and Salih and Abd Allah, the two sons of Ahmad.
He narrated from his father, Abu Ali al-Husayn ibn Abd Allah. Abu Ali was a jurist who kept the company of the companions of Ahmad, and his association was most frequent with Abu Bakr al-Marwudhi.
A group of the sheikhs of the school of thought studied under Abu al-Qasim al-Khiraqi; among them were Abu Abd Allah ibn Batta, [Abu al-Hasan al-Tamimi], and Abu al-Husayn ibn Sam'un.
Abu Abd Allah ibn Batta said: Abu al-Qasim al-Khiraqi passed away in the year 334 AH and was buried in Damascus, and I visited his grave.
I heard someone mention that the cause of his death was that he forbade a reprehensible act (munkar) in Damascus, and he was beaten, and his death resulted from that.
He said, may Allah have mercy on him: (I have abridged this book). He means: I have brought it closer, reduced its wording, and made it concise. Al-Ikhtisar (abridgment) is the reduction of a thing. It may be [that the abridgment of a book is by reducing its issues, and it may be] by reducing its wording while conveying the meaning. Among that is the saying of the Prophet,
= Imam Ahmad. He was one of the men of the third century. Tabaqat al-Hanabilah 1/145, 146. (29) Abu al-Fadl Salih, son of Imam Ahmad, was his eldest child. He was generous, heard many issues from his father, and held the position of judge. He was born in the year 203 AH and died in the year 266 AH. Tabaqat al-Hanabilah 1/173-176. As for Abu Abd al-Rahman Abd Allah, he was born in the year 213 AH. He was righteous, truthful in speech, and possessed much modesty. He obtained many excellent issues from his father and died in the year 290 AH. Tabaqat al-Hanabilah 1/180-188, al-'Ibar 2/86. (30) Omitted from MS M. (31) Abu Abd Allah Ubayd Allah ibn Muhammad ibn Muhammad al-'Ukbari, known as Ibn Batta. He authored many books on the Sunnah and his supplications were answered. He died in the year 387 AH. Tabaqat al-Hanabilah 2/144-153, al-'Ibar 3/53. (32) Omitted from the original (MS A). It is in al-Tabaqat, but contains an error: "Abu al-Husayn"; it is rather Abu al-Hasan Abd al-Aziz ibn al-Harith ibn Asad al-Tamimi, born in the year 317 AH. He authored works on the principles, the branches [of jurisprudence], and inheritance law, and died in the year 371 AH. Tabaqat al-Hanabilah 2/139. (33) Abu al-Husayn Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Isma'il, known as Ibn Sam'un, the ascetic sheikh. People recorded his wisdom, collected his sayings, and he dictated a number of sessions. He died in the year 387 AH. Tabaqat al-Hanabilah 2/155-162, al-'Ibar 3/36. (34) This is the end of the statement of Ibn Batta, as it appears in Tabaqat 2/118. (35) Omitted from MS M. (36) Omitted from the original (MS A).
