (tabi‘un), and subsequent generations of both men and women. The work organizes entries using principles of genealogy, generations, and regional centers, providing concise records of lineages, agnomens, residences, and death dates.
Tarikh Khalifa ibn Khayyat is an early Islamic chronicle and an annalistic general history. Adopting a year-by-year framework covering major events of early Islamic history, it documents political developments, appointments of provincial governors and judges, and necrologies of prominent figures, using verified chains of transmission in the tradition of prophetic tradition scholars.
Musnad Khalifa ibn Khayyat is an early hadith collection. Attested in early biographical and hadith-critical literature as a distinct compilation of narrated reports, it contains prophetic traditions and was referenced in scholarly discussions evaluating the standing and accuracy of hadith narrators.