Imām Muḥammad ibn Sīrīn (d. 110 AH)

His full name is  Muḥammad ibn Sīrīn al-Anṣārī Abū Bakr al-Baṣrī. He was born in Baṣrah in the year 33 AH, and passed away there too. He had the great fortune of acquiring knowledge from esteemed teachers such as Anas Ibn Mālik, Zayd Ibn Thābit, Ḥasan Ibn ʿAlī Ibn Abī Ṭālib, Jundub Ibn ʿAbdillāh al-Bajalī, Ḥudhayfah Ibn al-Yamān. Rāfiʿ Ibn Khadīj, Ibn ʿUmar, Ibn ʿAbbās, Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī, Abū 'd-Dardā, Abū Hurayrah, ʿĀʾ ishah, and many other companions (raḍī Allāhu ʿanhum).

This great scholar was a pioneer of the science of interpreting dreams and a prestigious muḥaddith. He would be very particular when quoting narrations from the Prophet ﷺ.  Imām Dhahabī describes him as ‘Shaykh al-Islām, the freed slave of Anas Ibn Mālik (raḍī Allāhu ʿanh). He was a man of excellent character and possessed jovial qualities. He was extremely knowledgeable when it came to knowledge of inheritance, passing  judgements and accounting.

Ibn Yūnus cited, ‘Ibn Sīrīn was more sagacious than Ḥasan al-Baṣrī.’ It is quoted from Ibn ʿAwn, ‘My eyes have never seen the likes of three individuals: Ibn Sīrīn in ʿIrāq, Qāsim ibn Muḥammad in Arabia and Rajāʾ  ibn Ḥaywah in Shām. As though they all met and mutually adopted the same attitude and character.’ He would constantly remain in a state of dhikr.

He lived by his famous saying, ‘Verily this knowledge is a religion, so carefully consider from whom you attain your religion.’ He would abstain from unnecessary argument and debates, unless he was hopeful that the opponent would take heed. Bakr Ibn ʿAbdillāh al-Muzanī stated, ‘Whomsover wishes to see  the most righteous of our time, then let him look towards Muḥammad Ibn Sīrīn.’

Among his practices was that he would fast every alternate day. His ring was inscribed with his teknonym ‘Abū Bakr’, and he would wear it on his left hand.  He was very soft-hearted and soliticious towards his mother, so much so that when speaking to her, he would lower his tone so much that one who didn’t know him would assume that he was ill. He bequeathed his family  to hold on to piety, enjoining good relations, chastity and truthfulness.

From Abū Hurayrah (raḍi Allāhu ʿAnh), he is reported to have narrated 390 aḥādīth based on the al-kutub at-Tis ʿ ah. Ḥāfiẓ  Ibn Ḥajar stated regarding him, ‘He is reliable, a worshipper, and held a lofty position.’ He would not practise riwāyah bi’l ma ʿnā (transmitting narrations via their meanings).’ It has been reported from Imām Ibn al-Madīnī and Imām al-Fallās that the most authentic chain is the one in which Ibn Sīrīn narrates from ʿAbīdah as-Sammānī, from  ʿAlī (raḍī Allāhu  ʿanh).