to Iraq, where he devoted himself to learning. He kept the company of Hayyaj ibn al-‘Ala’ al-Sulami, one of the disciples of Wasil ibn ‘Ata’, and from him he adopted i‘tizal (the Mu‘tazilite doctrine).

It is also reported (1) that he associated with the judge Yahya ibn Aktham and studied under him. Ibn Khallikan then set out a lengthy biography for him in the Book of Obituaries (2).

One poet praised him, saying (3):
The Messenger (4) of Allah and the caliphs are from us—
and from us, too, is Ahmad ibn Abi Duʿad.

Another poet (5) replied:
Say to those who boast of Nizar,
who on earth are lords of humankind,
“The Messenger of Allah and the caliphs are from us,
yet we disown the pretender of the clan of Iyad;
No Iyad remains among us once it has confessed
to the claim of Ahmad ibn Abi Duʿad.”

When these verses reached Ahmad ibn Abi Duʿad, he said, “Were it not that I abhor punishment, I would have punished that poet with a chastisement no one has ever administered,” yet he forgave him.

Al-Khatib (6) said: Al-Azhari narrated to me, ‘Umar ibn Ahmad al-Wa‘iz told us, ‘Umar ibn al-Hasan ibn ‘Ali ibn Malik narrated to us, and Jarir ibn Ahmad Abu Malik related:

My father—meaning Ahmad ibn Abi Duʿad—whenever he prayed would raise his hands (7) toward the sky, address his Lord, and compose (8):
You are no feeble means; indeed,
success in affairs lies in the strength of their means.
Today our need is for You alone,
for the physician is summoned only at the hour of pain. (9)