and he authored two treatises on al-Shafiʿi’s virtues and in praise of him, and the mantle of scholarship in Baghdad eventually rested upon him. His family was originally from Isfahan; he was born in Kufah, grew up in Baghdad, and was buried there in the Shuniziyyah cemetery ⦗1⦘.

Abu Bakr al-Khallal said: al-Husayn ibn ʿAbd Allah informed us:
“I asked al-Marwadhi about the affair of Dawud al-Asbahani and what Abu ʿAbd Allah (Ahmad ibn Hanbal) found objectionable in him. He replied:
‘Dawud travelled to Khurasan to visit Ibn Rahuyah. There he made a statement about which Abu Nasr ibn ʿAbd al-Majid and another man testified, both affirming that he had said, “The Quran is created.”’

Abu ʿAbd Allah then said to me, ‘Who is Dawud ibn ʿAli? May Allah never grant him relief.’

I replied, ‘He is one of Abu Thawr’s pupils.’

He said, ‘A letter has reached me from Muhammad ibn Yahya al-Naysaburi stating that Dawud al-Asbahani has declared in our town, “The Quran is created.”’

Al-Marwadhi continued: Muhammad ibn Ibrahim al-Naysaburi narrated to me that when Ishaq ibn Rahuyah heard Dawud make that statement in his house, he leapt upon him, struck him, and sternly censured him ⦗2⦘.

Al-Khallal also said: I heard Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Sadaqah say, ‘I heard Muhammad ibn al-Husayn ibn Sabih say, “I heard Dawud al-Asbahani state: ‘The Quran is created, and my utterance of the Quran is created.’”’ ⦗3⦘

Saʿid ibn Abi Muslim reported to us: I heard Muhammad ibn ʿAbdah say, ‘I visited Dawud, and Ahmad ibn Hanbal became angry with me because of that. I then went in to Ahmad, but he refused to speak with me. A man said to him, “Abu ʿAbd Allah, he has refuted Dawud on an issue.” He asked, “And what is it?” The man replied…’