Abi l-Ja'd Family

Al Abī l-Jaʿd (Arabic: آل أبي الجعد, lit. Abī l-Jaʿd Family) were a Shia family from the Ashja' tribe, which is considered a branch of Ghatafan in the genealogy of Arab tribes. For this reason, Al Abi l-Ja'd are mostly called "Ashja'i" and sometimes "Ghatafani". They migrated to Kufa between 20/640 to 40/660 (from the founding of Kufa until the caliphate of Imam Ali (a)); thus, they also have the attribution "Kufi".

There is no information regarding the ancestor of this family, whose name was Abu l-Ja'd Rafi' b. Salama. We only know that he lived in the Jahiliyya and Islamic eras. Some have counted him among the Companions as he narrated Hadith from Imam Ali (a) and 'Abd Allah b. Mas'ud.

Three of his sons and several of his grandsons were also narrators of hadith. The three sons of Abu l-Ja'd (Ziyad, Salim, and 'Ubayd) have mostly been considered among the companions of Imam Ali (a) and are considered "Thiqa" (reliable). The basis for scholars of Rijal in this matter is the statement of al-Najashīi, who called the whole family "Thiqat" (reliable ones).

According to researchers, Salim is more famous than the other two. He is sometimes considered "Kathir al-Irsal" (Irsal: omitting the name of a companion from the chain of transmission, which causes weakness of a Hadith) and from the "third class". His date of death is recorded to be either 97/715 , 98/716 or 100/718. Also, due to his long life, he has been counted as a companion of Imam Ali (a) and among the elite companions of Imam al-Sajjad (a) (d. 94/713). 'Ubayd has also been placed in the "third class".

The most renowned individual of this family, who brought fame to others as well, is Rafi' b. Salama, although not much information is available about his life either. He was "Thiqa", from the "seventh class", and a companion of Imam al-Baqir (a) and Imam al-Sadiq (a), narrating hadith from them both. Since he has sometimes been called "Baṣri", it can be assumed that he resided in Basra for some time.