Biography of Ibn ‘Adiyy

3-1-2018 | IslamWeb

Question:

Greetings again, Scholars. This is not a question about a hadith, but I would like to know, who was the scholar Ibn ‘Adi?

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Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

Ath-Thahabi wrote a biography for Ibn ‘Adiyy in his book Siyar A‘laam an-Nubalaa’ wherein he identified him as Abu Ahmad, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Adiyy ibn ‘Abdullah ibn Muhammad ibn Mubaarak ibn Al-Qattaan Al-Jirjaani, author of the book “Al-Kaamil in Al-Jarh wa At-Ta‘deel”. He was born in 277 A.H., and he first started listening to ahaadeeth in 290 A.H., and he travelled for the purpose of listening to them in 297 A.H.

He mentioned a number of his teachers and students. He quoted Hamzah ibn Yusuf, saying, “I asked Ad-Daaraqutni to write a book on the weak narrators, and he said, ‘Do you not have the book of Ibn ‘Adiyy?’ I replied, ‘Yes.’”

Hamzah As-Sahmi was quoted as having said, “Ibn ‘Adiyy was a memorizer of ahaadeeth, and he mastered its memorization; at his time, there was no one like him.” It was also reported that Abu Ya‘la Al-Khaleeli said, “Abu Ahmad (i.e. Ibn ‘Adiyy) was unrivaled in the memorization of ahaadeeth and in eminence.”

He mentioned that he died in Jumaada Al-Aakhirah in the year 365 A.H. .

Allah knows best.