Abū ʿAmr al-Ṭabarī

Of this generation was Abū Saʿīd Aḥmad ibn al-Ḥusayn al-Bardhaʿī. He learned from Abū ʿAlī al-Daqqāq and Mūsā ibn Naṣr. Abū al-Ḥasan al-Karkhī, Abū Ṭāhir al-Dabbās, Abū ʿAmr al-Ṭabarī, and their peers learned from him. He came to Baghdad on pilgrimage, entered the congregational mosque, and encountered Dāwūd ibn ʿAlī, the adherent of literal interpretation, debating a companion of Abū Ḥanīfa whom he had put at a disadvantage. He sat down and asked him about selling slave women who had borne their owners children. He replied, “It is permissible.” He asked, “Why?” He replied, “We agreed unanimously that selling them before conception was permissible; we do not abandon that consensus except for another consensus like it.” He replied, “After conception, before delivery, we agreed unanimously that selling her was impermissible. We must therefore hold to that consensus and not abandon it except for a consensus like it.” Dāwūd was silenced and said, “We shall examine this.” Abū Saʿīd got up and resolved to stay in Baghdad and teach, because he saw the predominance of the literalists. After some time, he dreamed that someone was saying to him, “As for the foam, it passes away; as for what benefits people, it remains on the earth” [Qurʾan 13:17]. He awoke to knocking at the door, and someone said, “Dāwūd ibn ʿAlī, the founder of the doctrine, has died. If you wish to pray over him, come.” Abū Saʿīd stayed for many years teaching, then departed for the pilgrimage and was killed with the pilgrims in the Qarmaṭian assault.

Of this generation was Abū Saʿīd Aḥmad ibn al-Ḥusayn al-Bardhaʿī. He learned from Abū ʿAlī al-Daqqāq and Mūsā ibn Naṣr. Abū al-Ḥasan al-Karkhī, Abū Ṭāhir al-Dabbās, Abū ʿAmr al-Ṭabarī, and their peers learned from him. He came to Baghdad on pilgrimage, entered the congregational mosque, and encountered Dāwūd ibn ʿAlī, the adherent of literal interpretation, debating a companion of Abū Ḥanīfa whom he had put at a disadvantage. He sat down and asked him about selling slave women who had borne their owners children. He replied, “It is permissible.” He asked, “Why?” He replied, “We agreed unanimously that selling them before conception was permissible; we do not abandon that consensus except for another consensus like it.” He replied, “After conception, before delivery, we agreed unanimously that selling her was impermissible. We must therefore hold to that consensus and not abandon it except for a consensus like it.” Dāwūd was silenced and said, “We shall examine this.” Abū Saʿīd got up and resolved to stay in Baghdad and teach, because he saw the predominance of the literalists. After some time, he dreamed that someone was saying to him, “As for the foam, it passes away; as for what benefits people, it remains on the earth” [Qurʾan 13:17]. He awoke to knocking at the door, and someone said, “Dāwūd ibn ʿAlī, the founder of the doctrine, has died. If you wish to pray over him, come.” Abū Saʿīd stayed for many years teaching, then departed for the pilgrimage and was killed with the pilgrims in the Qarmaṭian assault.

Of this generation was Abū ʿAmr al-Ṭabarī. He lived in Baghdad and taught while Shaykh Abū al-Ḥasan al-Karkhī was teaching. He had a commentary on both Jāmiʿ works and served as a witness before Judge Aḥmad ibn ʿAbd Allāh al-Khiraqī.

Of this generation was Abū ʿAmr al-Ṭabarī. He lived in Baghdad and taught while Shaykh Abū al-Ḥasan al-Karkhī was teaching. He had a commentary on both Jāmiʿ works and served as a witness before Judge Aḥmad ibn ʿAbd Allāh al-Khiraqī.

Judge Abū ʿAbd Allāh al-Ḥusayn ibn Hārūn al-Ḍabbī related to me: Aḥmad ibn ʿAbd Allāh al-Khiraqī rode to Abū ʿAmr to ask him to serve as a witness before him. He refused, saying, “Abū ʿUmar called me to this task and I did not answer him; how should I answer now?” Aḥmad ibn ʿAbd Allāh said, “Abū ʿUmar wanted to honor you through witnessing, although he differed from you in doctrine. I want you to honor me by witnessing before me, while I agree with you in religion.” That very day he rode to him and served as a witness before him. Abū ʿAmr died in the year forty [340 in the chapter's chronology; the Arabic gives only ‘forty’].

Judge Abū ʿAbd Allāh al-Ḥusayn ibn Hārūn al-Ḍabbī related to me: Aḥmad ibn ʿAbd Allāh al-Khiraqī rode to Abū ʿAmr to ask him to serve as a witness before him. He refused, saying, “Abū ʿUmar called me to this task and I did not answer him; how should I answer now?” Aḥmad ibn ʿAbd Allāh said, “Abū ʿUmar wanted to honor you through witnessing, although he differed from you in doctrine. I want you to honor me by witnessing before me, while I agree with you in religion.” That very day he rode to him and served as a witness before him. Abū ʿAmr died in the year forty [340 in the chapter's chronology; the Arabic gives only ‘forty’].

Of this generation was Abū Muḥammad ibn ʿAbdak. He frequented Abū ʿAmr al-Ṭabarī. He had a commentary on the two Jāmiʿ works and a book on following ʿAlī and ʿAbd Allāh, God be pleased with them. He went to Basra, his native city, taught there, and died there in 347.

Of this generation was Abū Muḥammad ibn ʿAbdak. He frequented Abū ʿAmr al-Ṭabarī. He had a commentary on the two Jāmiʿ works and a book on following ʿAlī and ʿAbd Allāh, God be pleased with them. He went to Basra, his native city, taught there, and died there in 347.

Shaykh Abū Bakr Muḥammad ibn Mūsā al-Khwārizmī related to me that Abū Bakr Aḥmad ibn ʿAlī was born in 305, entered Baghdad in 325, and studied under Abū al-Ḥasan al-Karkhī. He then went to Ahwaz and returned to Baghdad after the high prices had ended. He went to Nishapur with al-Ḥākim al-Naysābūrī on Abū al-Ḥasan al-Karkhī's advice and counsel. Abū al-Ḥasan died while he was in Nishapur. He returned to Baghdad in 344, when Abū ʿAlī al-Shāshī was terminally ill, and began teaching in Abū al-Ḥasan al-Karkhī's mosque. The place was cramped [a tentative rendering of mutamāsikan]. He then moved to Suwayqat Ghālib and taught in Darb al-Muqayyar. In the year sixty [360] he moved to Darb ʿAbda and taught in its mosque. Abū Saʿīd al-Bardhaʿī had taught in the Darb ʿAbda mosque; Abū al-Ḥasan al-Karkhī studied jurisprudence there. Abū ʿAmr al-Ṭabarī and Judge Abū Muḥammad Sahl ibn Ibrāhīm taught there, followed by Abū ʿAlī al-Shāshī, then Shaykh Abū Bakr al-Rāzī, then our shaykh and teacher Abū Bakr Muḥammad ibn Mūsā al-Khwārizmī. It is our mosque, where we now teach. We hope that the blessings of these imams who preceded us in sitting there will reach us and those who visit us. Shaykh Abū Bakr Aḥmad ibn ʿAlī al-Rāzī died in Dhū al-Ḥijja 370. Shaykh Abū Bakr Muḥammad ibn Mūsā al-Khwārizmī prayed over him and placed him in his grave with his own hands. He took his seat in his mosque, having previously been seated there by him for about ten years, teaching there at the end of the day.

Shaykh Abū Bakr Muḥammad ibn Mūsā al-Khwārizmī related to me that Abū Bakr Aḥmad ibn ʿAlī was born in 305, entered Baghdad in 325, and studied under Abū al-Ḥasan al-Karkhī. He then went to Ahwaz and returned to Baghdad after the high prices had ended. He went to Nishapur with al-Ḥākim al-Naysābūrī on Abū al-Ḥasan al-Karkhī's advice and counsel. Abū al-Ḥasan died while he was in Nishapur. He returned to Baghdad in 344, when Abū ʿAlī al-Shāshī was terminally ill, and began teaching in Abū al-Ḥasan al-Karkhī's mosque. The place was cramped [a tentative rendering of mutamāsikan]. He then moved to Suwayqat Ghālib and taught in Darb al-Muqayyar. In the year sixty [360] he moved to Darb ʿAbda and taught in its mosque. Abū Saʿīd al-Bardhaʿī had taught in the Darb ʿAbda mosque; Abū al-Ḥasan al-Karkhī studied jurisprudence there. Abū ʿAmr al-Ṭabarī and Judge Abū Muḥammad Sahl ibn Ibrāhīm taught there, followed by Abū ʿAlī al-Shāshī, then Shaykh Abū Bakr al-Rāzī, then our shaykh and teacher Abū Bakr Muḥammad ibn Mūsā al-Khwārizmī. It is our mosque, where we now teach. We hope that the blessings of these imams who preceded us in sitting there will reach us and those who visit us. Shaykh Abū Bakr Aḥmad ibn ʿAlī al-Rāzī died in Dhū al-Ḥijja 370. Shaykh Abū Bakr Muḥammad ibn Mūsā al-Khwārizmī prayed over him and placed him in his grave with his own hands. He took his seat in his mosque, having previously been seated there by him for about ten years, teaching there at the end of the day.