Who is Ibnu Abi-d-Duniyaa?
His name is Al-haafidh Abu Bakr, AbduLlah bn Muhammad bn Ubayd bn Sufyaan bn Qays Al-Bagdaadiyy Al-Qurashiyy. He is popularly known as Ibn Abi-d-Duniyaa. He was born in the year 208 Hijri. He's a historian, a morally superior man and an Arab.
It was mentioned that Ibn Abi-d-Duniyaa sipped from the vessel of knowledge from the most versed scholars of his time. The like of them is Sa'd bn Sulayman Sa'dawiyyah. He indeed learned a lot of beneficial knowledge and culture until he was known as an encyclopedia of knowledge of his time. A lot of people also benefitted from his knowledge and his thought-provoking exegesis.
Ibn Abi-d-Duniyaa was known for his truthfulness in times of distress and in posterity. This virtue granted him an honour to train the children of the Caliphs.
What was said about him
Ibn Hajar mentioned him in his book At-Taqreeb: "An honest, a preserver, and the author of many books"
Ibnu Abi Haatim said: "I wrote from him and my father, he is an honest man"
Al-Khațeeb Al-Bagdaadiyy said: "He trained more than one in the children of the Caliphs"
His books
Ibnu Abi-d-Duniyaa wrote many books. Ad-Duktuur Najmu AbdurRahman Khalaf has counted it to be 218 treatises in number. Among them are: Kitaabul Ikhlaas wa niyyah, Kitaabul Mațar wa Ra'd wal Baraq, Kitaabu Sifatul Jannah, Kitaabu Sifatun Naar, Kitaabu Tawakkul 'Ala-Llaah etc.
His Death
Al Imaam Ad-Dhahbiyy said: "He died RahimahuLlah on the month Jumaadal-Uulaa year 281 Hijri"
May almighty Allah be especially merciful at Ibnu Abi-d-Duniyaa
📍 Lessons
1️⃣ Be honest and steadfast in both distress and posterity
2️⃣ Take knowledge from the best scholars of Sunnah of your time
3️⃣ Let your knowledge benefit you and others.
4️⃣ Benefit your generation and those after you by writing books.
Excerpted from Kitaabu Samt Libni Abi-d-Duniyaa
✍️ Abu Mu'aadh AbdulAleem Akinyoola (20/10/2021)