Dāwūd ibn ʿAlī

Of this generation was Abū Saʿīd Aḥmad ibn al-Ḥusayn al-Bardhaʿī. He learned from Abū ʿAlī al-Daqqāq and Mūsā ibn Naṣr. Abū al-Ḥasan al-Karkhī, Abū Ṭāhir al-Dabbās, Abū ʿAmr al-Ṭabarī, and their peers learned from him. He came to Baghdad on pilgrimage, entered the congregational mosque, and encountered Dāwūd ibn ʿAlī, the adherent of literal interpretation, debating a companion of Abū Ḥanīfa whom he had put at a disadvantage. He sat down and asked him about selling slave women who had borne their owners children. He replied, “It is permissible.” He asked, “Why?” He replied, “We agreed unanimously that selling them before conception was permissible; we do not abandon that consensus except for another consensus like it.” He replied, “After conception, before delivery, we agreed unanimously that selling her was impermissible. We must therefore hold to that consensus and not abandon it except for a consensus like it.” Dāwūd was silenced and said, “We shall examine this.” Abū Saʿīd got up and resolved to stay in Baghdad and teach, because he saw the predominance of the literalists. After some time, he dreamed that someone was saying to him, “As for the foam, it passes away; as for what benefits people, it remains on the earth” [Qurʾan 13:17]. He awoke to knocking at the door, and someone said, “Dāwūd ibn ʿAlī, the founder of the doctrine, has died. If you wish to pray over him, come.” Abū Saʿīd stayed for many years teaching, then departed for the pilgrimage and was killed with the pilgrims in the Qarmaṭian assault.

Of this generation was Abū Saʿīd Aḥmad ibn al-Ḥusayn al-Bardhaʿī. He learned from Abū ʿAlī al-Daqqāq and Mūsā ibn Naṣr. Abū al-Ḥasan al-Karkhī, Abū Ṭāhir al-Dabbās, Abū ʿAmr al-Ṭabarī, and their peers learned from him. He came to Baghdad on pilgrimage, entered the congregational mosque, and encountered Dāwūd ibn ʿAlī, the adherent of literal interpretation, debating a companion of Abū Ḥanīfa whom he had put at a disadvantage. He sat down and asked him about selling slave women who had borne their owners children. He replied, “It is permissible.” He asked, “Why?” He replied, “We agreed unanimously that selling them before conception was permissible; we do not abandon that consensus except for another consensus like it.” He replied, “After conception, before delivery, we agreed unanimously that selling her was impermissible. We must therefore hold to that consensus and not abandon it except for a consensus like it.” Dāwūd was silenced and said, “We shall examine this.” Abū Saʿīd got up and resolved to stay in Baghdad and teach, because he saw the predominance of the literalists. After some time, he dreamed that someone was saying to him, “As for the foam, it passes away; as for what benefits people, it remains on the earth” [Qurʾan 13:17]. He awoke to knocking at the door, and someone said, “Dāwūd ibn ʿAlī, the founder of the doctrine, has died. If you wish to pray over him, come.” Abū Saʿīd stayed for many years teaching, then departed for the pilgrimage and was killed with the pilgrims in the Qarmaṭian assault.