Al-Darimi
Al-Darimi (181 AH - 255 AH/ 869 CE) was an important Muslim scholar and Imam. His most influential and best known works are Sunan al-Darimi a book collection of hadith.
Name & Lineage
Abu Muhammad Abdullah Bin Abdur Rahman Bin Fadhl Bin Bahraan Bin Abdus Samad At Tamimi Ad Darimi As Samarqandi, commonly known as Imam Darimi, came from the family tribe of Banu Darim Bin Maalik Bin Hanzalah Bin Zaid Bin Manah Bin Tamim.[1] He is also known as Imam Tamimi, in relation to Tamim Bin Murrah, who was amongst the ancestor of Banu Darim.[2]
Still again, he is called Imam Samarqandi, the name deriving from the city of Samarqand, which produced many Islamic scholars, like himself. Regarding his school of thought it is said he was a shaf'i or hanbali
Birth
Imam Darimi was born on 181 A.H., as is admitted by him ‘I was born on the same year in which Imam Abdullah Bin Mubarak had died. And Abdullah Bin Mubarak died in 181 A.H.’.[3]
His Knowledge & Travels
Biographers of Imam Darimi have not written much in detail of his acquiring of knowledge in the early stages of his life, and the same is for the details of his extensive travels for knowledge. Though it is mentioned that he was amongst the ones who frequently traveled to many places for knowledge and collecting of ahadith (Plural of Hadith).
His Teachers
Imam Darimi was a student of many expert scholars of his time, in Hadith and Fiqh.
His Students
Amongst his students were Imam Muslim Bin Al Hajjaj, Imam Abu Dawud Sulaiman, Imam Muhammad Bin Eesa Tirmizi, Imam Abdullah Bin Ahmad Bin Hanbal, and many others.
His Works
- Sunan al-Darimi - Some from among his collections of the Prophet Muhammad's ahadith.
- Tafsir al-Darimi - Imam Zahbi mentioned the work in Sir A'lam al-Nubala[4] Not extant
- Al-Jami'a - Khatib al-Baghdadi has mentioned this in his Ta'rikh al-Baghdad.[5]
Death
The Imam died in 255 A.H. 8th in the month of Zul Hijjah, the day of Tarweeyah, after the Asr Prayer. He was buried on the Friday of the Day of Arafah.