He was imaam an-nahw (a leading scholar of Arabic linguistics): Aboo ‘Alee al-Hasan ibn Ahmad ibn ‘Abdil-Ghaffaar al-Faarisee al-Fasawee. He authored numerous writings.

He narrated a juz’ (short unorganized collection) of hadeeth that was narrated by Is-haaq ibn Raahooyah. He heard it from ‘Alee ibn al-Husayn ibn Ma‘daan, and he was the only one who narrated that collection.

Those who narrated from Aboo ‘Alee al-Faarisee included ‘Ubaydullaah al-Azharee, Abul-Qaasim at-Tanookhee, Aboo Muhammad al-Jawharee, and numerous others. He came to Baghdaad as a young man and he studied under az-Zajjaaj, Mabramaan [Muhammad ibn ‘Alee ibn Ismaa‘eel an-Nahwee], and Aboo Bakr as-Sarraaj. He later settled in Taraabulus (Tripoli) for a time, and then in Halab (Aleppo) where he came into contact with [its Governor referred to] as Sayf ad-Dawlah [‘Alee ibn ‘Abdillaah ibn Hamdaan]. Several leading scholars studied under him. The King referred to as ‘Adud ad-Dawlah [Fannaakhusroo ibn Hasan ibn Buwayh ad-Daylamee] used to say, “My upbringing is from Aboo ‘Alee when it comes to Arabic linguistics, and my upbringing is from ar-Raazee when it comes to astronomy.” Among Aboo ‘Alee’s students were Abul-Fath ibn Jinnee and ‘Alee ibn ‘Eesaa ar-Raba‘ee. Aboo ‘Alee wrote many beneficial works. He had some ideas of the faction known as the Mu‘tazilah{1}. He lived to the age of eighty-nine and he passed away in Baghdaad during Rabee‘ al-Awwal of the year 377h. He authored a book called al-Hujjah dealing with the ‘ilal of qiraa’aat (modes of reciting the Qur’aan), the two books al-Eedaah and at-Takmilah, and other things as well.

Notes:

{1} In another work entitled Meezaan al-I‘tidaal, al-Imaam ath-Thahabee commented that Aboo ‘Alee al-Faarisee was accused of having ideas of the Mu‘tazilah, but as a narrator of hadeeth he himself was a narrator of sound integrity and good retention.

References: Siyar A'laam an-Nubalaa', no. 3469 (at-Tawfeeqiyyah).

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