Thabit al-Bunani

Thabit b. Aslam, the imam, proof, and exemplar Abu Muhammad al-Bunani of Basra; he heard Ibn Umar, Abdallah b. Mughaffal al-Muzani, Ibn al-Zubayr, Anas b. Malik, and others, and from him narrated Shu'ba, Hammad b. Salama, Hammam b. Yahya, Ja'far b. Sulayman, Hammad b. Zayd, and many more. ¹

Salman b. al-Mughira saw him wearing costly clothes, cloaks, and turbans; Ghalib al-Qattan reports Bakr b. Abdallah saying "whoever wishes to see the most worshipful man of his age, let him look at Thabit al-Bunani — we have known none more worshipful — and whoever wishes to see the greatest memoriser of his age, let him look at Qatada". Rawh transmits from Shu'ba that Thabit used to read through the Qur'an every day and night and fast perpetually, Hammad b. Zayd said "I saw Thabit weep until his ribs heaved", and he wept until his eyes nearly failed and refused treatment for it. ¹

Ibn al-Madini credits him with four hundred and fifty hadiths, and al-Nasa'i, Ahmad, and al-Ijli all declared him reliable. He died in 123 AH — also said the year 127 — past eighty years of age. ¹