15 Facts About Niftawayh

Abu Abdillah Ibrahim bin Muhammad bin 'Urfah bin Sulaiman bin al-Mughira bin Habib bin al-Muhallab bin Abi Sufra al-Azdi better known as Niftawayh, was a Medieval Muslim scholar.

Niftawayh was considered to be the best writer of his time, in addition to an expert in Muslim prophetic tradition and comparative readings of the Qur'an.

Niftawayh spent most of his life in Baghdad, where he died on a Wednesday in the month of Safar just an hour after sunrise in the year 935.

Niftawayh was buried at the gate of Kufa the next day.

Niftawayh wrote a history book which, according to his student Al-Masudi, was considered to be one of the most useful of the time.

Ibn Khalawayh holds that Niftawayh was the only Muslim scholar with the first name Ibrahim who had a son named Abdullah.

Niftawayh possessed an intense interest in Sibawayh's works in grammar, to the point where the former was even referred to as the latter's son.

Niftawayh was a follower of the Zahirite rite of Muslim jurisprudence, having been a student of Dawud al-Zahiri.

Niftawayh rejected analogical reason not only as a means for deriving religious verdicts, but as a poetic device.

Alongside Muhammad bin Dawud al-Zahiri, the son of his teacher in jurisprudence, Niftawayh was a student of the canonical Qur'an reciter Al-Duri.

Niftawayh held very positive views of the fifth Abbasid Caliph Harun al-Rashid.

Niftawayh remarked on the caliph's support of theologians and artists, though he noted that the caliph later regretted much of his own extravagance in regard to his court's spending.

Niftawayh accused Ibn Duraid of merely plagiarizing the work of Al-Khalil ibn Ahmad al-Farahidi, who had written the first Arabic dictionary, Kitab al-'Ayn.

Niftawayh was intensely disliked by the Mu'tazila, an ancient sect of Islam active during his life.

Abu Ali al-Kali quotes some verses which Niftawayh had written for an anonymous woman in Kali's own book al-Amali:.