Abu Ma'shar Najëḥ bin 'Abd al-RaḥmÃÂn al-Sindë al-Madanë () commonly known as Abu Ma'shar al-Sindë was a Muslim historian and hadith scholar. A contemporary of Ibn Ishaq, he wrote the , fragments of which are preserved in the works of al-Waqidi and Ibn Sa'd. Al-Tabari quoted him for Biblical information and chronological statements about the Islamic prophet Muhammad and later Muslim conquests. As a hadith transmitter, Muslim experts in biographical evaluation () generally considered him unreliable.
According to one of his grandsons, Abu Ma'shar was originally from Yemen and was taken prisoner as a child during a raid by Yazid ibn al-Muhallab on either Al-Yamama or Al-Bahrain in approximately 97 AH / 715-6 CE. His original name was 'Abd al-RaḥmÃÂn bin al-Walëd bin HilÃÂl al-Sindë, and he initially became a client (mawlÃÂ) of the Banu Hanzala, a branch of the Tamim tribe. He was later purchased in Medina by a member of the Banà « Asad, who gave him the name Najëḥ ('the one giving good counsel'). However, according to alternative version by Ibn Sa'd, Abu Ma'shar was a mukÃÂtab (a slave under a manumission contract) of Banà « Makhzà «m, from whom he gave regular payments to purchase his freedom.
While still enslaved, Abu Ma'shar was bought by Umm Musa al-Hashimiyya, the wife of the Abbasid caliph Al-Mansur, who later manumitted him. Thus he became a client of the Banà « HÃÂshim. He reportedly preferred his clientage to his previous one with the Banà « ḤanáºÂala.
His nisba al-Sindë ('the one from Sind') indicates that his family was originally from Sindh (Modern-day Pakistan) before settling to the Gulf region. According to Josef Horovitz, Abu Ma'sharâÂÂs father might have migrated from Sind to Yemen. His nisba al-Madanë was a result of the fact that he lived for a long time in Medina. He is said to have been a student of (), who is regarded as a Companion by most scholars, thus Abu Ma'shar is regarded as a Tabi'un.
During his time in Medina he heard and memorised maghÃÂzë traditions that were recited and discussed at his master's house. He initially was set to work as an apprentice tailor, where several prominent tÃÂbi'ën used to visit him, including Muḥammad bin Ka'b al-QuraáºÂë, Muḥammad bin Qays and Sa'ëd al-Maqburë. He is said to have learnt the ḥadëths and reports recounted by them. His student Abu Nu'aym (d. 219/834âÂÂ5) described him, as intelligent and as one having a good memory, although speaking Arabic incorrectly, for instance, mispronouncing the letter kÃÂf as qÃÂf.
When the Abbasid caliph al-Mahdë visited Medina in the second year of his caliphate (160 AH / 776âÂÂ7 CE), he gave Abu Ma'shar one thousand gold dinars and invited him to Baghdad to teach the people Fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence). Abu Ma'shar accepted the offer and moved to Baghdad the following year in 161 AH/777âÂÂ8 CE, and lived there for the rest of his life.
Abà « Maÿshar died in Baghdad in Ramadan 170 AH / FebruaryâÂÂMarch 787 CE. According to some accounts, he suffered from mental breakdown and severe infirmities before his death. The Abbassid caliph HÃÂrà «n al-Rashëd () prayed led his funeral prayers. He was buried at the "Great Cemetery" (al-Maqbarah....) in western Baghdad.
Several scholars are listed as his major authorities, including Muḥammad bin Ka'b al-QuraáºÂë (), Nafi Mawla Ibn Umar (); and Hisham ibn Urwah (). Among Abu Ma'sharâÂÂs most important students were his son Muḥammad, his KitÃÂb al-maghÃÂzë and his complete Ta'rëkh, Al-Waqidi, who met Abu Ma'shar to discuss a tradition about a particular raid, IsḥÃÂq bin 'êsàal-ṬabbÃÂ' (d. 215/830âÂÂ1) who, transmitted his Ta'rëkh al-khulafÃÂ
Abà « Ma'shar authored one of the earliest known works on MaghÃÂzë. According to his son Muḥammad, he received these traditions from Muḥammad bin Qays al-QÃÂṣṣ (), Sa'ëd bin Abë Sa'ëd al-Maqbarë (), Shuraḥbël bin Sa'd (), among other Medinan scholars.
His MaghÃÂzë was primarily transmitted through his son Muḥammad and his student Muḥammad ibn BahrÃÂm al-Marwazë (d. 213âÂÂ215 AH / 828âÂÂ830 CE). According to Josef Horovitz, it also covered the entire life of the Prophet. The Maghazi doesn't survives and is only preserved in later citations. The majority of references to the MaghÃÂzë appear in the works of Al-Waqidi, and is also cited by Al-Baladhuri on several occasions. Additionally, Al-Ma'arri referred to and used a minor portion of the work known as al-Mab'ath.
His MaghÃÂzë didn't enjoyed a wide audience due to being overshadowed by Sirah of Ibn Ishaq and skepticism of rijÃÂl scholars regarding Abà « Ma'sharâÂÂs reliability as a ḥadëth transmitter. Nevertheless, scholars like Ahmad ibn Hanbal praised his knowledge of maghÃÂzë traditions.
Amonga all the works attributed to Abà « Ma'shar, he is best known for his historical writings, especially al-Taþrëkh and Taþrëkh al-KhulafÃÂþ. These works reportedly include detailed chronologies of political events, caliphal reigns, and the annual leadership of the ḥajj. However, neither text has survived in complete form.
Fragments of both works are preserved through later historians and compilers, including al-AzdëâÂÂs, Al-Waqidi, Ibn Sa'd, Al-Farisi, Al-Baladhuri, Al-Yaqubi, Al-Tabari, and Ibn Asakir, for instance, records two traditions and several chronological notes concerning the conquest of Syria. Al-Fasawë cites several traditions from Abà « Ma'shar, including five reports dealing with the dates of caliphal accessions and the appointment of ḥajj leaders.
Al-Ṭabarë quotes over one hundred fragments from Abà « Ma'shar, many of them concerning caliphs and ḥajj commanders. At the beginning of his Ta'rëkh, al-Ṭabarë also preserves traditions attributed to Abà « Ma'shar concerning the creation and the story of Adam and Eve. The largest known collection of Abà « Ma'sharâÂÂs fragments, approximately two hundred, is found in Ibn AsÃÂkir's Ta'rëkh Dimashq, which draws on more than thirty-five distinct lines of transmission. These fragments focus mainly on dating historical events and the succession of caliphs or pilgrimage leaders.
The final entry preserved from Abà « Ma'sharâÂÂs Ta'rëkh al-Khulafàconcerns the death of the Abbasid caliph al-HÃÂdë on 14 September 786, just months before Abà « Ma'sharâÂÂs own death.
Abà « Maÿshar also authored a separate work on the Event of al-Ḥarra, which was transmitted by one of his grandsons, DÃÂwà «d ibn Muḥammad ibn Abë Ma'shar. Although the original work has not survived, fragments of it are preserved through later citations found in the writings of Abu al-Arab, Al-Bayhaqi and Ibn Qutaybah.
Many scholars of rijÃÂl have accused him of negligence and carelessness and called his narrations âÂÂweakâ (á¸Âa'ëf). Other well-known authorities on rijÃÂl, including Yahya ibn Ma'in, did not consider him a reliable (thiqa) narrator, but his veracity (á¹£adà «q) was confirmed by some other authorities. Al-á¹¬à «së regarded Abu Ma'shar as one of the companions Ja'far al-Sadiq, mainly because he was his contemporary.
As a muḥaddith, he was criticised by Ibn Sa'd (d. 230/845), Ibn Ḥanbal (d. 241/855), and al-BukhÃÂrë (d. 256/870) for his loose treatment of the chains of transmitters (asÃÂnëd) and was considered a weak transmitter by Ibn Ma'ën (d. 233/847), Abu DÃÂwà «d (d. 316/929), Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani and al-NasÃÂ'ë (d. 303/915).