ابن شهاب الزهري

al-Zuhri (RH)

Ibn Shihab al-Zuhri

Also known as: Ibn Shihab

c. 50–124 AH · c. 670–742 CE

Hadith Fiqh

The great Madinan hadith master, among the first to record hadith systematically.

Al-Zuhri learned from the last Companions and the leading Tabi'in of Madinah, including Sa'id ibn al-Musayyib. He had a famous memory and was among the first to write hadith down in a systematic way, at a time when many scholars still relied on memory alone.

The caliph 'Umar ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz is reported to have asked him to gather the Sunnah in writing. Imam Malik and many others narrated from him, and his chains of transmission run through Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim.

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Life journey

c. 670 CE Madinah المدينة
700 CE Damascus دمشق
Died 742 CE · 124 AH
Served at the Umayyad court in Syria; he died at his estate at Shaghb, on the road between the Hijaz and Syria. The map point and year are approximate.

Teachers

Anas ibn Malik (RA) c. 612–712 CE
Al-Zuhri heard hadith from Anas, one of the last Companions alive.
Sa'id ibn al-Musayyib (RH) c. 637–c. 713 CE
Al-Zuhri sat in Sa'id's circle in Madinah for years; Sa'id was among his principal teachers.
Zayn al-'Abidin (RH) c. 658–c. 713 CE
Al-Zuhri learned from 'Ali ibn al-Husayn in Madinah and praised his knowledge and character highly.

Students

Imam Malik (RH) 711–795 CE
Malik studied hadith with al-Zuhri, one of the most frequent names in the chains of the Muwatta'.

Places in their life

Sources

al-Dhahabi, Siyar A'lam al-Nubala'
Ibn Hajar al-'Asqalani, Tahdhib al-Tahdhib

Draft, awaiting scholarly review.

Birth reported between 50 and 58 AH.