أبو عمر غلام ثعلب اللغوي الزاهد

Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahid ibn Abi Hashim, Abu Umar the linguist and ascetic, known as Ghulam Tha'lab. He heard from Ahmad ibn Ubayd Allah al-Anbari, Dawsa ibn Sahl al-Wushsha' and al-Kudaymi. Ibn al-Jawzi describes him as abundant in knowledge and much given to asceticism. ¹

He dictated from memory thirty thousand folios on language, and all the books that are in people's hands he dictated without arranging them. Because of the power of his memory he was accused of lying. It is reported that he was asked the meaning of "al-qantara", and answered; then months later the questioner recalled when he had asked him and what he had answered. ¹