Full Name, Lineage, and Background
Muhammad ibn al-Munkadir was the son of Abdullah ibn al-Hudayr ibn Abd al-ʿUzza al-Qurashi al-Taymi al-Madani. He was a descendant of Taym ibn Murrah, the clan of Abu Bakr al-Siddiq. His kunyah was Abu Abdullah, though some scholars also referred to him as Abu Bakr. He was a scholar, worshipper, hadith narrator, and one of the early successors (Tabiʿin). He was also called the nephew or close relative of Aisha, and according to a report, he was raised in a house of worship and generosity.
Birth and Who He Narrated From
He was born sometime in the early 30s AH. Though some reports mention him narrating directly from the Prophet, these are mursal narrations. He did, however, hear hadith from several companions, including Aisha, Abu Hurayrah, Ibn Umar, Jabir ibn Abdullah, Ibn Abbas, Ibn al-Zubayr, Umaymah bint Ruqayyah, Rabiʿah ibn ʿAbad, Anas ibn Malik, Abu Umamah ibn Sahl, Masʿud ibn al-Hakam, Abdullah ibn Hunayn, Humran, Dhakwan (Abu Salih), Saʿid ibn al-Musayyib, ʿUrwah ibn al-Zubayr, Abd al-Rahman ibn Yarbūʿ, and others. He also heard from his father al-Munkadir.
Many scholars and hadith transmitters narrated from him, including ʿAmr ibn Dinar, al-Zuhri, Hisham ibn ʿUrwah, Abu Hazim al-Aʿraj, Musa ibn ʿUqbah, Muhammad ibn Wasiʿ, Yahya ibn Saʿid al-Ansari, Muhammad ibn Suqah, Ubaydullah ibn ʿUmar, Ibn Jurayj, Maʿmar, Malik ibn Anas, Jaʿfar al-Sadiq, Shuʿbah, both Sufyans (al-Thawri and Ibn ʿUyaynah), Rawh ibn al-Qasim, Shuʿayb ibn Abi Hamzah, al-Awzaʿi, Abd al-ʿAziz ibn al-Majishun, ʿAmr ibn al-Harith, Abu Hanifah, Ibn Abi Dhiʾb, his own son al-Munkadir ibn Muhammad, Warqaʾ ibn ʿUmar, Abu ʿAwanah, al-Walid ibn Abi Thawr, Yusuf ibn Yaʿqub al-Majishun, his other son Yusuf ibn Muhammad, Yusuf ibn Ishaq al-Sibāʿi, and many others.
Reliability and Hadith Status
He was considered very reliable. Ibn Maʿin and Abu Hatim both declared him trustworthy, and al-Tirmidhi reported that al-Bukhari confirmed his hearing from Aisha, which is supported by some narrations in which he said, “I heard Aisha.” If these chains are authentic, this strengthens the possibility of him directly hearing from her. Ali ibn al-Madini said he had about two hundred hadiths. His narrations were described as sound, and he was considered a man of great precision, asceticism, and sincerity.
His Piety and Worship
Muhammad ibn al-Munkadir was deeply affected by the Quran and the words of the Prophet. He was known to cry during recitation and hadith. Malik said that no one asked him about a hadith except that he cried. He once spent an entire night crying after reciting the verse, “And there will appear to them from Allah that which they did not expect” (al-Zumar: 47), and he cried so much his family was alarmed. When asked why he was weeping, he simply recited the verse again. This verse also frightened him on his deathbed.
He once said, “I struggled with my own self for forty years until it became upright.” He was known for long prayers and devotion. Ibn Saʿd reported that he would enter the masjid, pray near the front, then when he finished, he would turn to the qiblah, raise his hands and supplicate like someone saying farewell. Sometimes, he would feel overwhelmed during gatherings, leave quietly, and place his face on the grave of the Prophet and return.
Zuhd (Ascetism) and Generosity
He was known for his selflessness and devotion to his mother. It is reported that he used to place his cheek on the ground and say to his mother, “Place your foot on my cheek.” He once said, “Spending on one’s brothers is the most beloved thing in the world to me.” He fed others and hosted Quran reciters. He preferred poverty and even once gave away all his money during Hajj, until nothing remained with him but his lower garment.
He borrowed money just to go for Hajj and trusted Allah to repay it. When questioned about this, he said, “I hope to be able to repay it.” On one journey, when his servant complained they had no money, he loudly made talbiyah and others joined him in response. A man later gave him 4,000 dirhams, sensing his need.
His Impact on Others
He was held in high esteem by scholars and laypeople. Sufyan ibn ʿUyaynah said, “Seeing Muhammad ibn al-Munkadir benefits me in my religion.” His presence was a reminder of sincerity and worship. Even among his siblings, he was distinguished. His brothers Abu Bakr and Umar were also known for worship, and it was said, “It’s not known which of them is better.”
His care for others included supporting righteous people quietly. He once sent 40 dinars to Safwan ibn Sulaym and said to his sons, “What do you think of someone who made Safwan free to worship Allah?”
Stories of His Dua
One night, he saw a man praying near the Prophet’s pulpit, begging Allah for rain and saying, “O Allah, I swear upon You to send rain!” It then rained shortly afterward. When he tried to find out who the man was, the man asked him not to tell anyone or visit him again, saying, “If you come, people will notice me.” The man was a Persian craftsman, and Ibn al-Munkadir kept his identity hidden until the man died.
In another story, while traveling with a group, someone expressed a desire for fresh cheese. Ibn al-Munkadir said, “Ask Allah, He is able.” Shortly after, they found a basket of fresh cheese. Then another person said, “If only there was honey with it,” and they soon found a jar of honey.
His Encounter with Aisha and His Family
It was said that he once complained of hardship to Aisha. She promised to send him the next thing she received. She later received 10,000 dirhams, sent them to him, and he used them to buy a slave girl who gave birth to his sons Muhammad, Abu Bakr, and Umar. His family were known for worship and righteousness.
Hadiths He Narrated
He narrated from Ibn al-Zubayr that the Prophet said: “Once you stone the Jamrah on the Day of Sacrifice, everything is permissible for you except women.” He also narrated that when a man named his son al-Qasim, the Prophet told him, “Name your son Abdurrahman.” He narrated the hadith of image-makers being punished on the Day of Judgement, and that menstruating women may delay their tawaf.
Miraculous Incident With a Lost Trust
In one story, he spent money entrusted to him when in need. When the owner asked for it, he prayed sincerely, and someone came to him and gave him a pouch of money matching the amount. He returned it to the owner. It was said that this man might have been ʿAmir ibn Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr, known for similar acts of generosity.
His Death
He died in either 130 or 131 AH. Some said he narrated over 200 hadiths with full chains. He left behind a legacy of sincerity, humility, and pious scholarship. His students, worship, and personal conduct influenced many. His own brother Umar ibn al-Munkadir was also a worshipper and has his own brief biography in the Ṭabaqāt of Ibn Saʿd.
Siyar A’lām al-Nubalā By Ad Dhahabi (5/353-361)
