يحيى بن أكثم

Yahya ibn Aktham, judge and boon-companion of al-Ma'mun, and a transmitter from him in hadith. al-Suyuti reports that al-Ma'mun said to him that if they were to delve into medicine, Galen would be in their knowledge, and in jurisprudence Ali ibn Abi Talib would be in his learning ².

al-Mas'udi says that he was from Marw, of the Banu Tamim. He studied jurisprudence in the manner of the Basrans. He wrote works, among them the book "al-Tanbih", and debates with Ahmad ibn Abi Da'ud. He was attached to al-Ma'mun and was his companion. al-Ma'mun became angry with him in Egypt in the year 215 AH and sent him back to Iraq. He died at al-Rabadha in the year 243 AH. al-Mas'udi also transmits reports that disparage his conduct ^{3 4}.

Ibn Khaldun defended him and described those reports as slander, and said that they rest on the weak reports of storytellers. He transmitted the praise of Isma'il al-Qadi for him, and the denial of Ibn Hanbal of what was said against him. Ibn Hibban in al-Thiqat said that most of what is told of him is not sound ⁵.