That response met with general approval (1).

Abu Muḥammad Ibn Ḥazm said: “Ibn Dāwud was one of the most handsome people, the most gracious in character, the most eloquent in speech, and the neatest in appearance. Along with his piety, scrupulousness, and every other praiseworthy quality, he was loved by the people. He memorized the Qur’an when he was seven years old and, by the age of ten, was already discussing etiquette and poetry with learned men. Four hundred students bearing inkwells could be seen in his study circle. Among his writings are: The Book of Warning and Excuse (al-Indhār wa al-Iʿdhār); The Book of Scrutiny (al-Taqassī) in jurisprudence; the unfinished Book of Brevity (al-Ijāz); The Book of Vindication from Muḥammad ibn Jarīr al-Ṭabarī; The Book of Attainment of the Knowledge of the Fundamentals (al-Wuṣūl ilā Maʿrifat al-Uṣūl); The Book of the Variants of the Companions’ Codices; The Book of Inheritance; and The Book of Pilgrimage Rites.”

He lived forty-three years and died on the tenth of Ramaḍān in 297 AH.

Abu ʿAlī al-Tanūkhī said: “Aḥmad ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn al-Bakhtarī al-Dāwūdī informed us; Abū al-Ḥasan ibn al-Mughalis al-Dāwūdī related to me, saying:

Whenever Muḥammad ibn Dāwud and Ibn Surayj attended the session of the judge Abū ʿUmar, nothing that passed between any two people in discussion was finer than what passed between those two (2). Ibn Surayj asked Abū Bakr about the ‘return’ that makes expiation for ẓihār obligatory. He replied, “Repeating the statement a second time,” which was his view and his father’s view. Ibn Surayj then demanded evidence, whereupon Abū Bakr began to set it out (3). Ibn Surayj said, “Abū Bakr, this is the position of—”