Yahya ibn Ma'in (; 774-847) was a classical Islamic scholar in the field of hadith. He was a close friend of Ahmad ibn Hanbal for much of his life. Ibn Ma'in is known to have spent all of his inheritance on seeking hadith to the extent he became extremely needy.
Yahya ibn Ma'in was born in 158 (A.H.) during the caliphate of Abu JaâÂÂfar al-Mansur to Nabataean ancestry from Al-Anbar and was raised in Baghdad. He was the oldest of a prominent group of muḥadiths (experts in ḥadëth) known as Al-JamÃÂ'a Al-KibÃÂr (The Great Assembly), which included Ali ibn al-Madini, Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Ishaq ibn Rahwayh, Abu Bakr ibn Abi Shaybah, and Abu Khaithama. He was a close friend of Ahmad ibn Hanbal and is often quoted regarding Ilm ar-Rijal. Alongside Ibn Hanbal, Ali ibn al-Madini, Ibn Abi Shaybah, and Baqi ibn Makhlad, Ibn Ma'in has been considered by many Muslim specialists in hadith to be one of the most significant 9th-century authors in the field.
Yahya sought knowledge by means of various journeys which he made so rigorously that after the passing of his father, he spent all of his 1,050,000 inherited dirhams on seeking ḥadëth to the extent that nothing remained - not even enough to purchase a pair of shoes. His journey of seeking knowledge of hadith and Islamic rulings took him to Basrah, BagdÃÂd, HarÃÂn, Dimasq, al-RasÃÂfah, al-Ray, SanÿÃÂâÂÂ, KufÃÂ, Egypt and Mecca. Despite being a master of his science, his works were not limited to mere approbations and disapprobation of narrators, or narrating of aḥÃÂdëth; rather, he progressed forward as an author writing many books, although many are no longer extant, despite his formally writing as an author from the age of twenty. Of the books available today are; MaâÂÂrifatul al-RijÃÂl, Yaḥyàbin Maÿën wa KitÃÂbuhu âÂÂl-TÃÂrëkh and a small treatise titled âÂÂMin KalÃÂm Abë ZakariyyàYaḥyàbin Maÿën fi âÂÂl-RijÃÂlâÂÂ.
His teachers included Abdullah Ibn al-MubÃÂrak, IsmÃÂÿël ibn ÿIyÃÂsh, âÂÂAbÃÂd ibn âÂÂAbÃÂd, SufyÃÂn ibn ÿUyainah, Gundur, Abà « MuÿÃÂwiyyah, ḤÃÂtim ibn IsmÃÂÿël, Ḥafá¹£ ibn GiyÃÂth, Jarër ibn ÿAbdul-Ḥamëd, âÂÂAbd ur-RuzzÃÂq Sanani, Wakëâ and many others from IrÃÂq, ḤijÃÂz, Jazërah, ShÃÂm and Miá¹£r.
His famous students included Aḥmad bin Ḥanbal, Muḥammad bin Sÿad, Abà « Khaithamah, al-BukhÃÂrë, Muslim, Abà « DÃÂwà «d, ÿAbbÃÂs al-Dawrë, Abà « ḤÃÂtim and many more.
Together with Ibn Saÿd and five others, he was ordered in 218/833 by al-Maþmà «n. Tòhòreatened with death, they complied and the event was well publicised (al-Ṭabarë, volume 3, 1116). As a result, Ibn Ḥanbal stopped speaking to him subsequently. However, he reportedly repented to him personally towards the end of his life, with Ibn Hanbal forgiving him and returning to speaking terms with him. He reputedly exposed many traditions as false and is regarded as one of the most critical early experts on ridòjòÃÂl. He reportedly left behind a huge library.