"We were in Egypt for seven months during which we did not eat any stew. All our days were divided between the sittings of the scholars, and the nights were for copying and collation." He said: "One day, a companion and I went to visit a scholar, but they told us he was ill. On our way, we saw some fish that we liked, so we bought it. When we returned home, it was time for a sitting, so we could not prepare it. We left for the sitting, and three days passed until it was nearly spoiled, so we ate it raw. We had no spare time to give it to someone to grill for us!" Then he said, "Knowledge cannot be attained with the comfort of the body (1)."

[Scholars' Statements Regarding His Knowledge]

Abu Ya‘la al-Khalili said:

"Abu Muhammad acquired the knowledge of his father and Abu Zur‘ah. He was an ocean in the sciences and in the knowledge of the narrators, as well as in jurisprudence, the differences of the Companions and the Successors, and the scholars of the different lands (2)."

Al-Dhahabi said about him:

"He was an ocean that buckets could not muddy (3)."

Ahmad ibn Ali al-Qardhi said:

"I have never seen anyone who knew Abd al-Rahman mention anything of ignorance regarding him at all (4)."

Ibn Kathir said:

"He possessed a great share of worship, asceticism, piety, and memorization (5)."

[His Death:]

He passed away—may Allah have mercy on him—in the year 327 AH in the city of Rayy, and he reached the age of 87. May Allah have mercy on him and grant him a place in His spacious gardens (6).

[His Works]

1- Adab al-Shafi‘i wa Manaqibuhu (The Manners and Merits of al-Shafi‘i) - Published.