بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ
Bismillāhi al-Raḥmāni al-Raḥīm
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

piouspredecessors.com

Al-Salaf Al-Ṣāliḥīn

Fourteen Centuries of Sacred Knowledge & Pious Scholarship

"The best of people are my generation, then those who come after them, then those who come after them."

— The Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ  |  Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī

14 Centuries
1,400+ Scholars
15+ Mujaddids
3 Blessed Generations

Browse by Generation

The Ṭabaqāt — Generations of Excellence

From the Companions of the Prophet ﷺ to the scholars of our age

The Prophet ﷺ & His Lineage
Al-Ṣaḥābah — Companions of Badr
Al-Tābi'ūn (Followers)
Tābi' al-Tābi'īn
The Four Imāms (101–300 AH)
Classical Scholars (300–700 AH)
Reform & Revival (700–900 AH)
Later Scholars (900 AH–Present)
ﷺ Prophet
The Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ & His Noble Lineage
Before Hijrah — 11 AH / 570–632 CE
Foundation of All Knowledge Quraysh · Banū Hāshim
All chains of knowledge (isnād) lead back to the Prophet ﷺ — Muḥammad ibn 'Abdullāh ibn 'Abd al-Muṭṭalib, of the noble Quraysh tribe. Born in Makkah c. 570 CE, he received the final revelation at the age of 40, and through his blessed companions transmitted the Qur'ān, Sunnah, and sacred knowledge to all of humanity until the Day of Judgement.
ﷺ
The Seal of Prophets
The Prophet Muḥammad ibn 'Abdullāh ﷺ
Born c. 570 CE in Makkah · Passed 11 AH / 632 CE in Madīnah · Khātam al-Nabiyyīn — the Seal of all Prophets. His noble lineage: Muḥammad → 'Abdullāh → 'Abd al-Muṭṭalib → Hāshim → 'Abd Manāf → Quṣayy → Kilāb → Murrah → Ka'b → Lu'ayy → Ghālib → Fihr (Quraysh) → Mālik → al-Naḍr → Kinānah → Khuzaymah → Mudrikah → Ilyās → Muḍar → Nizār → Ma'add → 'Adnān.

The Four Rightly-Guided Caliphs (Al-Khulafā' al-Rāshidūn)

Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq
أبو بكر الصديق
d. 13 AH / 634 CE · 1st Caliph
Closest companion of the Prophet ﷺ, the truthful one (al-Ṣiddīq), and father-in-law of the Prophet. Led the Ummah after the Prophet's passing with wisdom and firmness. Suppressed the apostasy wars (Ridda) and initiated the compilation of the Qur'ān.
Ṣaḥābī Caliph
'Umar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb
عمر بن الخطاب
d. 23 AH / 644 CE · 2nd Caliph
Al-Fārūq — the one who distinguishes truth from falsehood. Under his caliphate, vast territories embraced Islām including Persia, Iraq, Syria, and Egypt. Known for his uncompromising justice and piercing insight.
Ṣaḥābī Caliph
'Uthmān ibn 'Affān
عثمان بن عفان
d. 35 AH / 656 CE · 3rd Caliph
Dhū al-Nūrayn — possessor of two lights, having married two daughters of the Prophet ﷺ. Oversaw the standardisation and compilation of the muṣḥaf. A man of extraordinary generosity and modesty.
Ṣaḥābī Caliph
'Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib
علي بن أبي طالب
d. 40 AH / 661 CE · 4th Caliph
The first youth to embrace Islām, cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet ﷺ. Called the gate of the city of knowledge. A warrior, a jurist, and a man of unshakeable faith. Father of al-Ḥasan and al-Ḥusayn.
Ṣaḥābī Caliph

Ten Promised Paradise (Al-'Asharah al-Mubashsharūn)

Ṭalḥah ibn 'Ubaydullāh
طلحة بن عبيد الله
d. 36 AH
Known as "the generous" (al-Fayyāḍ). Shielded the Prophet ﷺ with his body at the Battle of Uḥud, sustaining severe wounds. One of the earliest converts to Islām.
Al-'Asharah
Al-Zubayr ibn al-'Awwām
الزبير بن العوام
d. 36 AH
Nephew of the Prophet ﷺ and son of his aunt Ṣafiyyah. The first person to draw a sword in the cause of Islām. A fierce warrior and devoted companion.
Al-'Asharah
'Abd al-Raḥmān ibn 'Awf
عبد الرحمن بن عوف
d. 32 AH
One of the wealthiest companions, yet profoundly ascetic. Donated vast wealth for the sake of Allāh. Led the prayers when the Prophet ﷺ was late — a testament to his standing.
Al-'Asharah
Sa'd ibn Abī Waqqāṣ
سعد بن أبي وقاص
d. 55 AH
The first person to shed blood in the cause of Islām. A master archer. Led the Muslim conquest of Persia at the Battle of al-Qādisiyyah. Uncle of the Prophet ﷺ from his mother's side.
Al-'Asharah
Sa'īd ibn Zayd
سعيد بن زيد
d. 51 AH
Among the earliest converts. Brother-in-law of 'Umar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb. Participated in all the major battles of early Islām.
Al-'Asharah
Abū 'Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrāḥ
أبو عبيدة بن الجراح
d. 18 AH / 639 CE
Called "the trustee of this Ummah" (Amīn al-Ummah) by the Prophet ﷺ. Commander of the Muslim armies in Syria. Died of the plague ('Amwās) in Jordan.
Al-'Asharah

Mothers of the Believers (Ummahāt al-Mu'minīn)

'Ā'ishah bint Abī Bakr
عائشة بنت أبي بكر
d. 58 AH · Mother of the Believers
One of the greatest scholars of the Ummah. Narrated thousands of ḥadīths. The Companions would refer to her in matters of Islamic law. Called "the most knowledgeable person regarding the Sunnah." Half the religion of the private life.
Ṣaḥābiyyah Muḥaddithah
Khadījah bint Khuwaylid
خديجة بنت خويلد
d. 3 BH / 619 CE · First Wife
The first person to accept Islām. She comforted the Prophet ﷺ at the moment of the first revelation. A successful and respected businesswoman. The Prophet ﷺ described her as the best of the women of her time.
Ṣaḥābiyyah First Muslim
Umm Salamah
أم سلمة
d. c. 62 AH
One of the most knowledgeable of the Mothers of the Believers. Narrated hundreds of ḥadīths. Known for her wisdom, counsel, and deep piety. Lived the longest among the wives of the Prophet ﷺ.
Ṣaḥābiyyah Muḥaddithah
I AH 1–100
First Century of Hijrah
Al-Ṣaḥābah & Early Al-Tābi'ūn — 1–100 AH / 622–718 CE
Blessed Generation Major Companions · Great Followers
The age of the blessed Companions (Ṣaḥābah) and the first generation of their Followers (Tābi'ūn). The Qur'ān is memorised and transmitted by thousands. The great cities of Islamic learning — Madīnah, Makkah, Kūfah, Baṣrah — emerge as centres of knowledge. The foundations of Fiqh, Tafsīr, and Ḥadīth are established.

The Companions of Badr (Al-Badriyyūn) — 2 AH / 624 CE

"Perhaps Allāh looked at the people of Badr and said: Do as you wish, for I have forgiven you."

— The Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ  |  Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 3007 · Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 2494 · Narrated by 'Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib
Ibn Sa'd opens this chapter with the Prophet ﷺ as the head of his generation — his biography appears in the opening section above. The Companions follow in his sequence from entry 2. Reports from the Companions give 313 or 314 as the number present at Badr. Ibn Sa'd lists all names across his sources, noting disagreements, reaching 325 possible participants. All are recorded here, one session at a time, as each biography is verified.
Source & Methodology — structure & why 325 names

Primary source: Kitāb al-Ṭabaqāt al-Kubrā, Vol. 3 — Muḥammad ibn Sa'd (d. 230 AH). English translation by Aisha Bewley, Ta-Ha Publishers, 2013. This source governs all cards in this section.

Ibn Sa'd's three-tier structure: He opens with entries 1–9 — the Prophet ﷺ as head of the generation, then eight Companions grouped by precedence in faith. From entry 10, he organises the Muhājirūn through 22 Qurayshī clan groups (entries 10–86). From entry 87, he organises the Anṣār through 49 tribal groups of Aws and Khazraj (entries 87–325). The clan heading above each group reflects his exact organisation.

Why 325 names, not 313? The number 313 comes from the Companions' own reports. Ibn Sa'd compiles every name mentioned across all his sources, recording disagreements under each entry. His total reaches 325 possible participants. He does not claim all 325 were definitively present — he records what was reported and allows the evidence to speak.

Cross-reference sources: Al-Iṣābah — Ibn Ḥajar (d. 852 AH) for classification and death dates. Siyar A'lām al-Nubalā' — al-Dhahabī (d. 748 AH) for ḥadīth gradings.

First group — precedence in faith Special category · Not tribal
Entries 2–9 · 8 Companions
Ḥamzah ibn 'Abd al-Muṭṭalib
حمزة بن عبد المطلب
d. 3 AH / 625 CE · Martyr of Uḥud
Paternal uncle and foster brother of the Prophet ﷺ, of the Banū Hāshim clan of Quraysh. Ibn Sa'd records that the first banner the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ gave when he came to Madīnah was given to Ḥamzah. At the Battle of Badr he was distinguished by an ostrich feather. He was martyred at the Battle of Uḥud, 3 AH. The Prophet ﷺ said of him: "I saw the angels washing Ḥamzah."
Badrī Muhājir Shahīd — Uḥud Sayyid al-Shuhadā'
'Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib
علي بن أبي طالب
d. 40 AH / 661 CE · 4th Caliph
Cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet ﷺ, of the Banū Hāshim clan of Quraysh. Present at Badr as one of the principal commanders. Among the first youth to accept Islām.
Badrī Muhājir Caliph
Zayd al-Ḥibb ibn Ḥārithah
زيد الحب بن حارثة
d. 8 AH / 629 CE · Martyr of Mu'tah
Called Ḥibb Rasūlillāh — the Beloved of the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ. The only Companion named by name in the Qur'ān (Sūrah al-Aḥzāb, 33:37). A freed slave, he was present at Badr. He commanded the Muslim army at the Battle of Mu'tah and was martyred there, 8 AH.
Badrī Muhājir Shahīd — Mu'tah Named in Qur'ān
Abū Marthad al-Ghanawī
أبو مرثد الغنوي
d. 12 AH · Madīnah · Age 66
His name was Kannāz ibn al-Ḥusayn, of the tribe of Ghanī. He was an ally (ḥalīf) of Ḥamzah ibn 'Abd al-Muṭṭalib. Ibn Sa'd records that he was present at Badr, Uḥud, the Ditch (al-Khandaq), and all the battles with the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ. The Prophet ﷺ made brotherhood between him and 'Ubāda ibn al-Ṣāmit. He died in Madīnah in the early part of the caliphate of Abū Bakr, 12 AH, age 66.
Badrī Muhājir Ḥalīf — Banū Hāshim
Marthad ibn Abī Marthad al-Ghanawī
مرثد بن أبي مرثد الغنوي
d. 3 AH / 625 CE · Shahīd — Uḥud
Son of Abū Marthad (entry 5). An ally (ḥalīf) of Ḥamzah ibn 'Abd al-Muṭṭalib. The Prophet ﷺ made brotherhood between him and Aws ibn al-Ṣāmit. Ibn Sa'd records that he rode a horse at Badr called al-Sabal. Present at Uḥud, killed there as a martyr. Commander of the expedition to al-Rajī', Ṣafar, 36 months after the Hijrah.
Badrī Muhājir Ḥalīf — Banū Hāshim Shahīd — Uḥud
Anasa, Mawlā of the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ
أنسة مولى رسول الله ﷺ
d. after Badr · Early caliphate of Abū Bakr
A freedman (mawlā) of the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ. He was a half-Arab from Sarat. His kunyah was Abū Masraḥ. Ibn Sa'd records a dispute in the sources about whether he was killed at Badr — noting: "I saw the people of knowledge affirming that he was not killed as a martyr in the Battle of Badr. He was present at Uḥud and lived some time after that." He died during the caliphate of Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq.
Badrī Mawlā Rasūlillāh ﷺ
Abū Kabsha, Mawlā of the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ
أبو كبشة مولى رسول الله ﷺ
d. 13 AH · Tuesday 22 Jumādā al-Ākhirah
A freedman (mawlā) of the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ. His name was Sulaym, a half-Arab from the land of Daws. Present at Badr, Uḥud, and all the battles. He died at the beginning of the day that 'Umar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb became caliph — Tuesday, 22 Jumādā al-Ākhirah, 13 AH.
Badrī Mawlā Rasūlillāh ﷺ
Ṣāliḥ Shuqrān, Mawlā of the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ
صالح شقران مولى رسول الله ﷺ
Badr 2 AH · Freed slave of the Prophet ﷺ
A freedman (mawlā) of the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ. His name was Ṣāliḥ ibn 'Adī. An Abyssinian slave, he had belonged to 'Abd al-Raḥmān ibn 'Awf, who gave him to the Prophet ﷺ. Present at Badr while still a slave — placed in charge of captives but not given a share of the spoils. Appointed over the goods of al-Muraysi' after the Prophet's ﷺ passing. One of those present at the washing of the Prophet ﷺ.
Badrī Mawlā Rasūlillāh ﷺ
Al-Muhājirūn — Emigrants from Makkah
22 clan groups · Entries 10–86 · Quraysh, organised by tribal lineage
From the Banū al-Muṭṭalib ibn 'Abd Manāf ibn Quṣayy بنو المطلب
Entries 10–13 · 4 Companions
Entries 10–13 · 4 Companions
To be added from Ṭabaqāt, Vol. 3, as the study continues.
From the Banū 'Abd Shams ibn 'Abd Manāf ibn Quṣayy بنو عبد شمس
Entries 14–16 · 3 Companions
Entries 14–16 · 3 Companions
To be added from Ṭabaqāt, Vol. 3, as the study continues.
From the allies of the Banū 'Abd Shams — Banū Ghanm ibn Dudan حلفاء بني عبد شمس
Entries 17–26 · 10 Companions
Entries 17–26 · 10 Companions
To be added from Ṭabaqāt, Vol. 3, as the study continues.
From the allies of the Banū 'Abd Shams from Sulaym ibn Manṣūr حلفاء من بني سليم
Entries 27–29 · 3 Companions
Entries 27–29 · 3 Companions
To be added from Ṭabaqāt, Vol. 3, as the study continues.
From the Banū Nawfal ibn 'Abd Manāfib Quṣayy بنو نوفل
Entries 30–31 · 2 Companions
Entries 30–31 · 2 Companions
To be added from Ṭabaqāt, Vol. 3, as the study continues.
From the Banū Asad ibn 'Abd al-'Uzzā ibn Quṣayy بنو أسد
Entries 32 · 1 Companion
Entries 32 · 1 Companion
To be added from Ṭabaqāt, Vol. 3, as the study continues.
From the allies of the Banū Asad ibn 'Abd al-'Uzzā حلفاء بني أسد
Entries 33–34 · 2 Companions
Entries 33–34 · 2 Companions
To be added from Ṭabaqāt, Vol. 3, as the study continues.
Among the Banū 'Abd al-Dār ibn Quṣayy بنو عبد الدار
Entries 35–36 · 2 Companions
Entries 35–36 · 2 Companions
To be added from Ṭabaqāt, Vol. 3, as the study continues.
From the Banū 'Abd al-'Uzzā ibn Quṣayy بنو عبد العزى
Entries 37 · 1 Companion
Entries 37 · 1 Companion
To be added from Ṭabaqāt, Vol. 3, as the study continues.
From the Banū Zuhra ibn Kilāb ibn Murra بنو زهرة
Entries 38–40 · 3 Companions
Entries 38–40 · 3 Companions
To be added from Ṭabaqāt, Vol. 3, as the study continues.
From the allies of the Banū Kilāb from the tribes حلفاء بني كلاب
Entries 41–45 · 5 Companions
Entries 41–45 · 5 Companions
To be added from Ṭabaqāt, Vol. 3, as the study continues.
From the Banū Taym ibn Murra ibn Ka'b بنو تيم
Entries 46–50 · 5 Companions
Entries 46–50 · 5 Companions
To be added from Ṭabaqāt, Vol. 3, as the study continues.
From the Banū Makhzūm ibn Yaqaẓa ibn Murra ibn Ka'b بنو مخزوم
Entries 51–53 · 3 Companions
Entries 51–53 · 3 Companions
To be added from Ṭabaqāt, Vol. 3, as the study continues.
From the allies of the Banū Makhzūm حلفاء بني مخزوم
Entries 54–55 · 2 Companions
Entries 54–55 · 2 Companions
To be added from Ṭabaqāt, Vol. 3, as the study continues.
From the Banū 'Adī ibn Ka'b ibn Lu'ayy بنو عدي
Entries 56–59 · 4 Companions
Entries 56–59 · 4 Companions
To be added from Ṭabaqāt, Vol. 3, as the study continues.
From the Banū 'Adī and their clients موالي بني عدي
Entries 60–67 · 8 Companions
Entries 60–67 · 8 Companions
To be added from Ṭabaqāt, Vol. 3, as the study continues.
From the Banū Sahm ibn 'Amr ibn Ḥuṣayṣ ibn Ka'b ibn Lu'ayy بنو سهم
Entries 68 · 1 Companion
Entries 68 · 1 Companion
To be added from Ṭabaqāt, Vol. 3, as the study continues.
From the Banū Jumah ibn 'Amr ibn Ḥuṣayṣ ibn Ka'b ibn Lu'ayy بنو جمح
Entries 69–73 · 5 Companions
Entries 69–73 · 5 Companions
To be added from Ṭabaqāt, Vol. 3, as the study continues.
From the Banū 'Āmir ibn Lu'ayy بنو عامر
Entries 74–79 · 6 Companions
Entries 74–79 · 6 Companions
To be added from Ṭabaqāt, Vol. 3, as the study continues.
From the allies of the Banū 'Āmir ibn Lu'ayy from Yemen حلفاء بني عامر من اليمن
Entries 80 · 1 Companion
Entries 80 · 1 Companion
To be added from Ṭabaqāt, Vol. 3, as the study continues.
From the Banū Fihr ibn al-Naḍr ibn Kinānah بنو فهر
Entries 81–86 · 6 Companions
Entries 81–86 · 6 Companions
To be added from Ṭabaqāt, Vol. 3, as the study continues.
Al-Anṣār — Helpers of Madīnah
49 clan groups · Entries 87–325 · Tribes of Aws and Khazraj
The first rank of the Anṣār — Banū 'Abd al-Ashhal الأنصار الأولون
Entries 87–95 · 9 Companions
Entries 87–95 · 9 Companions
To be added from Ṭabaqāt, Vol. 3, as the study continues.
From the Banū Ḥāritha ibn al-Ḥārith ibn al-Khazraj ibn 'Amr بنو حارثة
Entries 96–101 · 6 Companions
Entries 96–101 · 6 Companions
To be added from Ṭabaqāt, Vol. 3, as the study continues.
From the allies of the Banū Ḥāritha حلفاء بني حارثة
Entries 102–103 · 2 Companions
Entries 102–103 · 2 Companions
To be added from Ṭabaqāt, Vol. 3, as the study continues.
From the Banū Ẓafar بنو ظفر
Entries 104 · 1 Companion
Entries 104 · 1 Companion
To be added from Ṭabaqāt, Vol. 3, as the study continues.
From the Banū Ẓafar (continued) بنو ظفر
Entries 105–107 · 3 Companions
Entries 105–107 · 3 Companions
To be added from Ṭabaqāt, Vol. 3, as the study continues.
From the allies of the Banū Ẓafar حلفاء بني ظفر
Entries 108–109 · 2 Companions
Entries 108–109 · 2 Companions
To be added from Ṭabaqāt, Vol. 3, as the study continues.
From the Banū 'Amr ibn 'Awf ibn Mālik ibn Aws بنو عمرو بن عوف
Entries 110–118 · 9 Companions
Entries 110–118 · 9 Companions
To be added from Ṭabaqāt, Vol. 3, as the study continues.
From the Banū Dubayy'a ibn Zayd ibn Mālik ibn 'Awf بنو دُبيعة
Entries 119–122 · 4 Companions
Entries 119–122 · 4 Companions
To be added from Ṭabaqāt, Vol. 3, as the study continues.
From the Banū 'Ubayd ibn Zayd ibn Mālik ibn 'Awf بنو عبيد بن زيد
Entries 123 · 1 Companion
Entries 123 · 1 Companion
To be added from Ṭabaqāt, Vol. 3, as the study continues.
From the Banū al-Ajlān ibn Ḥāritha بنو الأجلان
Entries 124–129 · 6 Companions
Entries 124–129 · 6 Companions
To be added from Ṭabaqāt, Vol. 3, as the study continues.
From the Banū Mu'āwiya ibn Mālik ibn 'Awf بنو معاوية
Entries 130–131 · 2 Companions
Entries 130–131 · 2 Companions
To be added from Ṭabaqāt, Vol. 3, as the study continues.
From the allies of the Banū Mu'āwiya ibn Mālik حلفاء بني معاوية
Entries 132–133 · 2 Companions
Entries 132–133 · 2 Companions
To be added from Ṭabaqāt, Vol. 3, as the study continues.
From the Banū Ḥanash ibn 'Awf ibn 'Amr ibn 'Awf بنو حنش
Entries 134 · 1 Companion
Entries 134 · 1 Companion
To be added from Ṭabaqāt, Vol. 3, as the study continues.
From the Banū Kulfa ibn 'Awf ibn 'Amr ibn 'Awf بنو كلفة
Entries 135 · 1 Companion
Entries 135 · 1 Companion
To be added from Ṭabaqāt, Vol. 3, as the study continues.
From the Banū Unayf ibn Jushm ibn 'Ā'idh — Allāh of Baliyy بنو أنيف
Entries 136 · 1 Companion
Entries 136 · 1 Companion
To be added from Ṭabaqāt, Vol. 3, as the study continues.
From the Banū Tha'laba ibn 'Amr ibn 'Awf بنو ثعلبة
Entries 137–144 · 8 Companions
Entries 137–144 · 8 Companions
To be added from Ṭabaqāt, Vol. 3, as the study continues.
From the Banū Ghanm ibn al-Salm ibn Imru' al-Qays بنو غنم بن السلم
Entries 145–149 · 5 Companions
Entries 145–149 · 5 Companions
To be added from Ṭabaqāt, Vol. 3, as the study continues.
Those of Khazraj at Badr — Banū an-Najjar (first) بنو النجار
Entries 151–169 · 19 Companions
Entries 151–169 · 19 Companions
To be added from Ṭabaqāt, Vol. 3, as the study continues.
The allies of the Banū Ghanm ibn Mālik ibn an-Najjar حلفاء بني غنم
Entries 170–173 · 4 Companions
Entries 170–173 · 4 Companions
To be added from Ṭabaqāt, Vol. 3, as the study continues.
From the Banū 'Amr ibn Mālik ibn an-Najjar بنو عمرو بن مالك
Entries 174–175 · 2 Companions
Entries 174–175 · 2 Companions
To be added from Ṭabaqāt, Vol. 3, as the study continues.
From the Banū Mughala — Banū 'Amr ibn Mālik ibn an-Najjar بنو مغالة
Entries 176–178 · 3 Companions
Entries 176–178 · 3 Companions
To be added from Ṭabaqāt, Vol. 3, as the study continues.
From the Banū Mabdhūl — Āmir ibn Mālik ibn an-Najjar بنو مبذول
Entries 179–181 · 3 Companions
Entries 179–181 · 3 Companions
To be added from Ṭabaqāt, Vol. 3, as the study continues.
From the Banū 'Ādī ibn an-Najjar بنو عدي بن النجار
Entries 182–192 · 11 Companions
Entries 182–192 · 11 Companions
To be added from Ṭabaqāt, Vol. 3, as the study continues.
From the allies of the Banū 'Ādī ibn an-Najjar حلفاء بني عدي
Entries 193 · 1 Companion
Entries 193 · 1 Companion
To be added from Ṭabaqāt, Vol. 3, as the study continues.
From the Banū Māzin ibn an-Najjar بنو مازن
Entries 194–198 · 5 Companions
Entries 194–198 · 5 Companions
To be added from Ṭabaqāt, Vol. 3, as the study continues.
From the allies of the Banū Māzin ibn an-Najjar حلفاء بني مازن
Entries 199 · 1 Companion
Entries 199 · 1 Companion
To be added from Ṭabaqāt, Vol. 3, as the study continues.
From the Banū Dīnār ibn an-Najjar بنو دينار
Entries 200–205 · 6 Companions
Entries 200–205 · 6 Companions
To be added from Ṭabaqāt, Vol. 3, as the study continues.
From the allies of the Banū Dīnār ibn al-Najjar حلفاء بني دينار
Entries 206 · 1 Companion
Entries 206 · 1 Companion
To be added from Ṭabaqāt, Vol. 3, as the study continues.
From the Banū al-Ḥārith ibn al-Khazraj بنو الحارث
Entries 207–215 · 9 Companions
Entries 207–215 · 9 Companions
To be added from Ṭabaqāt, Vol. 3, as the study continues.
From the Banū Jushm and Zayd, sons of al-Ḥārith ibn al-Khazraj بنو جشم وزيد
Entries 216–219 · 4 Companions
Entries 216–219 · 4 Companions
To be added from Ṭabaqāt, Vol. 3, as the study continues.
From the Banū Jidāra ibn 'Awf ibn al-Ḥārith ibn al-Khazraj بنو جدارة
Entries 220–222 · 3 Companions
Entries 220–222 · 3 Companions
To be added from Ṭabaqāt, Vol. 3, as the study continues.
From the Banū al-Abjar بنو الأبجر
Entries 223 · 1 Companion
Entries 223 · 1 Companion
To be added from Ṭabaqāt, Vol. 3, as the study continues.
From the allies of the Banū al-Ḥārith ibn al-Khazraj حلفاء بني الحارث
Entries 224–225 · 2 Companions
Entries 224–225 · 2 Companions
To be added from Ṭabaqāt, Vol. 3, as the study continues.
From the Banū 'Awf ibn al-Khazraj بنو عوف بن الخزرج
Entries 226–230 · 5 Companions
Entries 226–230 · 5 Companions
To be added from Ṭabaqāt, Vol. 3, as the study continues.
From the allies of the Banū Salim al-Ḥubla ibn Ghanm بنو سالم الحبلى
Entries 231–233 · 3 Companions
Entries 231–233 · 3 Companions
To be added from Ṭabaqāt, Vol. 3, as the study continues.
From the al-Qawaqqila القواقلة
Entries 234–244 · 11 Companions
Entries 234–244 · 11 Companions
To be added from Ṭabaqāt, Vol. 3, as the study continues.
From the allies of Qawaqqila — Banū Ghudayna حلفاء القواقلة
Entries 245–250 · 6 Companions
Entries 245–250 · 6 Companions
To be added from Ṭabaqāt, Vol. 3, as the study continues.
From the Banū Sa'īda ibn Ka'b ibn al-Khazraj بنو ساعدة
Entries 251–255 · 5 Companions
Entries 251–255 · 5 Companions
To be added from Ṭabaqāt, Vol. 3, as the study continues.
From the allies of the Banū Sa'īda ibn Ka'b ibn al-Khazraj حلفاء بني ساعدة
Entries 256–259 · 4 Companions
Entries 256–259 · 4 Companions
To be added from Ṭabaqāt, Vol. 3, as the study continues.
From the Banū Jushm ibn al-Khazraj بنو جشم بن الخزرج
Entries 260–270 · 11 Companions
Entries 260–270 · 11 Companions
To be added from Ṭabaqāt, Vol. 3, as the study continues.
From the allies of the Banū Ḥarām ibn Ka'b حلفاء بني حرام
Entries 271–272 · 2 Companions
Entries 271–272 · 2 Companions
To be added from Ṭabaqāt, Vol. 3, as the study continues.
From the Banū 'Ubayd ibn 'Adī ibn Ghanm ibn Ka'b ibn Salama بنو عبيد
Entries 273–287 · 15 Companions
Entries 273–287 · 15 Companions
To be added from Ṭabaqāt, Vol. 3, as the study continues.
From the Banū 'Ubayd and their allies حلفاء بني عبيد
Entries 288–290 · 3 Companions
Entries 288–290 · 3 Companions
To be added from Ṭabaqāt, Vol. 3, as the study continues.
From the Banū Sawad ibn Ghanm ibn Ka'b ibn Salama بنو سواد
Entries 291–297 · 7 Companions
Entries 291–297 · 7 Companions
To be added from Ṭabaqāt, Vol. 3, as the study continues.
From the clients of the Banū Ṣawaf ibn Ghanm موالي بني صواف
Entries 298 · 1 Companion
Entries 298 · 1 Companion
To be added from Ṭabaqāt, Vol. 3, as the study continues.
From the rest of the Banū Salama بنو سلمة
Entries 299–302 · 4 Companions
Entries 299–302 · 4 Companions
To be added from Ṭabaqāt, Vol. 3, as the study continues.
From the Banū Zuraq ibn 'Āmir ibn Zurayq بنو زريق
Entries 303–318 · 16 Companions
Entries 303–318 · 16 Companions
To be added from Ṭabaqāt, Vol. 3, as the study continues.
From the Banū Bayāda ibn 'Āmir ibn Zurayq بنو بياضة
Entries 319–323 · 5 Companions
Entries 319–323 · 5 Companions
To be added from Ṭabaqāt, Vol. 3, as the study continues.
From the Banū Ḥabīb ibn 'Abd Ḥāritha ibn Mālik ibn Ghadb بنو حبيب
Entries 324–325 · 2 Companions
Entries 324–325 · 2 Companions
To be added from Ṭabaqāt, Vol. 3, as the study continues.
The Twelve Leaders of the Anṣār at 'Aqabah Appendix · Separate category of honour
12 entries

These twelve men pledged allegiance to the Prophet ﷺ on the night of 'Aqabah at Minā, inviting him to Madīnah. Their pledge was the foundation of the Hijrah. Ibn Sa'd records their biographies as a separate chapter following the main Badr list.

12 entries — to be added from Ibn Sa'd, Vol. 3
Unconfirmed participants — reported but not confirmed Appendix · Ibn Sa'd's scholarly caution
6 entries

Ibn Sa'd includes these entries under the heading: "Concerning those they related were present at Badr but are not confirmed." This is his scholarly honesty on full display — he records what sources say while clearly noting where confirmation is lacking.

6 entries — to be added from Ibn Sa'd, Vol. 3

Major Companions & Scholars of the First Century

'Abdullāh ibn 'Abbās
عبد الله بن عباس
d. 68 AH · Cousin of the Prophet ﷺ
The interpreter of the Qur'ān (Ḥabr al-Ummah — the Ocean of the Ummah). The Prophet ﷺ prayed: "O Allāh, grant him understanding of the Dīn." Father of Qur'ānic commentary. Over 1,660 ḥadīths attributed to him.
Ṣaḥābī Mufassir
'Abdullāh ibn Mas'ūd
عبد الله بن مسعود
d. 32 AH · Kūfah
Among the earliest to embrace Islām. The first to recite Qur'ān aloud in Makkah. Personal servant of the Prophet ﷺ. Grandfather of Ḥanafī jurisprudence and the Kūfan school.
Ṣaḥābī Faqīh
Abū Hurayrah
أبو هريرة
d. 57–59 AH · Madīnah
The greatest narrator of ḥadīth — over 5,374 narrations attributed to him. Embraced Islām in 7 AH and devoted himself entirely to the company of the Prophet ﷺ. The Prophet ﷺ prayed for his memory.
Ṣaḥābī Muḥaddith
Anas ibn Mālik
أنس بن مالك
d. 93 AH · Baṣrah
Personal servant of the Prophet ﷺ for ten years. Narrated over 2,000 ḥadīths. Lived to approximately 100 years of age, the last of the great Companions to die in Baṣrah.
Ṣaḥābī Muḥaddith

Notable Tābi'ūn (Followers) of the First Century

Sa'īd ibn al-Musayyib
سعيد بن المسيب
d. 94 AH · Madīnah
Imām of the Tābi'ūn. The greatest jurist of Madīnah after the Companions. Studied under 'Umar, 'Uthmān, 'Alī, Abū Hurayrah, and others. Called the inheritor of the scholarship of 'Umar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb.
Tābi'ī Faqīh
'Urwah ibn al-Zubayr
عروة بن الزبير
d. 94 AH · Madīnah
Son of al-Zubayr ibn al-'Awwām and nephew of 'Ā'ishah. One of the seven great jurists of Madīnah. A pioneer of the sīrah (prophetic biography) tradition and a key transmitter of 'Ā'ishah's knowledge.
Tābi'ī Faqīh
Al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī
الحسن البصري
d. 110 AH · Baṣrah
The greatest preacher and ascetic of the Tābi'ūn. Born in Madīnah, raised in the household of Umm Salamah. His admonitions on piety and the hereafter remain among the most moving in Islamic literature.
Tābi'ī Zāhid
'Umar ibn 'Abd al-'Azīz
عمر بن عبد العزيز
d. 101 AH · Umayyad Caliph
The Fifth Rightly-Guided Caliph. Known for his asceticism, justice, and revival of the Sunnah. Widely recognised as the first Mujaddid of the Islamic centuries. Redirected state wealth to the poor.
Tābi'ī Mujaddid
II AH 101–200
Second Century of Hijrah
Tābi' al-Tābi'īn & the Great Imāms — 101–200 AH / 718–815 CE
Blessed Generation The Four Madhhabs Founded
The age of the great legal Imāms — Abū Ḥanīfah, Mālik, al-Shāfi'ī, and Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal begin their work. The sciences of Ḥadīth criticism, Fiqh, and 'Aqīdah are systematised. This century includes the third blessed generation (Tābi' al-Tābi'īn) and the scholars who inherited directly from them.
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Mujaddid of the 2nd Century AH
Imām al-Shāfi'ī — Muḥammad ibn Idrīs al-Shāfi'ī (d. 204 AH)
Many scholars consider al-Shāfi'ī the Mujaddid of his era. He unified Ḥadīth and Fiqh in unprecedented ways, authored al-Risālah (the first work of Uṣūl al-Fiqh), and established the principles of Islamic jurisprudence as an independent discipline.

The Four Great Imāms

Imām Abū Ḥanīfah
أبو حنيفة النعمان
d. 150 AH · Kūfah & Baghdād
Al-Nu'mān ibn Thābit. The Great Imām (al-Imām al-A'ẓam). Founder of the Ḥanafī school — the most widely followed madhhab today. Known for his mastery of analogical reasoning (qiyās) and independent juristic judgment (ra'y). A silk merchant who became the greatest jurist of Iraq.
Imām Ḥanafī
Imām Mālik ibn Anas
مالك بن أنس
d. 179 AH · Madīnah
Imām Dār al-Hijrah — Imām of the City of the Prophet ﷺ. Author of al-Muwaṭṭa', the earliest surviving ḥadīth and legal compendium. Grounded his law in the living practice of the people of Madīnah ('amal ahl al-Madīnah). Suffered flogging for his legal opinions yet never retracted them.
Imām Mālikī
Imām al-Shāfi'ī
محمد بن إدريس الشافعي
d. 204 AH · Cairo
The reviver of the Sunnah. Studied under Mālik in Madīnah and Muḥammad al-Shaybānī in Baghdād. His al-Risālah founded the science of Uṣūl al-Fiqh. A poet, horseman, and towering intellectual. Of Qurayshī lineage, from the same clan as the Prophet ﷺ.
Imām Mujaddid
Imām Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal
أحمد بن حنبل
d. 241 AH · Baghdād
Imām Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamā'ah. Compiled the Musnad — over 27,000 ḥadīths. Endured flogging and imprisonment during the Mu'tazilī Miḥnah (inquisition) over the createdness of the Qur'ān, emerging with extraordinary steadfastness and becoming a symbol of Sunnī orthodoxy.
Imām Ḥanbalī

Other Major Scholars of the Second Century

Sufyān al-Thawrī
سفيان الثوري
d. 161 AH · Baṣrah
Amīr al-Mu'minīn in ḥadīth of his era. One of the most prolific ḥadīth scholars and an ascetic of the highest order. Founded his own school of law (now extinct) that rivalled the four surviving madhhabs.
Muḥaddith Faqīh
Ibn al-Mubārak
عبد الله بن المبارك
d. 181 AH · Khurāsān
The scholar, the ascetic, the warrior. Combined deep knowledge of ḥadīth with military campaigns at the frontiers of Islām. Praised by Imām Aḥmad as a man who gathered all good in himself. Author of Kitāb al-Zuhd.
Muḥaddith Mujāhid
Yaḥyā ibn Sa'īd al-Qaṭṭān
يحيى بن سعيد القطان
d. 198 AH · Baṣrah
The pioneer of the science of narrator criticism (al-jarḥ wa al-ta'dīl). His meticulous evaluation of ḥadīth transmitters laid the foundation for all subsequent criticism. Teacher of Imām Aḥmad and Yaḥyā ibn Ma'īn.
Muḥaddith Nāqid
III AH 201–300
Third Century of Hijrah
The Golden Age of Ḥadīth — 201–300 AH / 815–912 CE
Salaf al-Ṣāliḥ The Six Books Compiled
The century of the great Ḥadīth scholars — al-Bukhārī, Muslim, Abū Dāwūd, al-Tirmidhī, al-Nasā'ī, and Ibn Mājah compile the six major ḥadīth collections (Kutub al-Sittah). The sciences of rijāl criticism, 'ilal al-ḥadīth, and ṭabaqāt reach their apex. Baghdād is the intellectual capital of the world.
✦
Mujaddid of the 3rd Century AH
Imām Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal (d. 241 AH) — or Imām al-Bukhārī (d. 256 AH)
Scholars differ on whether Ibn Ḥanbal or al-Bukhārī holds this honour. Ibn Ḥanbal's steadfastness during the Miḥnah preserved the Sunnah from distortion. Al-Bukhārī's Ṣaḥīḥ is the most rigorously authenticated book after the Qur'ān.

The Compilers of the Six Books (Kutub al-Sittah)

Imām al-Bukhārī
محمد بن إسماعيل البخاري
d. 256 AH · Samarqand
Amīr al-Mu'minīn in ḥadīth. His al-Jāmi' al-Ṣaḥīḥ contains 7,275 ḥadīths selected from 600,000. He is reported to have performed ghusl and prayed two rak'ahs before including each ḥadīth. Born in Bukhārā, Khurāsān.
Muḥaddith
Imām Muslim ibn al-Ḥajjāj
مسلم بن الحجاج النيسابوري
d. 261 AH · Nīsābūr
His Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim is ranked alongside al-Bukhārī's. Selected ~4,000 ḥadīths from 300,000. His organisation by chapter and his isnād grouping are masterful scholarly innovations.
Muḥaddith
Imām Abū Dāwūd
سليمان بن الأشعث السجستاني
d. 275 AH · Baṣrah
His Sunan Abī Dāwūd — 5,274 ḥadīths selected from 500,000 — is the foremost collection for Islamic legal practice (aḥkām). He wrote to Imām Aḥmad about it and received his endorsement.
Muḥaddith
Imām al-Tirmidhī
محمد بن عيسى الترمذي
d. 279 AH · Khurāsān
Student of al-Bukhārī. His al-Jāmi' al-Kabīr (Sunan al-Tirmidhī) is unique in grading every ḥadīth and surveying the opinions of jurists — making it invaluable for Fiqh. Also authored al-Shamā'il.
Muḥaddith
Imām al-Nasā'ī
أحمد بن شعيب النسائي
d. 303 AH · Palestine / Makkah
His al-Sunan al-Kubrā and its abridgement al-Mujtabā are noted for the finest isnāds of the six books. Died after being beaten in Damascus for his praise of 'Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib.
Muḥaddith
Ibn Mājah al-Qazwīnī
محمد بن يزيد بن ماجة القزويني
d. 273 AH · Qazwīn, Iran
His Sunan Ibn Mājah completes the six canonical collections. Contains 4,341 ḥadīths, including some found nowhere else. Also authored a history (tārīkh) and a Tafsīr.
Muḥaddith

Other Major Scholars of the Third Century

Yaḥyā ibn Ma'īn
يحيى بن معين
d. 233 AH · Madīnah
The father of the science of ḥadīth criticism. Evaluated tens of thousands of narrators. Said to have written a million ḥadīths by hand. His critical judgements on narrators remain authoritative today.
Muḥaddith Nāqid
'Alī ibn al-Madīnī
علي بن المديني
d. 234 AH · Baṣrah
Al-Bukhārī's greatest teacher. The foremost authority on the 'ilal (hidden defects) of ḥadīth. Al-Bukhārī said: "I never belittled myself in front of anyone except in front of 'Alī ibn al-Madīnī."
Muḥaddith Nāqid
Isḥāq ibn Rāhawayh
إسحاق بن راهويه
d. 238 AH · Nīsābūr
Peer of Imām Aḥmad in knowledge and status. Teacher of al-Bukhārī and Muslim. Among the first to compile a musnad (ḥadīth collection organised by Companion). Al-Bukhārī said: "Isḥāq inspired me."
Muḥaddith Faqīh
IV AH 301–400
Fourth Century of Hijrah
The End of the Salaf Era — 301–400 AH / 912–1009 CE
Last of the Salaf Final boundary of Al-Salaf al-Ṣāliḥ
The classical definition of Al-Salaf al-Ṣāliḥ extends to the end of the 4th century AH. Great scholars of this era include al-Ṭabarī, Ibn Khuzaymah, Ibn Ḥibbān, al-Dāraquṭnī, and al-Ḥākim al-Nīsābūrī. The encyclopaedic tradition of Islamic scholarship reaches new heights.
✦
Mujaddid of the 4th Century AH
Imām Ibn Khuzaymah (d. 311 AH) — Abū Bakr Muḥammad ibn Isḥāq
Called "the Imām of Imāms" (Imām al-A'immah) for his comprehensive mastery of ḥadīth, fiqh, and 'aqīdah. His Ṣaḥīḥ is one of the most stringent ḥadīth collections ever compiled.

Major Scholars of the Fourth Century

Ibn Jarīr al-Ṭabarī
محمد بن جرير الطبري
d. 310 AH · Baghdād
The supreme authority in Qur'ānic exegesis. His Tafsīr (Jāmi' al-Bayān) fills 30 volumes. His Tārīkh al-Rusul wa al-Mulūk is the foundational history of the Muslim world. Offered a teaching position at age seven due to his extraordinary intelligence.
Mufassir Muḥaddith
Ibn Khuzaymah
ابن خزيمة
d. 311 AH · Nīsābūr
Called "Imām al-A'immah." His Ṣaḥīḥ is considered the most stringent of all ḥadīth collections after the two Ṣaḥīḥs. A student of Isḥāq ibn Rāhawayh and teacher of Ibn Ḥibbān and al-Ḥākim.
Muḥaddith Mujaddid
Ibn Abī Ḥātim al-Rāzī
عبد الرحمن بن أبي حاتم الرازي
d. 327 AH · Rayy
Son of the great critic Abū Ḥātim al-Rāzī. His al-Jarḥ wa al-Ta'dīl (9 volumes) is the most comprehensive encyclopaedia of ḥadīth narrator biography. Also authored a major Tafsīr.
Muḥaddith Nāqid
Abū al-Ḥasan al-Ash'arī
أبو الحسن الأشعري
d. 324 AH · Baghdād
Returned to the path of Ahl al-Sunnah after his Mu'tazilī period under al-Jubbā'ī. Founded the Ash'arī school of rational theology, which became the majority creedal framework in much of the Islamic world.
Mutakallim
Ibn Ḥibbān al-Bustī
ابن حبان البستي
d. 354 AH · Bust, Afghanistan
Student of Ibn Khuzaymah. Author of al-Ṣaḥīḥ (al-Taqāsīm wa al-Anwā') and al-Ḍu'afā'. Known for his unique classification system. Also a judge (qāḍī) in Samarqand.
Muḥaddith
Imām al-Dāraquṭnī
علي بن عمر الدارقطني
d. 385 AH · Baghdād
The unrivalled critic of ḥadīth in his era. His Sunan al-Dāraquṭnī is a treasury of legal ḥadīths. His 'Ilal (hidden defects of ḥadīth) runs to 11 volumes and is a monument of ḥadīth sciences.
Muḥaddith Nāqid
Al-Ḥākim al-Nīsābūrī
الحاكم النيسابوري
d. 405 AH · Nīsābūr
Author of al-Mustadrak 'alā al-Ṣaḥīḥayn — a collection of ḥadīths he considered met the criteria of al-Bukhārī and Muslim. Also authored Ma'rifat 'Ulūm al-Ḥadīth, a foundational work on ḥadīth sciences.
Muḥaddith
V 401–500 AH
Fifth Century of Hijrah
The Age of Synthesis — 401–500 AH / 1009–1106 CE
Classical Scholarship Al-Ghazālī · Ibn 'Abd al-Barr · Ibn Ḥazm
The 5th century marks the end of the first wave of madhhab consolidation and the beginning of encyclopaedic synthesis. Al-Ghazālī transforms Islamic spiritual science. Ibn 'Abd al-Barr produces the definitive Mālikī scholarship of al-Andalus. Ibn Ḥazm challenges the entire juristic tradition. The Crusades begin at the century's close (489 AH / 1095 CE).
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Mujaddid of the 5th Century AH
Imām al-Ghazālī — Abū Ḥāmid Muḥammad al-Ghazālī (d. 505 AH)
Ḥujjat al-Islām — Proof of Islām. His Iḥyā' 'Ulūm al-Dīn (Revival of the Religious Sciences) is among the most widely read Islamic works of all time. Overcame his own spiritual crisis to guide millions.
Imām al-Ghazālī
أبو حامد الغزالي
d. 505 AH / 1111 CE · Ṭūs, Khurāsān
Ḥujjat al-Islām. His Iḥyā' 'Ulūm al-Dīn is among the most widely read Islamic works of all time. Also authored Tahāfut al-Falāsifah and al-Mustaṣfā in uṣūl al-fiqh.
Mujaddid Shāfi'ī
Ibn 'Abd al-Barr
ابن عبد البر القرطبي
d. 463 AH / 1071 CE · Córdoba
The greatest Mālikī scholar of al-Andalus. His al-Tamhīd and al-Istidhkār are towering commentaries on al-Muwaṭṭa'. His al-Istī'āb fī Ma'rifat al-Aṣḥāb is a foundational encyclopaedia of the Companions.
Mālikī Muḥaddith
Ibn Ḥazm al-Andalusī
ابن حزم الأندلسي
d. 456 AH / 1064 CE · Niebla, Spain
The most original and controversial thinker of al-Andalus. Champion of the Ẓāhirī school. His al-Muḥallā is a monumental work of comparative fiqh. Also authored al-Fiṣal in comparative religion.
Ẓāhirī Faqīh
VI 501–600 AH
Sixth Century of Hijrah
The Crusades & Renewal — 501–600 AH / 1106–1202 CE
Age of Ibn al-Jawzī Ibn al-Jawzī · Ibn Qudāmah · Ṣalāḥ al-Dīn
The 6th century is defined by the Crusades and the Muslim scholarly response to them. Ṣalāḥ al-Dīn al-Ayyūbī recaptures Jerusalem (583 AH / 1187 CE). Ibn al-Jawzī preaches to tens of thousands in Baghdād. Ibn Qudāmah, a refugee from Crusader-held Jerusalem, writes the great encyclopaedia of Ḥanbalī fiqh.
✦
Mujaddid of the 6th Century AH
Ibn al-Jawzī — 'Abd al-Raḥmān ibn al-Jawzī (d. 597 AH)
The most prolific author in Islamic history — over 700 works spanning all Islamic sciences. His sermons in Baghdād drew audiences of tens of thousands. A reviver of the Ḥanbalī tradition and one of the most influential preachers of the classical era.
Ibn al-Jawzī
عبد الرحمن بن الجوزي
d. 597 AH / 1201 CE · Baghdād
The most prolific author in Islamic history — over 700 works. Spanning ḥadīth, tafsīr, fiqh, history, and spirituality. His sermons drew audiences of tens of thousands in Baghdād.
Ḥanbalī Mujaddid
Ibn Qudāmah al-Maqdisī
ابن قدامة المقدسي
d. 620 AH / 1223 CE · Damascus
Author of al-Mughnī — the encyclopaedic masterwork of Ḥanbalī jurisprudence. A refugee from Jerusalem after the Crusader invasion, he settled in Damascus and produced works that remain authoritative today.
Ḥanbalī
VII 601–700 AH
Seventh Century of Hijrah
The Mongol Catastrophe & Resilience — 601–700 AH / 1202–1299 CE
Age of Al-Nawawī Al-Nawawī · Ibn al-Ṣalāḥ · Sack of Baghdād 656 AH
The defining catastrophe of the 7th century is the Mongol sack of Baghdād (656 AH / 1258 CE), ending the Abbasid Caliphate after 500 years. Yet Islamic scholarship does not collapse — al-Nawawī in Damascus produces the most widely recited works in Islamic literature. The Mamlūks halt the Mongol advance at 'Ayn Jālūt (658 AH / 1260 CE).
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Mujaddid of the 7th Century AH
Imām al-Nawawī — Yaḥyā ibn Sharaf al-Nawawī (d. 676 AH)
Author of the Forty Ḥadīths, Riyāḍ al-Ṣāliḥīn, and the monumental commentary on Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim. Died aged only 45, yet his works remain among the most read in the Islamic world today, fourteen centuries after the Prophet ﷺ.
Imām al-Nawawī
يحيى بن شرف النووي
d. 676 AH / 1277 CE · Nawa, Syria
Author of the Forty Ḥadīths (al-Arba'ūn al-Nawawiyyah), Riyāḍ al-Ṣāliḥīn, and Sharḥ Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim. One of the most prolific and precise scholars of the Shāfi'ī school. Died aged only 45.
Shāfi'ī Mujaddid
Ibn al-Ṣalāḥ al-Shahrazūrī
ابن الصلاح الشهرزوري
d. 643 AH / 1245 CE · Damascus
Author of Muqaddimah Ibn al-Ṣalāḥ — the foundational text of ḥadīth sciences that defined the discipline for all subsequent scholars. Head of Dār al-Ḥadīth in Damascus.
Muḥaddith Shāfi'ī
VIII 701–800 AH
Eighth Century of Hijrah
Ibn Taymiyyah & Ibn Kathīr — 701–800 AH / 1299–1397 CE
Reform & Revival Ibn Taymiyyah · Al-Dhahabī · Ibn Kathīr · Ibn al-Qayyim
The 8th century witnesses one of history's greatest Islamic scholars — Shaykh al-Islām Ibn Taymiyyah — alongside his student Ibn al-Qayyim and the encyclopaedic historian-critic al-Dhahabī. Their works fundamentally shape Islamic scholarship until today. Ibn Taymiyyah faced imprisonment multiple times for his principled stands and died in the Damascus Citadel with a pen in his hand.
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Mujaddid of the 8th Century AH
Shaykh al-Islām Ibn Taymiyyah — Taqī al-Dīn Aḥmad ibn Taymiyyah (d. 728 AH)
Born in Ḥarrān, imprisoned in Cairo, Alexandria, and Damascus. His Majmū' al-Fatāwā (37 volumes) and al-'Aqīdah al-Wāsiṭiyyah are cornerstones of Sunnī scholarship. He died imprisoned in the Damascus Citadel, his pen his only weapon.
Ibn Taymiyyah
تقي الدين ابن تيمية
d. 728 AH / 1328 CE · Damascus Citadel
Shaykh al-Islām. Encyclopaedic mastery of all Islamic sciences. Led the resistance against Mongol invasion. Died imprisoned after a lifetime of scholarly service. Over 700 works attributed to him.
Ḥanbalī Mujaddid
Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyyah
ابن قيم الجوزية
d. 751 AH / 1350 CE · Damascus
Shams al-Dīn Muḥammad ibn Abī Bakr. The greatest student of Ibn Taymiyyah. His Madārij al-Sālikīn, Zād al-Ma'ād, and I'lām al-Muwaqqi'īn are indispensable classics of Islamic spirituality and law.
Ḥanbalī
Imām al-Dhahabī
شمس الدين الذهبي
d. 748 AH / 1348 CE · Damascus
The greatest historian of scholars. His Siyar A'lām al-Nubalā' (25 volumes) biographies over 5,000 scholars. His Mīzān al-I'tidāl evaluates thousands of ḥadīth narrators. A student of Ibn Taymiyyah.
Muḥaddith
Ibn Kathīr al-Dimashqī
إسماعيل بن عمر بن كثير
d. 774 AH / 1373 CE · Damascus
Student of Ibn Taymiyyah. His Tafsīr al-Qur'ān al-'Aẓīm and al-Bidāyah wa al-Nihāyah (a comprehensive history of the world from creation to his time) are among the most widely read Islamic texts today.
Mufassir
Ibn Rajab al-Ḥanbalī
عبد الرحمن بن أحمد ابن رجب
d. 795 AH / 1393 CE · Damascus
Zayn al-Dīn — Adornment of the Religion. Shaykh of the Ḥanbalī school in Damascus. His Jāmi' al-'Ulūm wa al-Ḥikam is the finest commentary on al-Nawawī's Forty Ḥadīths. Known for his extraordinary piety and withdrawal from worldly affairs.
Ḥanbalī Muḥaddith
Tāj al-Dīn al-Subkī
تاج الدين السبكي
d. 771 AH / 1370 CE · Damascus
Son of Taqī al-Dīn al-Subkī. Chief judge of Damascus and Cairo. His Ṭabaqāt al-Shāfi'iyyah al-Kubrā is the foundational biographical encyclopaedia of Shāfi'ī scholars. His Jam' al-Jawāmi' remained the preeminent Shāfi'ī uṣūl text for centuries.
Shāfi'ī Qāḍī
Imām al-Zarkashī
بدر الدين الزركشي
d. 794 AH / 1392 CE · Cairo
Badr al-Dīn Muḥammad ibn 'Abdullāh. His al-Burhān fī 'Ulūm al-Qur'ān is one of the earliest and most comprehensive encyclopaedias of the Qur'ānic sciences. Studied ḥadīth under Ibn Kathīr in Damascus. His al-Baḥr al-Muḥīṭ covers Uṣūl al-Fiqh exhaustively.
Shāfi'ī Mufassir
Ibn Ḥajar al-'Asqalānī (born this century)
أحمد بن علي بن حجر العسقلاني
b. 773 AH / 1372 CE · d. 852 AH / 1449 CE · Cairo
Born in this century, his greatest works belong to the 9th. Amīr al-Mu'minīn in ḥadīth of his era. Memorised the Qur'ān by age 9, orphaned before 5. His Fatḥ al-Bārī — 13-volume commentary on Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī — took 25 years to complete.
Muḥaddith Mujaddid
IX–XV 801–1445 AH
Ninth to Fifteenth Centuries
Ibn Ḥajar · Al-Suyūṭī · Ibn 'Āshūr · Present Day — 801–1445 AH / 1397 CE–Present
Later Scholars Continuing the Chain to Our Time
From Ibn Ḥajar al-'Asqalānī's Fatḥ al-Bārī to the great reformers of the 18th century (Muḥammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhāb, Shāh Walī Allāh al-Dihlawī), to the 20th-century scholars who navigated modernity — the chain of sacred knowledge continues unbroken to our day through recognisable isnāds linking every contemporary scholar back to the Prophet ﷺ.
Ibn Ḥajar al-'Asqalānī
أحمد بن علي بن حجر العسقلاني
d. 852 AH / 1449 CE · Cairo
Amīr al-Mu'minīn in ḥadīth of his era. His Fatḥ al-Bārī — a 13-volume commentary on Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī — is the most celebrated work of ḥadīth scholarship. Also authored Tahdhīb al-Tahdhīb and al-Iṣābah fī Tamyīz al-Ṣaḥābah.
Muḥaddith Mujaddid
Jalāl al-Dīn al-Suyūṭī
جلال الدين السيوطي
d. 911 AH / 1505 CE · Cairo
Authored over 600 works spanning all Islamic sciences. Claimed the status of mujaddid for the 9th century. His al-Itqān fī 'Ulūm al-Qur'ān and Tadrīb al-Rāwī remain indispensable references.
Polymath Mujaddid
Shāh Walī Allāh al-Dihlawī
شاه ولي الله الدهلوي
d. 1176 AH / 1762 CE · Delhi
The greatest reformer of the Indian subcontinent. Translated the Qur'ān into Persian. His Ḥujjat Allāh al-Bālighah sought to unify the four madhhabs through rational principles. Revived Ḥadīth scholarship in India.
Mujaddid
Modern Scholars (20th–21st c.)
علماء العصر الحديث
1300s–1445 AH / 1880s–Present
The chain of knowledge continues unbroken to our day through scholars with verified isnāds linking back to the Prophet ﷺ — among them Ibn Bāz, al-Albānī, Ibn 'Uthaymīn, and al-Būṭī, and hundreds more across the Muslim world.
Contemporary