Muhammad ibn Fudayl al-Dabbi
- Died
- 195 AH
- Born in
- -
Muhammad ibn Fudayl al-Dabbi (d. 195 AH / 811 CE) was an 8th-century hadith scholar and Quranic reciter from Kufa, recognized as the compiler of early devotional texts including Kitab al-Dua (The Book of Supplication) .
Lineage and early life
He was Abu Abd al-Rahman Muhammad ibn Fudayl ibn Ghazwan ibn Jarir al-Dabbi, a client (mawla) of the Banu Dabbah tribe residing in Kufa . His grandfather Ghazwan was of Byzantine (Rumi) descent and took part in the Battle of al-Qadisiyyah alongside his patron from Banu Dabbah . His father, Fudayl ibn Ghazwan, was himself an esteemed hadith transmitter . Muhammad ibn Fudayl began hearing hadith in his youth, having visited the early scholar Mansur ibn al-Mutamir during an illness, and he studied Quranic recitation under Hamzah al-Zayyat .
Teachers and students
He studied hadith extensively under his father as well as prominent Kufan and regional figures, including Ismail ibn Abi Khalid, Asim al-Ahwal, Hisham ibn Urwah, al-Amash, Husayn ibn Abd al-Rahman, and Yahya ibn Said al-Ansari .
His transmissions were related by senior contemporaries such as Sufyan al-Thawri, as well as major figures of the succeeding generation, including Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Ishaq ibn Rahwayh, Abu Ubayd al-Qasim ibn Sallam, Abu Bakr ibn Abi Shaybah, Uthman ibn Abi Shaybah, and Qutaybah ibn Said . Aside from Kitab al-Dua, his authored compilations included Kitab al-Zuhd (The Book of Asceticism) and Kitab al-Siyam (The Book of Fasting) .
Scholarly standing and theological views
Ibn Fudayl was widely graded as trustworthy (thiqah) by prominent critical authorities, including Yahya ibn Main, Ali ibn al-Madini—who commended him as a reliable transmitter who rarely made errors—Ahmad ibn Abd Allah al-Ijli, and Yaqub ibn Sufyan al-Fasawi . Ahmad ibn Hanbal described his transmissions as good (hasan al-hadith), Abu Zurah al-Razi characterized him as truthful (saduq), and al-Nasai found no objection to him .
Scholars frequently noted his Shi'ite sympathies (tashayyu), which prompted divergent assessments . Abu Dawud al-Sijistani termed him an ardent Shi'ite, and Ibn Hibban claimed he engaged in extreme Shi'ism . Ibn Sad reported that while he was a prolific and truthful traditionist, some scholars avoided using his reports as authoritative proof . Al-Daraqutni reported that he harbored an aversion toward the third caliph, Uthman ibn Affan, to the extent that his father once beat him throughout the night to compel him to invoke mercy upon Uthman, which he refused to do . However, his student Abu Hisham al-Rifai narrated that he heard Ibn Fudayl pray for God's mercy on Uthman and declare anyone who refused to do so devoid of mercy, adding that he adhered firmly to mainstream Sunnah practices in prayer and ritual ablution . Al-Dhahabi remarked that his bias was directed solely against those who contested Ali ibn Abi Talib, while he maintained veneration for Abu Bakr and Umar .
Death
Muhammad ibn Fudayl died in Kufa in 195 AH (811 CE) according to al-Bukhari, Ibn Sad, and Ibn Hibban; another transmission attributed to Abu Dawud and others dates his death to the beginning of 194 AH . His funeral prayer was attended by the Kufan hadith scholar Waki ibn al-Jarrah .
Answer updated
List of Works
al-Dua (Kitab al-Dua, "The Book of Supplication") is an early hadith collection devoted to prophetic prayers and invocations. The work collects narrated traditions and reports transmitted from the Prophet, the Companions, and early figures concerning various supplications and remembrances, including prayers for distress, ritual ablution, invocations for fellow Muslims, and formulas for seeking divine refuge.