Nuaym ibn Hammad al-Marwazi

Nuaym ibn Hammad al-Marwazi (d. 228 AH / 843 CE) was a Khurasani hadith scholar and jurist who resided in Egypt, best known for his early compilation of eschatological traditions, Kitab al-Fitan (The Book of Tribulations).Fiqh Ashrat al-Sa'a+1

Lineage and early life

He was Abu Abd Allah Nuaym ibn Hammad ibn Muawiyah ibn al-Harith ibn Hammam ibn Salama ibn Malik al-Khuza'i al-Marwazi.Tarikh Baghdad+1 He was known by the epithets al-Farid (or al-Faradi) due to his expertise in Islamic inheritance law (fara'id), as well as al-A'war.Mawsuat al-Qabail al-Arab…+1 Originating from Merv in Khurasan, he stated that he had initially adhered to Jahmi theological doctrines before pursuing hadith studies, which led him to reject Jahmism and author polemical refutations against it.Mawsuat al-Qabail al-Arab…+1 In his early career, he served as a scribe for Abu Ismah Nuh ibn Abi Maryam, from whom he learned methods of theological refutation.Mawsuat al-Qabail al-Arab…+1 He traveled extensively across Iraq and the Hijaz to study hadith before settling in Egypt, where he resided for over forty years.al-Mihna wa Atharuha fi M…+1

Education and scholarship

Nuaym studied under prominent early traditionists. He transmitted a single hadith from Ibrahim ibn Tahman, and heard extensively from Abdullah ibn al-Mubarak, Sufyan ibn Uyaynah, Hushaym ibn Bashir, Abu Hamzah al-Sukkari, Ibrahim ibn Sa'd, and al-Fadl ibn Musa al-Sinani.Tarikh Baghdad+1

A notable circle of scholars transmitted from him, including Muhammad ibn Isma'il al-Bukhari (who cited him in conjunction with other transmitters and in suspended mu'allaq chains), Yahya ibn Ma'in, Muhammad ibn Yahya al-Dhuhli, al-Darimi, and Abu Hatim al-Razi.Fiqh Ashrat al-Sa'a+1 His last direct student was Hamzah ibn Muhammad ibn Isa al-Katib, who studied under him while he was imprisoned.Tarikh Baghdad+1 Ahmad ibn Hanbal credited Nuaym as being the earliest scholar known to compile a musnad arranged by companion narrators.Awham al-Muhaddithin al-T…+1

Scholarly standing and criticism

Nuaym was regarded as a staunch champion of Sunnah traditions, though critics and biographers expressed mixed evaluations regarding his reliability as a transmitter.Awham al-Muhaddithin al-T…+1 Ahmad ibn Hanbal and al-Ijli declared him trustworthy (thiqah).Awham al-Muhaddithin al-T…+1 Al-Daraqutni characterized him as an "imam in the Sunnah, but prone to frequent error."Tarikh Baghdad Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani described him as truthful (saduq) yet frequently mistaken.Fiqh Ashrat al-Sa'a+1

Conversely, al-Nasa'i weakened him, observing that despite his vast knowledge, he reported excessive uncorroborated traditions (tafarrud) from well-known authorities, rendering him unusable as an independent proof.Siyar Aalam al-Nubala Ibn Adi tracked his anomalous reports, concluding that while certain transmissions were objectionable—including anomalous eschatological reports in Kitab al-Fitan—the remainder of his hadith corpus was sound.Fiqh Ashrat al-Sa'a+1

The Mihna and death

During the Mihna (Inquisition) concerning the createdness of the Quran during the caliphate of al-Mu'tasim, Nuaym was summoned from Egypt to Samarra in shackles alongside al-Buwayti.Umdat al-Qari Sharh Sahih…+1 When interrogated, he refused to assent to the doctrine of the creation of the Quran and was consequently cast into prison, where he remained until his death.Tarikh Baghdad+1

Nuaym died in prison in 228 AH (specifically recorded as the morning of Sunday, 13 Jumada al-Ula 228 AH), though other reports date his death to 227 AH or 229 AH.Tarikh Dimashq li-Ibn Asa…+1 He had instructed that he be buried in his chains, stating: "I am a disputant [before God]."Mawsuat al-Qabail al-Arab…+1 Upon his death, he was dragged in his fetters and cast into a pit without being washed, shrouded, or given funeral prayers by the authorities.al-Mihna wa Atharuha fi M…+1