Sahnun said, “May Allah have mercy on Ashhab; in what he heard he never added even a single letter.” (1)

Ibn ʿAbd al-Barr remarked, “When al-Shafiʿi came to Egypt, he met none of Malik’s students except Ashhab and Ibn ʿAbd al-Hakam.” (2)

I add: he also met Ibn al-Furat and Saʿid ibn Abi Maryam.

Saʿd ibn Muʿadh the jurist related, “I heard Muhammad ibn ʿAbd Allah ibn ʿAbd al-Hakam say, ‘Ashhab is a hundred times more learned in jurisprudence than Ibn al-Qasim.’” (3)

Ibn ʿAbd al-Hakam further said, “I heard Ashhab, while prostrating, beseeching Allah for al-Shafiʿi’s death. By Allah, al-Shafiʿi died in Rajab of the year 204 AH, and Ashhab died eighteen days later. From al-Shafiʿi’s estate he purchased a slave, and I later bought that same slave from Ashhab’s estate.” (4)

Ibn Yunus stated, “He died with eight days remaining in Shaʿban of the year 204 AH.” (5)

I say: Ibn ʿAbd al-Barr’s assertion that Ibn ʿAbd al-Hakam’s study under Ashhab was more extensive—meaning, more than his study under Ibn al-Qasim—requires closer scrutiny. I have found no evidence that he took knowledge from him; rather, he only happened to meet