Adh-Dhahabī

Born near Damascus, Adh-Dhahabī trained in Quranic readings and hadith.

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Siyar aʿlām an-nubalāʾ collects biographies of figures in Islamic history. Mīzān al-iʿtidāl examines criticised transmitters, while Tārīkh al-Islām combines events with biographical entries.

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He combines biography with assessment of transmission. Dates, teachers and students locate an individual, while critical judgments discuss reliability. Inclusion of a name in Mīzān al-iʿtidāl means it is examined, not necessarily rejected without qualification.

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Siyar aʿlām an-nubalāʾ became a major resource for scholarly history. Adh-Dhahabī transmits reports and assessments from varied sources while adding his own voice. Distinguishing quotations, anecdotes and his own judgments prevents attributing every statement directly to the biographer.

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Identify the period, cited sources and selection criteria. A biography can combine facts, judgments and transmitted stories; distinguish them. Comparing accounts helps explain differences without assuming that every report has equal weight.

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