النضر بن شميل

Overview

Nadr ibn Shumayl, a philologist of the Banu Mazin, died in the days of al-Ma'mun. ²

His lineage and teachers

According to Ibn al-Nadim, he is Nadr ibn Shumayl ibn Kharasha al-Mazini, of Basran origin, who settled in Marw al-Rudh. He studied with al-Khalil ibn Ahmad and with eloquent Bedouins. ³

With al-Ma'mun

al-Suyuti relates that he corrected al-Ma'mun's grammatical error in Hashim's use of the word «al-sadad» with an s. Al-Ma'mun gave him fifty thousand dirhams. ²

When al-Fadl ibn Sahl heard that Nadr had corrected the Commander of the Faithful, he said the error came from Hashim. Al-Ma'mun then ordered thirty thousand more for him, and he left with eighty thousand. ²

al-Suyuti describes him as the author of "al-Sihah fi al-Hadith". ⁴

Bayt al-Hikma — the House of Wisdom

The House of Wisdom at Baghdad, the greatest library whose report survives from the first Abbasid age: al-Rashid laid its nucleus and al-Ma'mun enlarged and strengthened it. Al-Rashid put Yuhanna ibn Masawayh over the translation of the ancient medical books found in Byzantine lands with skilled scribes writing before him; Abu Sahl al-Fadl ibn Nawbakht rendered Persian wisdom-books into Arabic in its khizana, and Allan al-Shu'ubi copied for al-Rashid, al-Ma'mun and the Barmakids. Al-Ma'mun widened it, sending to the Byzantine emperor for the ancient sciences an embassy of al-Hajjaj ibn Matar, Ibn al-Bitriq and Salm the master of the House, and making Sahl ibn Harun keeper of its treasuries — though its precise organisation and site remain wrapped in obscurity.

النضر بن شميل

At a glance

Overview

His lineage and teachers

With al-Ma'mun

Connections

People and things also explored

Sources

People

Bayt al-Hikma — the House of Wisdom