Among those who narrated from him were Abū Bakr al-Barqānī, Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad ibn ʿĪsā, Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad ibn Ibrāhīm ibn Qaṭan, the ḥāfiẓ Abū Saʿīd Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad ibn Yūsuf al-Karābīsī, Aḥmad ibn Abī Isḥāq, and others.
Ibn Arsalān, the hadith master of Khwārazm, gives a lengthy notice about him in his History, saying: “He took up residence in Khwārazm, and because of his scrupulous piety and tireless striving he was there known as Abū al-ʿAbbās the Ascetic.”
His father carried him to Rayy so that he might hear hadith from Ibn al-Ḍurays, and then to Ṭūs to study under Tamīm.
While still very young he narrated hadith in the session of Ibn al-Ḍurays. I have read, in the handwriting of Abū Saʿīd al-Karābīsī, the following chain: “Abū al-ʿAbbās related to us; Aḥmad ibn Salamah related to us; Salamah ibn Shabīb related to us: I was with Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal in his mosque while the Book of Drinks was being read to him, when a man entered, greeted us, and asked, ‘Which of you is Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal?’ Aḥmad replied, ‘I am Aḥmad.’ The man said, ‘I have journeyed to you over four hundred parasangs, by land and sea. While I was asleep someone came to me and said, “I am al-Khiḍr. Go to Baghdad, ask for Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal and tell him: The Lord of the Throne and the angels who surround the Throne are pleased with you for the patience you have shown.”’ Aḥmad arose, went to his house, and asked the visitor, ‘Do you have any other need?’ He answered, ‘No. I came only for this.’ So Aḥmad bade him farewell and the man departed.”
Abū al-ʿAbbās came to Khwārazm on a trading journey in 291 AH. He recounted that Muḥammad ibn Ismāʿīl, the chief of Khwārazm’s hadith scholars, visited him at the caravanserai. I later entered his gathering, and he questioned me about a number of hadiths; I cited them precisely, and he held me in great esteem.
He performed the pilgrimage twice, setting out from Khwārazm. Blessing attended his commercial ventures, and he spent a year of ʿAbd Allāh ibn Ubayy’s lifetime in his company, adhering closely to him.