Ibn Abi al-Dunya

Ibn Abi Al-Dunya (208-281 AH) was a hadith scholar, literary historian, and educator. He was renowned for his books on hadith, history, asceticism, heart-softening narratives, and religious admonitions. He was a prolific author and is considered one of the most productive writers during the era of systematic Islamic compilation. His works demonstrate his extensive knowledge and deep understanding of many sciences and arts. Ibn Kathir mentioned that his works exceeded one hundred compilations, while Al-Dhahabi counted over one hundred and sixty works, which he listed alphabetically.

He was born in Baghdad at the beginning of the third century Hijri in 208 AH during the Abbasid Caliphate, and lived during the reign of several Abbasid caliphs, serving as a tutor to two of them. He grew up in a household of knowledge and religion, and began receiving education from prominent scholars of his time before the age of ten. His biographers mentioned hundreds of teachers under whom he studied, most notably: his father Muhammad bin Ubaid bin Sufyan, Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Abu Khaythama, Abu Ubaid Al-Qasim bin Sallam, Al-Bukhari, Khalaf bin Hisham, and Ali bin Al-Ja'd. Many notable scholars studied under him, including Abu Hatim Al-Razi and his son, Ahmad bin Muhammad Al-Lunbani, and Ahmad bin Salman Al-Najjad.

His era was marked by intellectual brilliance and talented individuals in various fields of thought. Numerous books were written in Quranic exegesis and sciences, hadith sciences (including the six major collections of hadith), jurisprudence and its principles, theology and philosophical theology, Arabic language and literature, history, medicine, pharmacy, and other fields. He died in the month of Jumada Al-Ula, 281 AH, at the age of seventy-three.