Nasr b. Muzahim

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Nasr b. Muzahim
Historian
Full NameNasr b. Muzahim b. Sayyar (Yasar) al-'Attar al-Minqari
TeknonymAbu l-Fadl
Religious AffiliationShi'a
LineageBanu Minqar
BirthAround 120/737-8
Place of BirthKufa
Place of ResidenceBaghdad
Death212/827-8
EraAbbasid
Known forShi'a Historian and Hadith Transmitter
ProfessorsAbu l-Jarud, Sufyan al-Thawri, ...
StudentsAbu l-Salt al-Hirawi, Husayn b. Nasr, ...
WorksWaq'at Siffin, al-Jamal, ...
ActivitiesParticipation in the Uprising of Abu l-Saraya


Naṣr b. Muzāḥim b. Sayyār (Yasār) al-ʿAṭṭār al-Minqari (Arabic: نَصْر بن مُزاحم بن سَیّار (یسار) عَطّار المنقري) was among Shi'a historians living in Iraq in the 2nd/8th century. Regarding the order of transmitters of hadiths, some considered him in the same order as of Abu Mikhnaf; and al-Shaykh al-Tusi mentioned him among the companions of Imam al-Baqir (a). Historians and biographers disagree about the credit of Nasr b. Muzahim, seemingly because of the school he followed. By his late life, he participated in the uprising of Abu l-Saraya against Abbasids and Abu l-Saraya trusted him with the responsibility of the market. Some of his works are Waq'at Siffin, al-Jamal, al-Gharat, Maqtal Hujr b. 'Adi and Maqtal Husayn b. Ali (a).

Life

The date of his birth is not mentioned in historical sources, but it is said that he was born in Kufa and then moved to Baghdad. His lineage reached "Banu Minqar b. 'Ubayd b. Harith b. 'Amr b. Ka'b b. Sa'd b. Zayd Manat b. Tamim".

Nasr b. Muzahim spend most of his life in Baghdad. At that time, Baghdad was a newly developed city, but since it was the capital and center of caliphate, it had attracted many famous scientific figures. In Tarikh Baghdad, al-Khatib al-Baghdadi mentioned Nasr b. Muzahim among scientific figures of Baghdad. Nasr b. Muzahim passed away in 212/827-8.

Occupation

About Nasr, Ibn al-Nadim wrote, "He was from Banu Minqar clan and was a herbalist." Abu l-Faraj al-Isfahani too said, "Abu l-Saraya" trusted Nasr b. Muzahim with the market to."

Order of the Transmitters of Hadith

Some considered him in the same order of Abu Mikhnaf. It suggests that he was among the elderly, because as Ibn al-Hajar mentioned in Lisan al-Mizan, Abu Mikhnaf Lut b. Yahya passed away in 170/786-7 and it is possible that Nasr was born around 120/737-8.

Al-Shaykh al-Tusi considered him among the companions of Imam al-Baqir (a) but it disagrees with the date he passed away which was 212/827-8.

Religion, Reliability and Credit

Historians and biographers disagree about the credit of Nasr b. Muzahim, seemingly because of the school he followed. Most Sunni scholars of Rijal considered him weak [and unreliable] regarding transmission of hadith. About him, al-'Uqayli said, "Nasr b. Muzahim is Shi'a and the hadiths he has transmitted and his reports are disturbed, because they seem to have conflicts with each other."

  • Al-Khatib al-Baghdadi considered him a Ghali (exaggerator) Shi'a who transmitted hadiths from weak transmitters of hadith and his reports were unreliable.
  • Among Sunni sources, Ibn Habban considers him among reliable and trustworthy figures. Also, about him, Ibn Abi l-Hadid said,
"Nasr b. Muzahim is a reliable and trustworthy person. He did not say anything out of vain desire or delusion and is among transmitters of hadiths."
  • Al-Najashi and 'Allama al-Hilli, among great Shi'a scholars of rijal praised him by calling him "mustaqim al-tariqa" (on the right way) and "sālih al-amr" (having righteous deed).

Participation in the Uprising of Abu l-Saraya

Based on the report of Abu l-Faraj, Nasr, by his late life (200/815-6), participated in the uprising of Abu l-Saraya, who was an Alids, against Abbasids and then Abu l-Saraya trusted him with the responsibility of the market. Abu l-Faraj reported this uprising in a book he titled as Akhbar Muhammad b. Ibrahim and Abu l-Saraya.

Professors

In Baghdad, he benefited from the classes of many teachers including:

  • Sufyan al-Thawri
  • Shu'ba b. al-Hajjaj
  • Habib b. Hassan
  • 'Abd al-'Aziz b. Siyah
  • Yazid b. Ibrahim al-Shushtari
  • Abu l-Jarud

Students

Waq'at Siffin written by Nasr b. Muzahim

Husayn b. Nasr, Nuh b. Habib al-Qumisi, Abu l-Salt al-Hirawi, Abu Sa'id al-Ashja', 'Ali b. Mundhir al-Tariqi and some other Kufi figures.

Works

It is said that he knew history and had several works which are:

  • Waq'at Siffin
  • Al-Jamal
  • al-Gharat
  • Maqtal Hujr b. 'Adi
  • Maqtal Husayn b. Ali (a)
  • 'Ayn al-warda
  • Akhbar al-Mukhtar
  • Al-Manaqib
  • Akhbar Muhammad b. Ibrahim wa Abu l-Saraya

References