[Biography] Imam Qatadah Ibn Dia’amah Sadusi Basri [118H]

Compiled, Translated and Annotated

Abu Hibbaan & Abu Khuzaimah Ansaari

First Published 2000

His Birth And Lineage

His kunyah was Abul-Khataab. He was a great scholar and a famous memoriser of hadeeth. He was also blind.

He was born in 60H and was a well known explainer of the Qur’aan.

His Teachers And Those He Narrated From

He learnt hadeeth from,

Abdullaah Ibn Sarjiss,
Anas Ibn Maalik
Hasan al-Basree
Abul-A’aliyyah
Zarah Ibn Aufaa
A’taa
Mujaahid
Muhammad Ibn Seereen
Masrooq
Abu Majliz
Sa’eed Ibn Musaayab
Mu’adhah
Abu Tufail

And from a great majority of the successors.

His Students And Those Who Narrated From Him

Those who learnt from him include,

Mis’ar
Sa’eed ibn Abee A’aroobah
Shaibaan
Ayoob
Humaid
at-Taweel
Shu’bah
A’amash
Awzaa’ee
Mu’ammar
Abaan Ibn Yazeed
Abu Awaanah
Hammaad Ibn Salamah
Humaam

And many more…

The Scholars Praise Of Imaam Qataadah

Imaam adh-Dhahabee said,

“A scholar from the people of Basrah and Mu’ammar narrated from him.”

Imaam Mu’ammar said,

“Qataadah stayed with Sa’eed Ibn Musayyab for 8 days and after the 3rd day Sa’eed said to him, ‘O blind man, go elsewhere now, you have acquired all the knowledge I have.’”

Imaam Qataadah himself said,

“I have never asked a scholar of hadeeth to repeat a hadeeth for me because whatever enters my ears my heart immediately memorises.”

Imaam Ibn Seereen said,

“Qataadah was the strongest person in memorisation from amongst the people.”

Imaam Mu’ammar said,

“I have heard Qataadah saying, ‘There is no verse of the Qur’aan about which I have not heard anything.’”

Imaam Ahmad said,

“Qataadah knew the explanations of the Qur’aan and the differences of the scholars.”

Imaam Humaam said,

“I heard Qataadah say, ’20 years have passed and I have never issued verdicts based on opinion or analogical reasoning.’”

Imaam Sufyaan would say,

“Is there a person like Qataadah?”

Imaam Mu’ammar said,

“I asked Zuhree, ‘Is Qataadah a bigger scholar or Makhool?’ He said Qataadah was the bigger scholar.”

Imaam Mu’ammar also said,

“I have not seen anyone more of a jurist than Zuhree, Hammaad and Qataadah.”

Imaam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal said,

“Qataadah was the most preservant of hadeeth from the people of Basrah. Whatever he would hear he would memorise. Once the Saheehfah (hadeeth manuscript) of Jaabir was read to him and he memorised it.”

Imaam Shu’bah said,

“I read 70 ahaadeeth to Qataadah and apart from 4 he said he had heard them from Anas Ibn Maalik.”

Imaam Ibn Katheer said,

“The people acknowledged his knowledge, understanding of the religion and his expertise in the explanation of the Qur’aan.”

Imaam adh-Dhahabee said,

“Apart from being a great memoriser of hadeeth and a scholar of hadeeth, Qataadah was also an expert in Arabic, historical incidences of the Arabs and genealogy.”

Abu Amr E’laa said,

“Qataadah knew the most from all of the people the subject of genealogy.”

Bakr Ibn Abdullaah said,

“If the people want to note the memories of the people who met us then they should look at Qataadah.”

The leader of the jurists Sa’eed Ibn Musaayab said,

“No one more greater a memoriser of hadeeth came to us, in A’raaq, than Qataadah.”