His treasuries were filled with the books that came to him, and he preferred them over the pleasures of kings. Thus his knowledge became abundant and his discernment refined. He had a brilliant hand in the knowledge of men, genealogies, and reports. He also said: He was reliable in what he transmitted. He was born in the year three hundred and two, and died in the year three hundred and sixty-six.¹

d. Abu Ali al-Husayn ibn Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Ghassani, who is the Andalusian from Jayyan (though he was not from Jayyan, but his father settled there during the Berber fitnah around 400 AH, and their origin was from al-Zahra', as Ibn Bashkuwal said). Al-Hafiz al-Dhahabi described him, saying: The Imam, the hafiz, the proficient, the authoritative proof, the critical scholar, the hadith master of al-Andalus. He was born in the year four hundred and twenty-seven, and he never traveled from al-Andalus. He was among the foremost of the hafizes, strong in Arabic, excellent in language, and preeminent in belles-lettres, poetry, and genealogy. Ibn Bashkuwal said: More than one person reported to us from him, and they described him with majesty, memorization, distinction, humility, and probity. He died in the year four hundred and ninety-eight.²

e. Ahmad ibn Sa'id ibn Hazm: He is Abu Umar al-Sadafi al-Andalusi. Al-Hafiz al-Dhahabi described him, saying: The shaykh, the scholar, the great hafiz, the historian, author of "al-Tarikh al-Kabir" on the names of men in several volumes. He was one of the leading imams of hadith, with complete attention to the traditions. He died in the year three hundred and fifty in Cordoba.³

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¹ Al-Dhahabi, "al-Siyar," 8/269–271.
² Ibid., 19/148–151.
³ Ibid., 16/104–105.