Ubayd Allah ibn Umar al-Qawariri

Ubayd Allah ibn Umar al-Qawariri was a jurist from Baghdad, mentioned in the account of the Mihna as one of those who were tested ².

Al-Suyuti relates that he refused during the test and was shackled, then answered on the third occasion. In al-Ma'mun's letter to his governor, al-Ma'mun criticised him for accepting bribes and favours. This judgement is attributed to al-Ma'mun's letter, as al-Suyuti transmits it ².

He was Abu Sa'id al-Jashmi, their freedman, a Basran who settled in Baghdad. He transmitted from Hammad ibn Zayd, Abu Awana, Sufyan ibn Uyayna, Hushaym, Mu'tamir ibn Sulayman, Yahya ibn Sa'id al-Qattan, Abd al-Rahman ibn Mahdi, Ghundar and Khalid ibn al-Harith. Among those who transmitted from him were Abu Dawud al-Sijistani, Abu Zur'a and Abu Hatim al-Razi, Ibrahim al-Harbi, Abd Allah ibn Ahmad ibn Hanbal and Abu al-Qasim al-Baghawi, among others. He said that Ahmad ibn Hanbal wrote two hadiths from him while he was in prison. Yahya ibn Ma'in said: "al-Qawariri is trustworthy." Ahmad ibn Sayyar said: "I have not seen the like of Musaddad in Basra, or of al-Qawariri in Baghdad, or of Sadaqa in Marw" ¹.

He recounted that he once missed the night prayer in congregation because of a guest. He went round the tribes of Basra and found that people had already prayed, so he prayed it twenty-seven times, seeking the merit of congregation. Then he saw riders in a dream, and the last of them said to him: "Do not tire your horse; you will not catch up with us, for we prayed the night prayer in congregation" ³.

The data do not record his birth or death year.