Imaam Abu ‘Ubayd Al-Qaasim Ibn Sallaam
He is Abu ‘Ubayd al-Qaasim bin Sallaam Al-Baghdaadee, the Imaam, the Mujtahid, the Ocean of knowledge, the Linguist and the Legal Jurist.
He was born in Herat in about the year 158H and his father was a Roman slave to some of the people in Herat.
He heard (learned) from a group of the trustworthy Imaams, like Sufyaan Ibn ‘Uyainah, Isma’eel Ibn Ulayyah, Yazeed Ibn Haaroon, Yahya Ibn Sa’eed Al-Qattaan, ‘Abdur-Rahmaan Ibn Mahdee, Hammaad Ibn Salama and others.
Imaam Ad-Daarimee, Abu Bakr Ibn Abee Ad-Dunyaa, ‘Alee Ibn ‘Abdil-‘Azeez Al-Baghawee, Muhammad Ibn Yahyaa Al-Marwazee and others narrated from him.
Imaam Ishaaq bin Raahawaih said of him: “Allaah loves the truth. Abu ‘Ubayd is more knowledgeable and has deeper understanding than me.”
He also said: “We are dependant upon Abu ‘Ubayd and Abu ‘Ubayd is not dependant upon us.”
Imaam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal said: “Abu ‘Ubayd is a teacher (ustaadh) and every day he increases in good.”
And Yahyaa Ibn Ma’een was asked about him, to which he replied that rather, people should ask Abu ‘Ubayd about him!
Abu Dawood said: “He is trustworthy, reliable.”
Al-Haafidh Adh-Dhahabee said: “Whosoever looks into the books of Abu ‘Ubayd will know his high rank in memorization and knowledge, he was a Haafidh of hadeeth and it’s defects, knowledgeable of Fiqh and the difference of opinions, a pillar in the Language, an Imaam in recitation and he wrote books concerning them. I have come across his books Kitaab al-Amwaal and Kitaab an-Naasikh wal Mansookh.”
Al-Khateeb Al-Baghdaadee said: “He was possessing nobility, religion, excellent manners, a good madh-hab and excellent books sought after in every land. And the narrators from him are famous and trustworthy - deserving of mention and excellence, and his book concerning al-Amwaal is one of the best books written on Fiqh."
I say: Despite these virtues and excellent qualities, the Six Imaams (of the famous six books on Hadeeth) did not report any of his hadeeth, and this is from the many evidences that they reported from only some of the trustworthy narrators of hadeeth. So there is nothing strange, after knowing this, that Imaam Bukhaaree did not narrate from some of the trustworthy narrators from the Ahlul-Bait may Allaah be pleased with them.
From the words of Abu ‘Ubayd, may Allaah have mercy on him, are: “The follower of the Sunnah is like one holding onto hot stones, and in this day he is more excellent in my eyes than the one who raises the sword in the Way of Allaah.”
I say: This was in his time, so what would be said about our times?
He, may Allaah have mercy on him, stayed in Baghdad for a time, then he became the Qaadee (Judge) in Turtoos, then after that he moved to Mecca and lived there until he died in the year 224.
Author: Shaykh Muhammad Naasir-ud-Deen al-Albaanee
Translator: Abu Rumaysah
Source: Kitaab-ul-Eemaan (pg. 5-6), by Imaam Al-Qaasim Ibn Sallaam
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