[His Birth and Upbringing]

He was born in late 224 AH or early 225 AH.

His student, the judge Ibn Kāmil, once asked him, “How did this uncertainty arise?”

He replied, “The people of our town dated things by notable events rather than by years, so my birth was dated according to an event that occurred there. When I grew older, I asked about that event, but those who informed me disagreed. Some said, ‘It occurred late in the year 224,’ while others said, ‘Rather, it occurred early in the year 225.’”

His father was eager to help him pursue knowledge while he was still a young boy. Ibn Jarīr said of this:

“I had memorized the Quran by the age of seven, led the people in prayer at eight, and began writing down hadith at nine. My father saw in a dream that I was standing before the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, carrying a satchel filled with stones and casting them before him.

“The dream interpreter told him, ‘When the boy grows up, he will remain faithful to his religion and defend the Prophet’s sacred law.’ My father therefore became eager to help me pursue knowledge, though I was still a young boy at the time.”

He first wrote down hadith in his hometown, then in al-Rayy and its surrounding areas. He studied under many teachers until he had acquired a great deal of knowledge.

Al-Tabarī said:

“We used to write hadith under Muhammad ibn Humayd al-Rāzī. He would come out to us several times during the night, ask us about what we had written, and read it back to us.

“We would also go to Ahmad ibn Hammād al-Dūlābī, who lived in one of the villages around al-Rayy, separated from the city by a tract of land (1). We would then run like madmen until we reached Ibn Humayd in time to attend his gathering.”