"Mu^awiyah Ibnu Abi Sufyan embraced Islam only on the day of the conquest of Mecca" Al-Khatib Al-Baghdadiyy said

والصَّلَاةُ والسَّلاَمُ عَلَى سَيّدِنَا مُحَمَّدٍ أَشْرَفِ اْلمُرْسَلِيْنَ وَعَلَى آلِهِ وَصَحْبِهِ الطَّيّبِيْنَ الطَّاهِرِيْن

He is ‘Ahmad, also known as Abu Bakr, the son of ^Aliyy, the son of Thabit, the son of ‘Ahmad, the son of Mahdiyy al-Baghdadiyy. He was born in the year 392 AH to a father who delivered the Friday sermon every week in Darzayjan, a village near Baghdad, situated to the west of the Tigris.

Encouraged by his father, he commenced his studies in hadith and Islamic jurisprudence at the age of eleven. Upon reaching twenty, he travelled to Basra, and three years later, he proceeded to Nishapur, followed by journeys to the Levant, Mecca, and various other countries.

He studied hadith under the tutelage of Abu ^Umar Al-Farisiyy, ‘Ahmad ibnu Muhammad ibni As-Salt Al-Ahwaziyy, ‘Ibrahim Ibnu Makhlad, Abu l-Fadl At-Tamimiyy, Abu l-Qasim Al-Hasan Ibni l-Hasan Ibni l-Mundhir, and others. In Nishapur, he also received hadith instruction from Judge Abu Bakr Al-Hiriyy, Abu Sa^id As-Sayrafiyy, hafidh Abu Hazim Al-^Abdawiyy, among many others.

In Damascus, he spent five days reading the Sahih of Al-Bukhariyy in its entirety under the attentive supervision of Karimah, the daughter of ‘Ahmad. Upon returning to Baghdad, the vizier Abu l-Qasim Ibnu l-Muslimah granted him a significant position.

In his book " Mu^jam Al-Mu’allifin" Yaqut Al-Hamwiyy, along with others, reported from Imam Al-Khatib that he drank three sips of Zamzam water upon completing his pilgrimage, following the hadith :

«مَاءُ زَمْزَمَ لِمَا شُرِبَ لَهُ»

which means, "The blessing of Zamzam water is per the intention of the one who drinks it," he asked Allah, the Exalted, for three things: to write the history of Baghdad, to teach hadith in the great mosque of Al-Mansur, and to be buried near the grave of Bishr Al-Hafi. Allah granted him each of these wishes.

Subsequently, he travelled to the city of Sur, where he met Governor ^Izzu d-Dawlah, a generous man who forged a strong bond with him and bestowed upon him a substantial sum of money. This enabled him to compose nearly fifty works on various subjects.

Among the Noteworthy Events of His Life

One of the factual accounts that showcase the erudition and the expertise of Imam Al-Khatib Al-Baghdadiyy in the realm of history, emphasising the significance of reliable individuals in Islamic historiography dedicated to carrying, documenting, and preserving this knowledge, is an incident documented in multiple sources.

Indeed, it is reported that the disbelievers among the descendants of ‘Isra^il residing in Khaybar during the time of Al-Khatib Al-Baghdadiyy presented a document purportedly authored by the Messenger of Allah. This document allegedly revoked their obligation to pay the jizyah (capitulation tax). They claimed ^Aliyy Ibnu ‘Abi Talib penned it, may Allah accept his deeds, and bore the attestations of Mu^awiyah Ibnu Abi Sufyan and Sa^d Ibnu Mu^adh.

Al-Khatib Al-Baghdadiyy scrutinised the document and recognised it as slanderous and fanciful. When asked for proof, he stated, "Firstly, because Mu ^awiyah Ibnu Abi Sufyan embraced Islam only on the day of the conquest of Mecca, well after the events of Khaybar. Secondly, because Sa^d Ibnu Mu^adh passed away on the day of Al-Khandaq, in the year 5 AH, long before the events of Khaybar." The audience hailed his dialectical prowess and acknowledged his erudition and distinguished status.

His knowledge extended beyond history to encompass the honoured science of hadith, elevating him to the rank of a great hafidh. This prompted Imam Abu Ishaq Ash-Shiraziyy to liken him to Ad-Daraqutniyy. Mu’taman As-Sajiyy remarked about him: "After the passing of Ad-Daraqutniyy, Baghdad did not witness his equal except for Al-Khatib Al-Baghdadiyy." Furthermore, his literary achievements were noteworthy, as he possessed a graceful eloquence, excelling as a writer and poet. We have inherited from him wise and exhorting verses.

Scholars' Acclaim for Him

Adh-Dhahabiyy lauded him at the outset of the biography dedicated to him in his book " Siyaru ’A^lami n-Nubala’» writing: "The unparalleled Imam, the scholar, the jurist, the meticulous hafidh, the distinguished hadith scholar of the time, Abu Bakr Ahmad, son of ^Aliyy, son of Thabit, son of ‘Ahmad, son of Mahdiyy Al-Baghdadiyy, the author of numerous works, and the pinnacle of hafidh."

In the book "Al-Mustafadu min dhayli tarikhi Baghdad " Ibnu Makula stated: " Abu Bakr was the last of an elite we had the privilege to encounter, owing to the depth and breadth of his knowledge, his memorisation skills, and his intellectual mastery, as well as his precision and meticulousness in reporting hadith. He effortlessly discerned the subtle nuances that questioned their authenticity and scrutinised their chains of transmission. His expertise in categorising and distinguishing between sahih, gharib, fard, munkar, and matruh hadith was unparalleled. In this regard, he was the only counterpart to Ad-Daraqutniyy that the inhabitants of Baghdad knew after the latter's demise. I asked Abu ^Abdi l-Lah As-Suriyy: 'Who had memorised more hadith between Al-Khatib and Abu Nasr As-Sajaziyy?' He then favoured Al-Khatib and gave him a definite edge."

In the books " Tadhkiratu l-Huffadh " and " at-Tabaqat " As-Subkiyy conveyed from Ibnu Ishaq Ash-Shiraziyy that he said about Imam Al-Baghdadiyy: " Abu Bakr Al-Khatib is comparable to Ad-Daraqutniyy and his peers in hadith knowledge and memorisation."

Among As-Sam^aniyy’s commendable remarks regarding Al-Baghdadiyy is the following: "While I was in Merv, I heard Yusuf ibnu Ayyub say: Al-Khatib attended a session with our teacher, Abu Ishaq [Ash-Shiraziyy], during which he narrated a hadith from Bahar ibnu Kaniz As-Saqa. Then, Abu Ishaq turned to Al-Khatib and asked, 'What do you say about him?' Al- Khatib Al-Baghdadiyy replied, 'Since you ask, I will tell you.' Abu Ishaq yielded his place to him and sat like a student. Al-Khatib then adeptly elaborated on the status of Bahar Ibnu Kaniz. Sheikh Ash-Shiraziyy praised him, telling the audience, 'He is the Ad-Daraqutniyy of our time.'"

Abu ^Aliyy Al-Baradaniyy remarked about him: "I learned from the foremost memoriser (hafidh) of his time, Abu Bakr Al-Khatib; I have not encountered anyone like him, nor do I believe he encountered anyone similar to him."

As-Salafiyy commented regarding him: "I inquired with Shuja^ Adh-Dhuhliyy about Al-Khatib, and he replied: 'He is an imam, an author, a memoriser; we have not known anyone like him.'"