an-Nadr ibn Shumayl
An-Nadr ibn Shumayl was an 8th-9th century Arab scholar and poet from the Banū Tamīm tribe, known for his expertise in Arabic language, hadith, and fiqh, who served as a judge in Khorasan and contributed significantly to Arabic lexicography.
An-Nadr ibn Shumayl belonged to the Banū Māzin branch of the Banū Tamīm tribe. Born in Marw al-Rūdh in 740 CE, he was raised in Basra where he studied hadith, fiqh, grammar, lexicography, and Arab history under scholars such as al-Khalīl ibn Aḥmad. He spent around forty years living among the Bedouin, mastering the Arabic language. Unable to sustain himself financially in Basra despite his extensive knowledge, he relocated to Marw al-Shāhijān where he became a qāḍī and helped establish Islamic custom in Khorasan. He was recognised by the Abbasid caliph al-Maʾmūn for his contributions to grammar and poetry. An-Nadr died in 819 or 820 CE, with some confusion in sources about his exact death date. His works, including the pioneering five-volume Kitāb al-ṣifāt fi ʾl-lugha, have not survived but were influential in Arabic linguistic studies.
Significance
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He is significant as a trustworthy transmitter of hadith in the third generation, linking the Tabi'in to later scholars.