The Book of Asceticism · Hadith 2 (#Ḥadīth #2)

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Al-Ḥusayn ibn Saʿīd ibn Ḥammād ibn Saʿīd ibn Mihrān, whose great grandfather was from the clients (mawālī) of Imam Zayn al-ʿĀbidīn , was born in Kūfah, though the precise year of his birth is not known. Later, he migrated to Ahwāz, hence he is known by the title al-Ahwāzī. He was a companion of the Infallible Imams and has narrated traditions from Imam al-Riḍā, Imam al-Jawād and Imam al-Hādī . According to the scholars of rijāl, he was a reliable transmitter of ḥadīth.[1] In the introduction of his book Man Lā Yaḥḍuruhu al-Faqīh, al-Shaykh al-Ṣadūq speaks highly of a number of texts. Among these are the works of al-Ḥusayn ibn Saʿīd al-Ahwāzī, including his Kitāb al-Zuhd.[2] These works were well-known during his time and scholars would regularly refer to them. Al-Ḥusayn ibn Saʿīd has been considered a reliable and praiseworthy individual by the early biographers such as al-Ṭūsī and al- Najāshī, as evinced in their respective works. About thirty of his works have been mentioned in early bibliographical texts, not all of which have reached us. Kitāb al-Zuhd and Kitāb al-Muʾmin are perhaps two of the better-known works that are available as independently published monographs. Some of the other works attributed to him include titles such as: Kitāb al-Taqiyyah, Kitāb al-Muruwwah, Kitāb al-Ḥudūd, Kitāb al-Duʿāʾ among others. It is also noteworthy that his name appears in the chains of over five thousand traditions. His brother al-Ḥasan ibn Saʿīd was also a reputable scholar, and in some bibliographical works, the two brothers are mentioned together. Due to the similarity of their names, it has been suggested that some of the works attributed to al-Ḥusayn ibn Saʿīd may actually have been penned or compiled by his brother al-Ḥasan. This does not impugn the authority or value of the works, however, since al-Ḥasan ibn Saʿīd was also a reliable scholar and authority in his own right. Al-Ḥusayn ibn Saʿīd moved from Kūfah to Ahwāz, and later to Qum, where he resided until he passed away. The exact year of his demise is not known, but there is some evidence to indicate that he was alive in 254 AH.[3] It is reported that before his death, he gave all his books to Ḥusayn ibn al-Ḥasan ibn Abān, the son of his host in Qum, who then transmitted all of his books.[4]

Gradings are classical jarḥ-wa-taʿdīl, name-matched to a rijāl index (not individually re-verified).