Abū Saʿīd Aḥmad ibn al-Ḥusayn al-Bardhaʿī

Of this generation was Abū ʿAlī al-Daqqāq al-Rāzī, author of the book on menstruation. He studied by reading with Mūsā ibn Naṣr al-Rāzī. Abū Saʿīd al-Bardhaʿī learned from Abū ʿAlī.

Of this generation was Abū ʿAlī al-Daqqāq al-Rāzī, author of the book on menstruation. He studied by reading with Mūsā ibn Naṣr al-Rāzī. Abū Saʿīd al-Bardhaʿī learned from Abū ʿAlī.

Among those later than this generation was the judge Abū Khāzim ʿAbd al-Ḥamīd ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz, originally from Basra. He learned from Bakr al-ʿAmmī and the Basran shaykhs. He was of great standing and held judicial office in Syria, Kufa, and al-Karkh in Madīnat al-Salām. ʿAbd Allāh ibn Sulaymān addressed him about selling an orphan's estate adjoining some of his estates. He wrote to him: “If the minister, may God strengthen him, sees fit, let him make me one of two men: either a man by whom judicial office is protected, or a man from whom judicial office is protected. Peace.” The jurists Abū Jaʿfar al-Ṭaḥāwī and Abū Ṭāhir al-Dabbās learned from him. Abū al-Ḥasan al-Karkhī met him and attended his sessions, while being closely attached to al-Bardhaʿī.

Among those later than this generation was the judge Abū Khāzim ʿAbd al-Ḥamīd ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz, originally from Basra. He learned from Bakr al-ʿAmmī and the Basran shaykhs. He was of great standing and held judicial office in Syria, Kufa, and al-Karkh in Madīnat al-Salām. ʿUbayd Allāh ibn Sulaymān addressed him about selling an orphan's estate adjoining some of his estates. He wrote to him: “If the minister, may God strengthen him, sees fit, let him make me one of two men: either a man by whom judicial office is protected, or a man from whom judicial office is protected. Peace.” The jurists Abū Jaʿfar al-Ṭaḥāwī and Abū Ṭāhir al-Dabbās learned from him. Abū al-Ḥasan al-Karkhī met him and attended his sessions, while being closely attached to al-Bardhaʿī.

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.

After Abū Khāzim and Abū Saʿīd, teaching in Baghdad passed to Abū al-Ḥasan ʿUbayd Allāh ibn al-Ḥusayn al-Karkhī. The leadership of Abū Ḥanīfa's companions culminated in him. His students spread through the lands, held judicial office in the regions, and taught. Alongside his abundant knowledge and numerous transmissions, Abū al-Ḥasan was deeply devoted to worship, frequent in fasting and prayer, intensely scrupulous, patient with poverty and need, and averse to what was in people's hands.

After Abū Khāzim and Abū Saʿīd, teaching in Baghdad passed to Abū al-Ḥasan ʿUbayd Allāh ibn al-Ḥusayn al-Karkhī. The leadership of Abū Ḥanīfa's companions culminated in him. His students spread through the lands, held judicial office in the regions, and taught. Alongside his abundant knowledge and numerous transmissions, Abū al-Ḥasan was deeply devoted to worship, frequent in fasting and prayer, intensely scrupulous, patient with poverty and need, and averse to what was in people's hands.

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.