Qadi al-Maristan

Abu Bakr al-Ansari, commonly known as Qadi al-Maristan (442–535 AH / 1050–1141 CE), was a Baghdad-based Hanbali jurist, hadith transmitter, mathematician, and legal expert on inheritance, known for his compendium al-Mashyakha al-Kubra and his exceptionally high chains of hadith transmission Mujam al-Muallifin+1.

Identity and Early Life

His full name was Muhammad ibn Abd al-Baqi ibn Muhammad ibn Abd Allah ibn Muhammad ibn Abd al-Rahman ibn al-Rabi' ibn Thabit ibn Wahb ibn Mashja'a ibn al-Harith ibn Abd Allah ibn Ka'b ibn Malik al-Ansari al-Khazraji al-Salami al-Baghdadi al-Nasri Siyar Aalam al-Nubala+1. He traced his lineage to the companion Ka'b ibn Malik and was also known as Ibn Abi Tahir, while his father was called Sihr Hiba Siyar Aalam al-Nubala+1. The nisba al-Nasri refers to the quarter of al-Nasriyya in western Baghdad where he was born and raised, and he bore the professional epithet al-Bazzaz (cloth merchant) Siyar Aalam al-Nubala+1.

He was born on Tuesday, 10 Safar 442 AH Siyar Aalam al-Nubala+1. He memorized the Quran at the age of seven al-Taqyid li-Marifat Ruwa…+1. His father initiated his hadith education at a very young age, bringing him at age four to hear Abu Ishaq al-Barmaki Siyar Aalam al-Nubala+1.

Studies and Travels

He studied Hanbali jurisprudence in his youth under al-Qadi Abu Ya'la ibn al-Farra' and al-Sharif Abu Ja'far ibn Abi Musa Siyar Aalam al-Nubala+1. Guided largely by his neighbour, the itinerant hadith scholar Abd al-Muhsin al-Shihi, he heard hadith from prominent scholars of Baghdad, including al-Khatib al-Baghdadi, Ali ibn Isa al-Baqillani, Abu Muhammad al-Jawhari, Abu al-Tayyib al-Tabari, Abu Talib al-Ushari, and Abu al-Husayn ibn al-Abanusi Siyar Aalam al-Nubala+1.

He journeyed to Egypt, where he heard hadith from Abu Ishaq al-Habbal, passing through Damascus along the way al-Jami li-Kutub al-Duafa…+1. He also traveled to Mecca, where he resided for a period and studied under Abu Ma'shar al-Tabari, and he held written authorizations (ijazat) from scholars including al-Quda'i, Abu al-Qasim al-Tanukhi, and Karima al-Marwaziyya al-Alam lil-Zirikli+1. In addition to religious disciplines, he studied inheritance law, arithmetic, algebra, and geometry, authoring a commentary on Euclid (Sharh Uqlidis) Mujam al-Muallifin+1.

Career and Captivity

He acquired the title Qadi al-Maristan because he was appointed to oversee the endowments of al-Bimaristan al-Adudi in Baghdad Tarikh Dimashq li-Ibn Asa…+1. He also served as a certified judicial witness (mu'addil) before judges, including Chief Judge Abu al-Hasan al-Damaghani al-Maqsad al-Arshad fi Dh…+1.

During his travels, he was taken captive by the Byzantines and remained imprisoned for a year and a half, during which time he learned the Greek script al-Alam lil-Zirikli+1.

Standing and Transmission

In his later years, he became the primary reference for elevated transmission (musnid al-asr) across the Islamic world, being the last surviving transmitter from कई of his early teachers Siyar Aalam al-Nubala+1. He was the last person alive with only six trustworthy transmitters between himself and the Prophet ﷺ under the criteria of authentic hadith al-Jami li-Kutub al-Duafa…+1. Abu Sa'd al-Sam'ani described him as the most encompassing scholar of diverse disciplines he had encountered, noting that he heard him state multiple times: "I repented of every science I learned except hadith and its knowledge" al-Jami li-Kutub al-Duafa…+1. His hadith authorities and transmissions were assembled into a five-part work titled al-Mashyakha al-Kubra, and al-Sam'ani also compiled a smaller selection (al-Mashyakha al-Sughra) from him al-Alam lil-Zirikli+1. Ibn Asakir reported that he was accused of inclination toward the ancient sciences (madhhab al-awa'il) and that laxity in religion (riqqat din) was alleged against him al-Jami li-Kutub al-Duafa…+1.

A vast number of scholars studied under him, including al-Sam'ani, Ibn Asakir, Ibn al-Jawzi, Abu al-Yumn al-Kindi, Abu Hafs Umar ibn Tabarzad, Ahmad ibn Yahya al-Dabiqi, and Harun ibn al-Abbas al-Ma'muni Tashil al-Sabila li Murid…+3. The last surviving person to transmit directly from him was Abd al-Aziz ibn Ma'ali ibn Manina (d. 612 AH) Tashil al-Sabila li Murid…. Even past the age of ninety-three, his senses remained intact and he was able to read fine script from a distance, having suffered only a temporary period of deafness lasting about two months Lisan al-Mizan.

Death

He died in Baghdad on Wednesday, 2 Rajab 535 AH (other reports state the 3rd, 4th, or 5th of Rajab) and was buried at the Bab Harb cemetery Mujam al-Muallifin+2.