Abu Bakr Ahmad bin `Amr bin Abee Aasim ad-Dahhaak bin Makhlad ash-Shaybaanee, famously known as ibn Abee Aasim
The Imaam, the Great Haafidh, the one who closely followed the narrations, author of many works and the Faqeeh. From amongst his works was Kitaab as-Sunnah concerning the Attributes of Allah as were understood by the Salaf. He was born in the year 206H and died in the year 287H.
His mother was Asmaa the daughter of the Haafidh, Musaa bin Ismaa`eel at-Tabudhakee and it was under him and his father that ibn Abee Aasim began his studies. He also had the opportunity to study under his grandfather, Abu Aasim. His brother, Uthmaan bin `Amr bin Abee Aasim was also considered to be from the great scholars of that age. After the age of seventeen, he travelled to various lands in the pursuit of knowledge and during his travels accompanied a number of the Sufi scholars such as Abu Turaab an-Nakhshabee.
His Shaykhs were: Abu Waleed at-Tayaalisee, `Amr bin Marzooq, Abu Umar al-Hawdee, Muhammad bin Katheer, Muhammad bin Abee Bakr al-Muqaddamee, Shaybaan bin Farrookh, Hudbah bin Khaalid, Muhammad bin Abdullaah bin Numayr, Ibraaheem bin Muhammad ash-Shaafi`ee, Ya`qub bin Humayd bin Kaasib, Ibraaheem bin al-Hajjaaj as-Saamee, al-Hawtee Abdul-Wahhaab bin Najdah, Duhaym, Hishaam bin `Ammaar, Abu Bakr bin Abee Shaybah, Abdul-A`laa bin Hammaad, Kaamil bin Talha al-Jahdaree, Abu Kaamil al-Jahdaree, Abdullaah bin Muhammad bin Asmaa, Abu Haatim ar-Raazee, al-Bukhari, ibn Kaasib and Hishaam.
Those who narrated from him were: his daughter, Umm ad-Dahhaak `Aatika, Ahmad bin Ja`far bin Ma`bad, al-Qaadee Abu Ahmad al-Assaal, Muhammad bin Ishaaq bin Ayyub, Abdur-Rahmaan bin Muhammad bin Siyaah, Ahmad bin Muhammad bin `Aasim, Ahmad bin Bundaar ash-Sha`aar, Muhammad bin Ma`mar bin Naasih, Abu ash-Shaykh, Abu Bakr al-Qabbaab and Abu Abdullaah Muhammad bin Ahmad al-Kasaa`ee.
He was appointed as the Qaadee in Asbahaan for thirteen years until the year 282H. When he died his funeral was attended by an estimated two hundred thousand people.
He used to say: I do not like that my circles be attended by the innovator, or one who makes false allegations, or one given to cursing and abusing, or one who openly commits sins or one who has deviated from the way of ash-Shaafi`ee and the Ashaabul Hadeeth [with regards the Foundations of the Religion].
Abu ash-Shaykh said: he held a lofty station in terms of modesty, virtue, abstinence and chastity.
Abu al-Abbaas an-Nasawee said: Abu Bakr bin Abee Aasim, he is Ahmad bin `Amr bin ad-Dahhaak bin Makhlad ash-Shaybaanee from the inhabitants of Basrah, from the Sufis of the Masjid. He was amongst the Ahlus Sunnah and Hadeeth, from the ascetics and those who enjoined the good and forbade the evil. He accompanied the ascetics such as Abu Turaab and travelled with him. He was Dhaahiree in madh-hab, trustworthy and precise, noble.
Al-Haafidh Abu Nu`aym said: He was a faqeeh of the Dhaahiree madh-hab.
However this attribution in problematic because he wrote a book in refutation of Daawood adh-Dhaahiree concerning his weakening forty authentic hadeeth.
Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Muhammad al-Madeenee al-Bazzaar said: I went to Basrah while Ahmad bin Hanbal was still living and I asked him concerning the most knowledgeable in fiqh of them. He replied that there was no one in Basrah who was a greater faqeeh than Ahmad bin `Amr bin Abee Aasim.
Abu ash-Shaykh said: I heard my son narrate from Abu Abdullaah al-Kasaa`ee; I heard ibn Abee Aasim say: When the affair of al-Alawee occurred in Basrah all of my books were lost, so I re-wrote fifty thousand ahaadeeth from memory. I used to go to the greengrocers shop and write using the light of his lamp. Then I realised that I had not asked the permission of the owner of the lamp [to sit in its light] so I went to the sea and washed away all I had written and wrote it again.
[Ibn Katheer, al-Bidaayah wan Nihaayah (11/96); adh-Dhahabee, Siyar (13/430-439); Ibn Hajr, Lisaan al-Meezaan (7/298)]
The book he wrote on Aqeedah was as-Sunnah and it was published with the tahqeeq of Muhammad Naasir ad-Deen al-Albaanee. May Allah have mercy upon him.
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