{ "id": "ep455ew0na", "slug": "al-ala-ibn-abd-al-rahman-al-madani", "title": "Al-Ala' ibn Abd al-Rahman al-Madani", "updated": "2026-10-15", "topic_path": [ { "id": "society", "label": "Society and history", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society" }, { "id": "society.belief", "label": "Philosophy, religion, and mythology", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.belief" }, { "id": "society.belief.religion", "label": "Religion and spirituality", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.belief.religion" }, { "id": "society.belief.religion.people", "label": "Religious biographies", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.belief.religion.people" }, { "id": "society.belief.religion.people.non_christian_leaders", "label": "Jewish, Islamic, and Dharmic religious leaders", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.belief.religion.people.non_christian_leaders" }, { "id": "society.belief.religion.people.islamic_leaders", "label": "Islamic religious leaders and scholars", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.belief.religion.people.islamic_leaders" }, { "id": "society.belief.religion.people.islamic_sunni_scholars", "label": "Sunni imams and classical Islamic scholars", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.belief.religion.people.islamic_sunni_scholars" }, { "id": "society.belief.religion.people.islamic_sunni_scholars.hadith_scholars", "label": "Hadith scholars and traditionists", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.belief.religion.people.islamic_sunni_scholars.hadith_scholars" }, { "id": "society.belief.religion.people.islamic_sunni_scholars.hadith_scholars.medinan-traditionists", "label": "Medinan traditionists", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.belief.religion.people.islamic_sunni_scholars.hadith_scholars.medinan-traditionists" } ], "geo": [ { "id": "geo.mena.t500.society.belief.religion.people.islamic_sunni_scholars.hadith_scholars.medinan-traditionists", "label": "Middle East and North Africa · 500 BC to AD 999: Medinan traditionists", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.mena.t500.society.belief.religion.people.islamic_sunni_scholars.hadith_scholars.medinan-traditionists", "path": [ { "id": "geo.mena", "label": "Middle East and North Africa", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.mena" }, { "id": "geo.mena.t500", "label": "Middle East and North Africa · 500 BC to AD 999", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.mena.t500" }, { "id": "geo.mena.t500.society", "label": "Society and history", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.mena.t500.society" }, { "id": "geo.mena.t500.society.belief", "label": "Philosophy, religion, and mythology", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.mena.t500.society.belief" }, { "id": "geo.mena.t500.society.belief.religion", "label": "Religion and spirituality", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.mena.t500.society.belief.religion" }, { "id": "geo.mena.t500.society.belief.religion.people", "label": "Religious biographies", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.mena.t500.society.belief.religion.people" }, { "id": "geo.mena.t500.society.belief.religion.people.non_christian_leaders", "label": "Jewish, Islamic, and Dharmic religious leaders", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.mena.t500.society.belief.religion.people.non_christian_leaders" }, { "id": "geo.mena.t500.society.belief.religion.people.islamic_leaders", "label": "Islamic religious leaders and scholars", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.mena.t500.society.belief.religion.people.islamic_leaders" }, { "id": "geo.mena.t500.society.belief.religion.people.islamic_sunni_scholars", "label": "Sunni imams and classical Islamic scholars", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.mena.t500.society.belief.religion.people.islamic_sunni_scholars" }, { "id": "geo.mena.t500.society.belief.religion.people.islamic_sunni_scholars.hadith_scholars", "label": "Hadith scholars and traditionists", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.mena.t500.society.belief.religion.people.islamic_sunni_scholars.hadith_scholars" }, { "id": "geo.mena.t500.society.belief.religion.people.islamic_sunni_scholars.hadith_scholars.medinan-traditionists", "label": "Medinan traditionists", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.mena.t500.society.belief.religion.people.islamic_sunni_scholars.hadith_scholars.medinan-traditionists" } ] } ], "excerpt": "Al-Ala' ibn Abd al-Rahman al-Madani (العلاء بن عبد الرحمن المدني), a Medinan hadith transmitter who died in 755 CE, narrated from Companions and Successors; his reliability divided Sunni hadith critics.", "snippet": "Al-Ala' ibn Abd al-Rahman al-Madani (العلاء بن عبد الرحمن المدني), a Medinan hadith transmitter who died in 755 CE, narrated from Companions and Successors; his reliability divided Sunni hadith critics.", "node": "society.belief.religion.people.islamic_sunni_scholars.hadith_scholars.medinan-traditionists", "markdown": "# Al-Ala' ibn Abd al-Rahman al-Madani\n\n**Al-Ala' ibn Abd al-Rahman al-Madani** (العلاء بن عبد الرحمن بن يعقوب المدني), full name al-Ala' ibn Abd al-Rahman ibn Ya'qub al-Harqi (al-Harraqi), kunya Abu Shabl, was a Medinese hadith transmitter of the second Islamic century, a mawla (client) of the Harqa clan of the tribe of Juhayna, who died in 138 AH (755 CE), with a 132 AH variant recorded by some authorities.[1](https://shamela.ws/book/3722/11774) • [2](https://ftp.shamela.ws/book/10906/4437) • [3](https://www.tarajm.com/people/12987) He is remembered chiefly as a prolific narrator from Companions and Successors in Medina whose material entered the Sahih of Muslim, Malik's Muwatta, and the Sunan collections, and whose reliability became a point of division among Sunni hadith critics.[2](https://ftp.shamela.ws/book/10906/4437) • [4](https://hadithweb.com/narrator/122086)\n\n| Key fact | Detail |\n|---|---|\n| Identity | Al-Ala' ibn Abd al-Rahman ibn Ya'qub al-Harqi, Abu Shabl, Medinese mawla of the Harqa clan of Juhayna[1](https://shamela.ws/book/3722/11774) |\n| Death | 138 AH (755 CE) in Medina per al-Dhahabi and Tarajm; 132 AH per Ibn al-Madini's dating transmitted by al-Bukhari and recorded by HadithWeb[2](https://ftp.shamela.ws/book/10906/4437) • [3](https://www.tarajm.com/people/12987) • [4](https://hadithweb.com/narrator/122086) |\n| Teachers | Anas ibn Malik, Abd Allah ibn Umar, Salim ibn Abd Allah, Zayd ibn Dara, Ishaq mawla of Zayda, Abbas ibn Sahl (al-Mizzi); Sunnah.com adds Abu Hurayra, Abu Sa'id al-Khudri, and al-Zuhri[1](https://shamela.ws/book/3722/11774) • [5](https://sunnah.com/narrator/1526) |\n| Students | Malik ibn Anas, Shu'ba, Sufyan ibn Uyayna and Sufyan al-Thawri (the two Sufyans), Ibn Jurayj, Ismail ibn Ja'far[3](https://www.tarajm.com/people/12987) • [4](https://hadithweb.com/narrator/122086) • [6](https://hadithtransmitters.hawramani.com/%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%b9%d9%84%d8%a7%d8%a1-%d8%a8%d9%86-%d8%b9%d8%a8%d8%af-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%b1%d8%ad%d9%85%d9%86-%d8%a8%d9%86-%d9%8a%d8%b9%d9%82%d9%88%d8%a8/) |\n| Corpus | 215 hadith recorded on Sunnah.com; Muslim (no. 2086), Muwatta, Abu Dawud (4093), Ibn Majah (3573), and al-Bukhari in the chapter on recitation[5](https://sunnah.com/narrator/1526) • [2](https://ftp.shamela.ws/book/10906/4437) • [7](https://muslimscholars.info/manage.php?ID=7336&submit=AsabahView&vsource=7) |\n| Standing | Ahmad: trustworthy; al-Tirmidhi: trustworthy according to the people of hadith; Ibn Hajar: truthful, may have erred; Ibn Ma'in: not strong, his hadith not evidence[4](https://hadithweb.com/narrator/122086) |\n| Distinctive hadith | A narration on connecting Sha'ban to Ramadan transmitted through him from his father, to which Imam Ahmad and others objected[2](https://ftp.shamela.ws/book/10906/4437) |\n\n## Life, family and death\n\nAl-Mizzi's *Tahdhib al-Kamal* gives his name as al-Ala' ibn Abd al-Rahman ibn Ya'qub al-Harraqi, Abu Shabl the Medinese, mawla of the Harqa (Harqa clan) of Juhayna.[1](https://shamela.ws/book/3722/11774) The nisba appears in variant forms, al-Harqi and al-Harraqi, and the HadithWeb database renders his lineage as al-Harqi, al-Madani, al-Jahni, resident in Medina, and al-Harqa.[4](https://hadithweb.com/narrator/122086) Tarajm describes him as a tabi'i, a member of the generation after the Companions, and notes that he lived until the beginning of the caliphate of Abu Ja'far al-Mansur, which it dates 137 to 158 AH.[3](https://www.tarajm.com/people/12987)\n\n**Death date.** [Al-Dhahabi](https://www.edgepedia.org/al-dhahabi) records his death in 138 AH, while noting that al-Bukhari transmitted Ibn al-Madini's dating of 132 AH.[2](https://ftp.shamela.ws/book/10906/4437) The HadithWeb database follows the 132 AH date.[4](https://hadithweb.com/narrator/122086) Tarajm gives 138 AH, corresponding to 755 CE, in Medina.[3](https://www.tarajm.com/people/12987) Ibn al-Jawzi, who listed him among those whose hadith he considered fabricated, recorded a report that at his death al-Ala' said, \"I have placed seventy hadith in Fadl Ali,\" a statement cited in later discussions of his reliability.[4](https://hadithweb.com/narrator/122086) • [5](https://sunnah.com/narrator/1526)\n\n## Teachers and students\n\nAl-Mizzi lists his sources as [Anas ibn Malik](https://www.edgepedia.org/anas-ibn-malik), Salim ibn Abd Allah ibn Umar, Abd Allah ibn Umar, Zayd ibn Dara the mawla of Uthman, Ishaq the mawla of Zayda, and Abbas ibn Sahl ibn Sa'd al-Sa'idi.[1](https://shamela.ws/book/3722/11774) Sunnah.com's narrator page gives a partly different list: [Abu Hurayra](https://www.edgepedia.org/abu-hurayra), Anas ibn Malik, Abd Allah ibn Umar, Abu Sa'id al-Khudri, and [Muhammad ibn Shihab al-Zuhri](https://www.edgepedia.org/muhammad-ibn-shihab-al-zuhri).[5](https://sunnah.com/narrator/1526) The lists overlap on Anas and Ibn Umar and differ on the rest.\n\nHis students include the leading transmitters of the next generation. Tarajm names Malik, Shu'ba, Sufyan ibn Uyayna, and [Ibn Jurayj](https://www.edgepedia.org/ibn-jurayj).[3](https://www.tarajm.com/people/12987) The *Tahrir Taqrib al-Tahdhib* states that a large group of trustworthy narrators transmitted from him, among them [Malik ibn Anas](https://www.edgepedia.org/malik-ibn-anas), Ismail ibn Ja'far, the two Sufyans, Shu'ba, al-Darawardi, and Ubayd Allah al-Umari, and that Muslim relied on him in his Sahih.[4](https://hadithweb.com/narrator/122086) The Hadith Transmitters Encyclopedia records the same core list: Malik, Shu'ba, Sufyan, and Ismail ibn Ja'far.[6](https://hadithtransmitters.hawramani.com/%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%b9%d9%84%d8%a7%d8%a1-%d8%a8%d9%86-%d8%b9%d8%a8%d8%af-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%b1%d8%ad%d9%85%d9%86-%d8%a8%d9%86-%d9%8a%d8%b9%d9%82%d9%88%d8%a8/)\n\n## Transmission and hadith corpus\n\nIbn Hajar's *Taqrib al-Tahdhib* records that al-Bukhari narrated from him in the chapter on recitation (behind the imam) and that Muslim and the four Sunan authors did so as well.[7](https://muslimscholars.info/manage.php?ID=7336&submit=AsabahView&vsource=7) Tarajm likewise notes al-Bukhari's use of him in the chapters on recitation behind the imam and raising hands in prayer.[3](https://www.tarajm.com/people/12987)\n\nThe Sunnah.com digital corpus records 215 hadith narrated by him, with named entries including [Sahih Muslim](https://www.edgepedia.org/sahih-muslim) 615d, 1413d, 137b, and 523a, Sunan Ibn Majah 3113, and Sahih Ibn Hibban 2179 and 3416.[5](https://sunnah.com/narrator/1526)\n\n**The Sha'ban hadith.** Al-Dhahabi explains that Imam Ahmad and others objected to al-Ala's hadith on fasting Sha'ban, the month before Ramadan, because it conflicted with a hadith of A'isha, and he resolves the apparent contradiction in al-Ala's favor.[2](https://ftp.shamela.ws/book/10906/4437)\n\n## Standing in rijal criticism\n\nThe verdicts of the Sunni hadith critics span the full range from endorsement to weakening, and each is held by a named authority.\n\n- **Ahmad ibn Hanbal** called him trustworthy, saying, \"I have not heard anyone mention him with anything bad.\"[4](https://hadithweb.com/narrator/122086)\n- **Al-Tirmidhi** said, \"Trustworthy according to the people of hadith.\"[4](https://hadithweb.com/narrator/122086)\n- **Ibn Hajar** said, \"Truthful, he may have erred\" (saduq, rubbama wahim).[4](https://hadithweb.com/narrator/122086)\n- **Yahya ibn Ma'in** weakened him in several reports: \"He is not that,\" and \"His hadith is not evidence,\" with the note that people have always been wary of his hadith.[4](https://hadithweb.com/narrator/122086)\n- **Al-Khalili** held that he is disputed (mukhtalaf fihi) because he narrates hadith not supported by others.[4](https://hadithweb.com/narrator/122086) • [5](https://sunnah.com/narrator/1526)\n\nAgainst the weakening reports stands Muslim's reliance on him in the Sahih and the transmission of a large group of trustworthy narrators from him.[4](https://hadithweb.com/narrator/122086) The criticism recorded against him concerns narrating unsupported hadith, in al-Khalili's formulation, with no explicit formal verdict of tadlis (ambiguity in transmission) against him.[4](https://hadithweb.com/narrator/122086) • [5](https://sunnah.com/narrator/1526)\n\n## Comparison with contemporaries\n\n[Yahya ibn Ma'in](https://www.edgepedia.org/yahya-ibn-main) made a direct comparison within the Medinese generation, saying that Sa'id al-Maqburi is more trustworthy and that al-Ala' is weak.[4](https://hadithweb.com/narrator/122086) The comparison matters because al-Ala' shares isnads with the same Medinese network as Malik, Shu'ba, and the two Sufyans, all of whom transmitted from him.[4](https://hadithweb.com/narrator/122086) • [6](https://hadithtransmitters.hawramani.com/%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%b9%d9%84%d8%a7%d8%a1-%d8%a8%d9%86-%d8%b9%d8%a8%d8%af-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%b1%d8%ad%d9%85%d9%86-%d8%a8%d9%86-%d9%8a%d8%b9%d9%82%d9%88%d8%a8/)\n\n## By the numbers\n\nThe digital record gives a measurable profile: 215 hadith on Sunnah.com;[5](https://sunnah.com/narrator/1526) named collection entries Muslim 2086, Abu Dawud 4093, Ibn Majah 3573, plus Muslim 615d, 1413d, 137b, 523a, Ibn Majah 3113, and [Ibn Hibban](https://www.edgepedia.org/ibn-hibban) 2179 and 3416;[2](https://ftp.shamela.ws/book/10906/4437) • [5](https://sunnah.com/narrator/1526) presence in al-Bukhari's chapter on recitation;[7](https://muslimscholars.info/manage.php?ID=7336&submit=AsabahView&vsource=7) and a verdict spectrum running from Ahmad's tawthiq through Ibn Hajar's \"truthful, may have erred\" to Ibn Ma'in's \"his hadith is not evidence.\"[4](https://hadithweb.com/narrator/122086) Al-Mizzi's entry lists dozens of classical sources carrying his tarjama, including Tarikh al-Duri 2/243 and 415, Tarikh al-Darimi entries 623 and 624, Tarikh al-Bukhari al-Kabir 6/3141, al-Jarh wa-l-Ta'dil 6/1974, Thiqat Ibn Hibban 5/241, [Mizan al-I'tidal](https://www.edgepedia.org/mizan-al-itidal) 3/5735, and Tahdhib al-Tahdhib 8/186 to 187.[1](https://shamela.ws/book/3722/11774)\n\n## References\n\n1. [Al-Mizzi, Tahdhib al-Kamal fi Asma' al-Rijal, vol. 22, p. 520: tarjamat al-Ala' ibn Abd al-Rahman al-Harraqi, al-Maktaba al-Shamela](https://shamela.ws/book/3722/11774)\n2. [Al-Dhahabi, Siyar A'lam al-Nubala, continuation of the entry on al-Ala' ibn Abd al-Rahman, al-Maktaba al-Shamela](https://ftp.shamela.ws/book/10906/4437)\n3. [Tarajm: al-Ala' ibn Abd al-Rahman ibn Yaqub Abu Shibal al-Madani al-Harqi](https://www.tarajm.com/people/12987)\n4. [HadithWeb narrator page: Alaa ibn Abdur Rahman ibn Yaqub](https://hadithweb.com/narrator/122086)\n5. [Sunnah.com narrator page: al-`Ala ibn `Abd ar-Rahman al-Hrqi](https://sunnah.com/narrator/1526)\n6. [The Hadith Transmitters Encyclopedia: al-Ala' ibn Abd al-Rahman ibn Yaqub](https://hadithtransmitters.hawramani.com/%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%b9%d9%84%d8%a7%d8%a1-%d8%a8%d9%86-%d8%b9%d8%a8%d8%af-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%b1%d8%ad%d9%85%d9%86-%d8%a8%d9%86-%d9%8a%d8%b9%d9%82%d9%88%d8%a8/)\n7. [MuslimScholars.info, entry 5247 (Taqrib al-Tahdhib of Ibn Hajar), al-Ala' ibn Abd al-Rahman](https://muslimscholars.info/manage.php?ID=7336&submit=AsabahView&vsource=7)\n\n---\n*Topic: Encyclopedia › Society and history › Philosophy, religion, and mythology › Religion and spirituality › Religious biographies › Jewish, Islamic, and Dharmic religious leaders › Islamic religious leaders and scholars › Sunni imams and classical Islamic scholars › Hadith scholars and traditionists › Medinan traditionists*\n\n*Initially written Oct 10, 2026 · Edited: Oct 11, 2026; Oct 15, 2026*\n\n*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*\n\nLicense: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license\n", "same_as": [], "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/al-ala-ibn-abd-al-rahman-al-madani", "markdown_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/al-ala-ibn-abd-al-rahman-al-madani.md", "license": { "name": "Edgepedia Community License 1.0", "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license", "summary": "Free with credit, commercial use included. AI training is open to everyone. For other uses, organizations over USD 100M in revenue or 100M monthly users license separately.", "spdx": "LicenseRef-Edgepedia-Community-1.0" }, "credit": "\"Al-Ala' ibn Abd al-Rahman al-Madani\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/al-ala-ibn-abd-al-rahman-al-madani. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "credit_md": "\"[Al-Ala' ibn Abd al-Rahman al-Madani](https://www.edgepedia.org/al-ala-ibn-abd-al-rahman-al-madani)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), [https://www.edgepedia.org/al-ala-ibn-abd-al-rahman-al-madani](https://www.edgepedia.org/al-ala-ibn-abd-al-rahman-al-madani). [Edgepedia Community License 1.0](https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license).", "credit_html": "\"Al-Ala' ibn Abd al-Rahman al-Madani\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/al-ala-ibn-abd-al-rahman-al-madani. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "speakable": "Al-Ala' ibn Abd al-Rahman al-Madani, a Medinan hadith transmitter who died in 755 CE, narrated from Companions and Successors; his reliability divided Sunni hadith critics." }