who lived into his eighties, and I possess some of his loftiest transmissions in the sessions of al-Makhladī (1). He was the leading figure of Khurasan, Abu al-Wafāʾ al-Māserjisi, al-Naysaburi.

People used to cite him as a proverb for wealth, generosity, and courage. His father had been one of the most distinguished Christians, but he became Muslim at the hand of Ibn al-Mubarak, and al-Muʾammal did not manage to study under his own father.

He therefore heard ḥadith from Ishaq al-Kawsaj, Muhammad ibn Yahya, al-Hasan ibn Muhammad al-Zaʿfarani, Ahmad ibn Mansur al-Ramadi, and many others of their rank.

Those who narrated from him include his two sons—Abu Bakr Muhammad and Abu al-Qasim ʿAli—together with Abu Ishaq al-Muzakki, Abu Muhammad al-Makhladi, Abu al-Hasan Muhammad ibn ʿAli ibn Sahl al-Māserjisi the jurist (1), and others besides.

Abu ʿAli al-Hafiz said, “I examined a thousand fascicles of al-Muʾammal’s original manuscripts and extracted portions from them; I have never seen better source-texts than his. In gratitude he sent me garments and one hundred dinars.”

Al-Hakim said, “I heard Muhammad, the son of al-Muʾammal, say: ‘My grandfather performed the pilgrimage when he was already elderly, and there he prayed to Allah to grant him a son. When he returned, my father was born, so he named him al-Muʾammal—‘the one whose hope was realized’—and gave him the kunya Abu al-Wafāʾ so that he might fulfill his vows to Allah, and he did fulfill them.’”

It is reported that the governor of Khurasan, Ibn Tahir (2), borrowed one million dirhams from Ibn Māserjis.

Al-Muʾammal—may Allah have mercy on him—died in Rabiʿ al-Akhir of the year 319 AH.