Biography of Muslim Scholar – Yahya Ibn Ma’in

Yahya Ibn Ma’in

His full name is Yahya Ibn Ma`in Ibn `Aun Ibn Ziyad Ibn Bistham Al-Ghatfan Al-Baghdadi. His father was an important person in his country, thus, when he died, Yahya received one million dirhams of inheritance, and he used it as his ransom in seeking for hadith. He was born on 158 H. His nickname was “Abu Zakaria”, but he was most famously known as “Ibn Ma’in”. He was an expert in hadith and chronicler of the narrator of hadith.

His teachers and students

He travelled a lot in order to study knowledges, thus he had plenty of teachers from various countries. Among his teachers were Abdullah Ibn Mubarak, Husyaim, Ismail bin `Ayasy, Abbad Ibn Abbad, Sufyan Ibn Uyaina, Ghundar, Hatim Ibn Ismail, Hafs Ibn Ghiyats, Jarir Ibn Abdil Hamid, Abdur Razaq, Marwan Ibn Mu`awiya, Hisyam Ibn Yusuf, Isa Ibn Yunus, Waqi`, Yahya Al-Qaththan, Abdurrahman Ibn Mahdi, and many other scholars from Iraq, Hijaz, Al Jazeera, Sham, and Egypt.

Whereas among his senior students were Imam Ahmad Ibn Hambal, Muhammad Ibn Sa`d, Abu Khaitsmah, Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Daud, Abbas Ad-Duri, Abu Bakar Ash-Shaghani, Abdul Khalik Ibn Manshur, Utsman Ibn Sa`id Ad-Darimi, Abu Zur`ah, Abu Hatim Ar-Razi, Ibrahim Ibn Abdillah Al-Junaid, Ahmad Ibn Ali Al-Marwazi, Muhammad Ibn Wadhah, Ja`far Al-Firyabi, Musa Ibn Harun, Abu Ya`la Al-Mushili, and many others.

Praises for Ibn Ma’in

He was among the grand scholars in the field of hadith, not only among the scholars of his time, but also among the scholars after them. Among the praises of the scholars for him were:

– An Nisa’i said, “Abu Zakaria is a trusted man, and one of the experts in hadith.”
– Ali Al Madini said, “I’ve never seen, from the time of Adam, a man who writes hadith better than the writing of Yahya Ibn Ma’in.” He also said, “The peak of men’s knowledge could be found in Yahya Ibn Ma’in.”
– Yahya Ibn Ma’in himself ever said, “I’ve written with my hand about one million hadith.”
– Yahya Al-Qaththan said, “No one ever came to us, like these two people: Ahmad Ibn Hanbal and Yahya Ibn Ma `in.”
– Imam Ahmad said, “Yahya Ibn Ma’in is the one who understand most about the science of narrators of hadith.”
– Imam Adz Dzahabi dubbed him “Sayyid Al Huffazh” (leader of the experts of hadith).
– Ibn Hajar Al Asqalani dubbed him “Imam Al-Jarh wa At-Ta`dil” (leader in the matter of positive and negative recommendation).

After he mentioned about the brief biography of Ibn Ma’in, Imam Adz Dzahabi said, “Yahya is too well known for me to talk about his excellencies.” Then he brought a story from Hubaish Ibn Mubasyir, one of the trusted scholar, :”I met Yahya Ibn Ma’in in my dream. I asked him, ‘What have Allah given to you?’. Yahya answered, ‘Allah has given me pleasures, made me married three hundred virgins, and prepared for me between two doors.”

The works of Ibn Ma’in
Among the works of Imam Yahya Ibn Ma’in were “At-Tarikh wa Al-Ilal” and ” Ma`rifah Ar-Rijal”.

The death of Ibn Ma’in

He died on month Dzulhijja, in Medina, during the pilgrimage, year 233 H. May Allah have mercy on him and his family.

References:

• “Siyar A`lam An-Nubala’”: volume 11. by Adz-Dzahabi. Muassasah Ar-Risalah. 1405 H.
• “Tadzkirah Al-Huffazh”: volume 2. by Adz-Dzahabi. Al-Maktabah Ash Shameela.