Abu Mikhnaf's given name was Lut and his father was Yahya ibn Sa'id ibn Mikhnaf, who belonged to a noble clan of the powerful Azd tribe resident in Kufa.
10 Facts About Abu Mikhnaf
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Abu Mikhnaf's great-grandfather was Mikhnaf ibn Sulaym, a chieftain of the Azd and the commander of his tribesmen in the army of Caliph Ali at the Battle of Siffin in 657.
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Abu Mikhnaf was a friend of Muhammad ibn Sa'id al-Kalbi and it was through the latter's son Hisham ibn al-Kalbi that much of Abu Mikhnaf's volumes were transmitted.
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Abu Mikhnaf was the oldest Arab prose writer, an Akhbari, an important source of early Iraqi historical traditions, and main source of the history of al-Tabari.
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Abu Mikhnaf has presented narratives in abundance of details and fullness, in strikingly frank and arresting manner, in form of dialogue and staging, which he had gathered through independent enquiries, collection of facts and seeking first hand information, but he has not ignored other traditionists, older than or contemporary with himself, for instance, he has used such authorities as, Amir Al Shahi, Rasibi, Mugalid ibn Said, and Muhammad ib Said Al Kalbi.
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Abu Mikhnaf's monographs were gathered by later historians like Al-Baladhuri and Al-Tabari in their collections.
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Many Sunni scholars like Al-Dhahabi, Yahya ibn Ma'in, Al-Daraqutni, and Abu Hatim have been critical of him, while some describe him as pure source.
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Abu Mikhnaf was the first historian to systematically collect the reports dealing with the events of the Battle of Karbala.
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Abu Mikhnaf's work was considered reliable among later Shi'a and Sunni historians like Tabari.
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Abu Mikhnaf has based his work on the eyewitness testimony of Muhammad ibn Qays, Harith ibn Abd Allah ibn Sharik al-Amiri, Abd Allah ibn Asim and Dahhak ibn Abd Allah Abu, Abu Janab al-Kalbi and Adi b Hurmula, Muhammad ibn Qays.