al-Raḥmān ibn Aḥmad, descendant of the Shaykh of al-Andalus, the ḥadith memorizer Baqī ibn Makhlad—an Umayyad client, known as al-Baqawī, al-Qurṭubī, and al-Mālikī.

He heard ḥadith from his father and from his grandfather Abū al-Ḥasan; from Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Ḥaqq al-Khazrajī, the companion of Muḥammad ibn al-Faraj al-Ṭalāʿī; from Khalaf ibn Bashkuwāl; from Abū Zayd al-Suhaylī (1); and from others besides.

Those who granted him written licence were the Qurʾān-reciter Abū al-Ḥasan Shurayḥ ibn Muḥammad and ʿAbd al-Malik ibn Masarra.

He possessed certain unique transmissions, among them the Muwattaʾ of Yaḥyā ibn Yaḥyā as related by al-Khazrajī.

Both he and all of his forefathers were transmitters of ḥadith.

Abū ʿAbd Allāh al-Abbār (2) said: “He was among the most eminent and accomplished men of al-Andalus. We know of no household more deeply rooted in knowledge and distinction than his, save the houses of Banū Mughīth in Cordoba and Banū al-Bājī in Seville—yet he still stands ahead of them. He served as Judge of the Community in Marrakesh, together with the bureaus of Grievances and the Supreme Chancery. His conduct was praised, and elevation only increased him in humility. He was then removed from office and remained without appointment (3) until he was made judge of his own city; he took up the position, but was dismissed shortly before his death. Students flocked to him, and he was indeed worthy of that.”

Ibn al-Zubayr— or perhaps someone else—said: “He had a wide-ranging mastery of grammar and literature, and people competed to study under him. He read the entire Book of Sībawayh with Abū al-ʿAbbās Ibn Maḍāʾ, and he read the Maqāmāt to him as well.”

Ibn Masdī said: “Our shaykh gained supremacy in the two Maghreb lands and held the judgeship on both banks. When he grew old he asked to be excused and returned to his hometown, where he remained its judge until …”