ABAN BIN TAGHLIB

Abu Saeed bin Rubah Bakri Jurairi Kindi Rabie Kufi (demise 758 A.D./141 A.H.)

was a famous Shi'ite scohlar, Quranic reciter, jurisprudent, exegetist and

traditionist. There is no information about his birth place. Aban spent most of his

life in the company of Tabiyeen and studied under them. Because of this reason

Ibn Habban considers him as the most famous companion of the Tabiyeen in

Kufah.

He was also a close companion of Imam Ali bin Husain (A.S.), Imam Muhammad

Baqir (A.S.) and Imam Jafar Sadiq (A.S.) and studied various branches of science

paricularly hadith from them and attained a prominent position in the school of

Imam Sadiq (A.S.). Aban is famous to have quoted extensively from Imam Sadiq

(A.S.) and it is reported that he narrated thirty thousand hadith from His Holiness.

He is also considered as the most outstanding Quranic reciter and his style of

Quranic recitation is very famous among the reciters.

He was considerd master in the Quran, traditions, jurisprudence, literature, syntax

and philology. Tousi has reported that once Imam Sadeq (A.S.) appointed him to

conduct scholarly discourse against one of the pretender. Imam Sadiq (A.S.) said

to him "Sit in the Masjid-un- Nabi and in the religious issues give verdict to the

people. I love to have my Shia like Aban bin Taghlib."

Shi'ite Rijal scholars consider his as reliable and the Sunni Rijal scholars like

Ahmad bin Hanbal, Yahya bin Moin, Abu Hatam, Nisa'i and Saqet also has

confirmed him. The books compiled by Aban are now missing but the books

ascribed to him in the catalogues are as follows:

1 - Ma'ani al-Quran

2 - Kitab al-Qira'at

3 - Al-Garib fil-Quran

4 - Al.Fazail

5 - Kitab Siffin