The student’s reading of the biography of al-Qahatani, the author of the *Nuniyyah*
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The student: In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Bestower of Mercy.
He is Abu 'Abd Allah Muhammad ibn Salih al-Qahatani al-Ma'afiri al-Andalusi al-Maliki. He traveled to the East, where he heard from Khaythamah ibn Sulayman in Sham, from Abu Sa'id al-'A'rab in Makkah, and from Isma'il ibn Muhammad al-Saffar in Baghdad. He also heard from Bakr ibn Hammad al-Taharti, Muhammad ibn Wadhih, Qasim ibn al-Asbagh, and others in the Maghreb, and from a group of the students of Yunus and al-Muzani in Egypt. Abu 'Abd Allah al-Hakim narrated from him and said: "We met him in Hamadan". He died in Bukhara in the year 383 AH, or it is said in 388 AH, or in 379 AH. Abu Sa'id al-Andalusi said of him: "He was among the most distinguished and trustworthy of people". Ibn al-Najjar said: "He was a jurist and a memorizer who compiled a history of the people of Andalus". Al-Sam'ani said of him: "He was a jurist and a memorizer who traveled to the East and West in pursuit of knowledge. May Allah have mercy on him".
The Shaykh : Yes.
The student: He says: Even though those who wrote his biography do not mention this poem, I mean the *Nuniyyah*.
The Shaykh : Glory be to Allah! It is famous. I say: The *Nuniyyah* is famous. Okay, did he mention his death?
The student: 381 AH... he did not mention it.
The Shaykh : ... Okay.
The student: The references, Shaykh?
The Shaykh : The references.
The student: *Nafahat al-Tabib*, Volume 2; *al-A'lām*, Volume 7; *Kifayat al-Lisan* from the poems of *al-Ghurar al-Hisān*; and it is said his name was 'Abd Allah ibn Muhammad al-Andalusi, Abu Muhammad.
The Shaykh : Okay, that is fine, it is good.
The student: ...
The Shaykh : Huh?
The student: ... the date of birth.
The Shaykh : By Allah, I do not know.
The student: ...
The Shaykh : ... the date of birth. You see, sometimes the date of birth is not fixed because a person is not known until he becomes famous and grows up.
The student: But his age...
The Shaykh : Leave it. He mentioned the age? No, he did not. No, I did not find it. Yes.
He is Abu 'Abd Allah Muhammad ibn Salih al-Qahatani al-Ma'afiri al-Andalusi al-Maliki. He traveled to the East, where he heard from Khaythamah ibn Sulayman in Sham, from Abu Sa'id al-'A'rab in Makkah, and from Isma'il ibn Muhammad al-Saffar in Baghdad. He also heard from Bakr ibn Hammad al-Taharti, Muhammad ibn Wadhih, Qasim ibn al-Asbagh, and others in the Maghreb, and from a group of the students of Yunus and al-Muzani in Egypt. Abu 'Abd Allah al-Hakim narrated from him and said: "We met him in Hamadan". He died in Bukhara in the year 383 AH, or it is said in 388 AH, or in 379 AH. Abu Sa'id al-Andalusi said of him: "He was among the most distinguished and trustworthy of people". Ibn al-Najjar said: "He was a jurist and a memorizer who compiled a history of the people of Andalus". Al-Sam'ani said of him: "He was a jurist and a memorizer who traveled to the East and West in pursuit of knowledge. May Allah have mercy on him".
The Shaykh : Yes.
The student: He says: Even though those who wrote his biography do not mention this poem, I mean the *Nuniyyah*.
The Shaykh : Glory be to Allah! It is famous. I say: The *Nuniyyah* is famous. Okay, did he mention his death?
The student: 381 AH... he did not mention it.
The Shaykh : ... Okay.
The student: The references, Shaykh?
The Shaykh : The references.
The student: *Nafahat al-Tabib*, Volume 2; *al-A'lām*, Volume 7; *Kifayat al-Lisan* from the poems of *al-Ghurar al-Hisān*; and it is said his name was 'Abd Allah ibn Muhammad al-Andalusi, Abu Muhammad.
The Shaykh : Okay, that is fine, it is good.
The student: ...
The Shaykh : Huh?
The student: ... the date of birth.
The Shaykh : By Allah, I do not know.
The student: ...
The Shaykh : ... the date of birth. You see, sometimes the date of birth is not fixed because a person is not known until he becomes famous and grows up.
The student: But his age...
The Shaykh : Leave it. He mentioned the age? No, he did not. No, I did not find it. Yes.