# Mahmud ibn Labid al-Ansari
**Mahmud ibn Labid al-Ansari** (محمود بن لبيد بن عقبة بن رافع الأنصاري), kunya Abu Nu'aym, was a Medinan transmitter of hadith of the Banu Abd al-Ashhal clan of the Aws, born in Medina during the Prophet Muhammad's lifetime and died, by the most commonly cited dates, in 96 or 97 AH (715 or 716 CE)[1](https://read.shamela.ws/narrator/6015). He stands at the boundary between the Companions (sahaba) and the Successors (tabi'un): several early critics affirmed his Companionship, others denied that any companionship is known for him, and he narrates from the Prophet only through mursal (successor-linked) chains[1](https://read.shamela.ws/narrator/6015). His narrations appear in [Sahih Muslim](https://www.edgepedia.org/sahih-muslim), the four Sunan collections, and other early corpora[2](https://sunnah.com/narrator/7353).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name and clan | Mahmud ibn Labid ibn Uqba ibn Rafi ibn Imru'l Qays ibn Zayd ibn Abd al-Ashhal, Abu Nu'aym al-Ansari al-Ashhali al-Madani, of the Banu Abd al-Ashhal of the Aws[1](https://read.shamela.ws/narrator/6015) • [3](https://sahabah.co/companion/mahmud-bin-labid-bin-uqba) |
| Birth | In Medina during the Prophet's lifetime; no verified seeing or hearing of the Prophet is authenticated for him[4](https://mail.shamela.ws/book/3722/14699) |
| Death | 93 AH (Ibn Hibban), 96 AH (Ibn Sa'd, al-Waqidi), or 97 AH (al-Ziyadi, Ibn Abi Asim; preferred by al-Dhahabi)[1](https://read.shamela.ws/narrator/6015) • [5](https://www.islamweb.net/ar/library/content/60/403/%D9%85%D8%AD%D9%85%D9%88%D8%AF-%D8%A8%D9%86-%D9%84%D8%A8%D9%8A%D8%AF) |
| Classification | Bukhari, Ibn Hibban, Ahmad ibn Hanbal, and Ibn Abd al-Barr affirm Companionship; Abu Hatim denied known companionship; Muslim and al-Dhahabi class him among the tabi'un[1](https://read.shamela.ws/narrator/6015) • [6](https://hadithtransmitters.hawramani.com/%d9%85%d8%ad%d9%85%d9%88%d8%af-%d8%a8%d9%86-%d9%84%d8%a8%d9%8a%d8%af-%d8%a8%d9%86-%d8%b9%d9%82%d8%a8%d8%a9-%d8%a8%d9%86-%d8%b1%d8%a7%d9%81%d8%b9-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%a3%d9%86%d8%b5%d8%a7%d8%b1%d9%8a/?book=5563) |
| Reliability | Abu Hatim: thiqa (trustworthy); Ibn Sa'd: thiqa qalil al-hadith (trustworthy, few hadiths)[4](https://mail.shamela.ws/book/3722/14699) • [2](https://sunnah.com/narrator/7353) |
| Family distinction | The Qur'anic dispensation verse permitting feeding in place of fasting was revealed, in the classical accounts, concerning his father Labid ibn Uqba[8](https://shamela.ws/book/10906/3093) |
## Identity and lineage
The biographical dictionaries agree on his genealogy: Mahmud ibn Labid ibn Uqba ibn Rafi ibn Imru'l Qays ibn Zayd ibn Abd al-Ashhal ibn Jusham ibn al-Harith, an Ansari of the Aws through the Banu Abd al-Ashhal, a clan the sources describe as influential in Medina[1](https://read.shamela.ws/narrator/6015) • [3](https://sahabah.co/companion/mahmud-bin-labid-bin-uqba) • [9](https://wikighadir.com/view/%D9%85%D8%AD%D9%85%D9%88%D8%AF_%D8%A8%D9%86_%D9%84%D9%8F%D8%A8%DB%8C%D8%AF). His mother was Umm Manzur bint Mahmud ibn Maslama al-Ansari, tying him to the family of the Companion Mahmud ibn Maslama; one account places her among Bani Haritha of the Aws[4](https://mail.shamela.ws/book/3722/14699) • [6](https://hadithtransmitters.hawramani.com/%d9%85%d8%ad%d9%85%d9%88%d8%af-%d8%a8%d9%86-%d9%84%d8%a8%d9%8a%d8%af-%d8%a8%d9%86-%d8%b9%d9%82%d8%a8%d8%a9-%d8%a8%d9%86-%d8%b1%d8%a7%d9%81%d8%b9-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%a3%d9%86%d8%b5%d8%a7%d8%b1%d9%8a/?book=5563).
He was born in Medina during the Prophet's life, a point affirmed by [Ahmad ibn Hanbal](https://www.edgepedia.org/ahmad-ibn-hanbal), Ibn Abi Khaythama, Ibrahim ibn al-Mundhir, and Yahya ibn Abd Allah ibn Bukayr[6](https://hadithtransmitters.hawramani.com/%d9%85%d8%ad%d9%85%d9%88%d8%af-%d8%a8%d9%86-%d9%84%d8%a8%d9%8a%d8%af-%d8%a8%d9%86-%d8%b9%d9%82%d8%a8%d8%a9-%d8%a8%d9%86-%d8%b1%d8%a7%d9%81%d8%b9-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%a3%d9%86%d8%b5%d8%a7%d8%b1%d9%8a/?book=5563). Al-Waqidi adds that he died at ninety-nine years of age, and al-Haytham ibn Adi places his death during the caliphate of Ibn al-Zubayr[10](https://hdith.com/encyclopedia/book/b-48/h/454780).
## Companion or Successor? The classification debate
The sources divide sharply, and the division runs through the leading critics of the third century AH. Al-Bukhari affirmed Companionship for him, saying lahu suhba (he had companionship with the Prophet), and [Ibn Hibban](https://www.edgepedia.org/ibn-hibban) did the same, counting him among the Companions on the strength of a reported vision of the Prophet[1](https://read.shamela.ws/narrator/6015) • [8](https://shamela.ws/book/10906/3093) • [11](https://lib.efatwa.ir/42200/39/30/%22%D8%AD%D8%AF%D9%8A%D8%AB_%D9%85%D8%AD%D9%85%D9%88%D8%AF_%D8%A8%D9%86_%D9%84%D8%A8%D9%8A%D8%AF%22). Ahmad ibn Hanbal included him among the Companions in his Musnad[1](https://read.shamela.ws/narrator/6015).
Against this, [Abu Hatim al-Razi](https://www.edgepedia.org/abu-hatim-al-razi) said la yu'raf lahu suhba, no Companionship is known for him, and his son Abd al-Rahman records the verdict in al-Jarh wa-l-Ta'dil[6](https://hadithtransmitters.hawramani.com/%d9%85%d8%ad%d9%85%d9%88%d8%af-%d8%a8%d9%86-%d9%84%d8%a8%d9%8a%d8%af-%d8%a8%d9%86-%d8%b9%d9%82%d8%a8%d8%a9-%d8%a8%d9%86-%d8%b1%d8%a7%d9%81%d8%b9-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%a3%d9%86%d8%b5%d8%a7%d8%b1%d9%8a/?book=5563). The sources place him among the tabi'un, and in the second tabi'un class, and al-Dhahabi's Siyar A'lam al-Nubala lists him under the major Successors (kibar al-tabi'in)[9](https://wikighadir.com/view/%D9%85%D8%AD%D9%85%D9%88%D8%AF_%D8%A8%D9%86_%D9%84%D9%8F%D8%A8%DB%8C%D8%AF) • [5](https://www.islamweb.net/ar/library/content/60/403/%D9%85%D8%AD%D9%85%D9%88%D8%AF-%D8%A8%D9%86-%D9%84%D8%A8%D9%8A%D8%AF). Ibn Sa'd placed him in the first tabi'un class of the Medinans, those born in the Prophet's era[2](https://sunnah.com/narrator/7353).
**Contrasting verdicts.** Later scholars note that al-Bukhari said lahu suhba in one work, while Abu Hatim al-Razi (not al-Bukhari) said la yu'raf lahu suhba (no Companionship is known for him); both verdicts are recorded in the biographical literature[1](https://read.shamela.ws/narrator/6015). Ibn Hajar, in his annotation to Tahdhib al-Kamal, holds Bukhari's affirmative view preferable: the hadiths Mahmud transmits testify for him, and he is senior to Mahmud ibn al-Rabi', whom Muslim placed in the second tabi'un class[1](https://read.shamela.ws/narrator/6015). [Ibn Abd al-Barr](https://www.edgepedia.org/ibn-abd-al-barr) reached the same preference, saying the hadiths he narrates bear witness to his standing[6](https://hadithtransmitters.hawramani.com/%d9%85%d8%ad%d9%85%d9%88%d8%af-%d8%a8%d9%86-%d9%84%d8%a8%d9%8a%d8%af-%d8%a8%d9%86-%d8%b9%d9%82%d8%a8%d8%a9-%d8%a8%d9%86-%d8%b1%d8%a7%d9%81%d8%b9-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%a3%d9%86%d8%b5%d8%a7%d8%b1%d9%8a/?book=5563).
**A case of mistaken identity.** [Ibn Hazm](https://www.edgepedia.org/ibn-hazm) claimed he was the same person as Mahmud ibn al-Rabi' ibn Labid, and [Ibn Khuzayma](https://www.edgepedia.org/ibn-khuzayma) made the same identification. Ibn Hajar rejects it as far-fetched, since Mahmud ibn Labid was an Ashhali of the Aws while Mahmud ibn al-Rabi' was a Khazraji; al-Mizzi likewise rejects the conflation[1](https://read.shamela.ws/narrator/6015) • [11](https://lib.efatwa.ir/42200/39/30/%22%D8%AD%D8%AF%D9%8A%D8%AB_%D9%85%D8%AD%D9%85%D9%88%D8%AF_%D8%A8%D9%86_%D9%84%D8%A8%D9%8A%D8%AF%22).
## His hadith transmissions
His students include [Muhammad ibn Shihab al-Zuhri](https://www.edgepedia.org/muhammad-ibn-shihab-al-zuhri), the leading hadith scholar of the early second century, Abu Salama ibn Abd al-Rahman, [Qatada ibn Di'ama](https://www.edgepedia.org/qatada-ibn-diama), Yahya ibn Sa'id al-Ansari, Zayd ibn Aslam, Bukayr ibn al-Ashajj, Muhammad ibn Ibrahim al-Taymi, and Asim ibn Umar ibn Qatada[2](https://sunnah.com/narrator/7353) • [8](https://shamela.ws/book/10906/3093).
A report of his in Sahih Muslim (533e) concerns the rebuilding of the Prophet's mosque: when Uthman intended to rebuild it and the people disapproved, he cited the Prophet's saying that whoever builds a mosque for Allah, Allah builds him a house like it in Paradise[7](https://didnthesay.com/figures/narrators/mahmud-ibn-lbyd-al-ashhli). Other reports include a saying that delaying the Fajr prayer increases the reward, narrated from men of the Ansar of his people; a hadith that when Allah loves a servant He shields him from the world as one of you shields his sick person (no. 2452, via Amara ibn Ghaziya and Asim ibn Umar); and the charity maxim that the best charity is that given from surplus, beginning with one's dependents (Sunan Abi Dawud 1673)[7](https://didnthesay.com/figures/narrators/mahmud-ibn-lbyd-al-ashhli) • [6](https://hadithtransmitters.hawramani.com/%d9%85%d8%ad%d9%85%d9%88%d8%af-%d8%a8%d9%86-%d9%84%d8%a8%d9%8a%d8%af-%d8%a8%d9%86-%d8%b9%d9%82%d8%a8%d8%a9-%d8%a8%d9%86-%d8%b1%d8%a7%d9%81%d8%b9-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%a3%d9%86%d8%b5%d8%a7%d8%b1%d9%8a/?book=5563) • [2](https://sunnah.com/narrator/7353).
**Clan history in the Musnad.** Musnad Ahmad preserves two long narratives from him that carry the memory of the Banu Abd al-Ashhal. In one (no. 23619), transmitted through al-Husayn ibn Abd al-Rahman, who addresses Mahmud as "brother of Banu Abd al-Ashhal," Abu al-Haysar Anas ibn Rafi' went to [Mecca](https://www.edgepedia.org/mecca) with youths of the clan, among them Iyas ibn Mu'adh, to seek an alliance with Quraysh against the Khazraj, and the Prophet met them and invited them to Islam[11](https://lib.efatwa.ir/42200/39/30/%22%D8%AD%D8%AF%D9%8A%D8%AB_%D9%85%D8%AD%D9%85%D9%88%D8%AF_%D8%A8%D9%86_%D9%84%D8%A8%D9%8A%D8%AF%22). In the other, al-Husayn asks Mahmud directly about al-Usayrim (Amr ibn Thabit) of Banu Abd al-Ashhal, who had resisted Islam along with his people, accepted it on the day of Uhud, fought, and was named by the Prophet "one of the people of Paradise"[12](https://hadithunlocked.com/ahmad/13/47). A modern academic study of his historical narrations treats him as a source for the Prophet's biography, the migration to Medina, the maghazi and saraya, and the Prophet's death[13](https://jeh.uomosul.edu.iq/index.php/jeh/en/article/view/56009).
His narrations appear in Sahih Muslim, Sunan Abi Dawud, Jami al-Tirmidhi, Sunan al-Nasa'i, and Sunan Ibn Majah, as well as al-Hakim's Mustadrak, Ibn Hibban's Sahih, Ibn Abi Shayba's Musannaf, and Bukhari's al-Adab al-Mufrad; al-Nasa'i transmits one of his hadiths from the Prophet in mursal form[3](https://sahabah.co/companion/mahmud-bin-labid-bin-uqba) • [2](https://sunnah.com/narrator/7353) • [10](https://hdith.com/encyclopedia/book/b-48/h/454780) • [1](https://read.shamela.ws/narrator/6015).
## Reliability in the words of the critics
The verdicts on his accuracy are positive. Abu Hatim, asked about him, said thiqa (trustworthy)[4](https://mail.shamela.ws/book/3722/14699). Ibn Sa'd said he was thiqa qalil al-hadith, trustworthy with few hadiths[2](https://sunnah.com/narrator/7353). A structured aggregation of 27 critical verdicts counts 15 mentions among the Companions, 7 statements of lahu suhba, 3 of thiqa, and 2 of thiqa qalil al-hadith[14](https://hdith.com/encyclopedia/rawi/p-6015).
The structural notes qualify the picture. Hadith scholars extracted from the critics' statements the classifications of tadlis (concealing a source), ikhtilat, and irsal (transmitting mursal reports); the databases also track the difference between his disputed hearing from the Prophet and his confirmed hearing from Umar and Uthman[14](https://hdith.com/encyclopedia/rawi/p-6015). Al-Mizzi's entry states plainly that neither his seeing nor his hearing from the Prophet was authenticated, even though he narrates hadiths from him[4](https://mail.shamela.ws/book/3722/14699).
## Family and Medinan context
His father, Labid ibn Uqba, was himself a Companion, and the classical sources attach a Qur'anic verse to him: the dispensation (rukhsa) permitting those unable to fast to feed a poor person instead was revealed, in these accounts, concerning Labid[3](https://sahabah.co/companion/mahmud-bin-labid-bin-uqba) • [8](https://shamela.ws/book/10906/3093) • [2](https://sunnah.com/narrator/7353).
The clan itself supplied his material. His Uhud-era narratives about al-Usayrim and the pre-Islamic alliance-seeking of Banu Abd al-Ashhal show him acting as the clan's memory, questioned in person by a fellow tribesman about events of his own people[12](https://hadithunlocked.com/ahmad/13/47). Ibn Sa'd records that Mahmud had descendants (aql) but they died out, leaving no one[2](https://sunnah.com/narrator/7353).
## By the numbers
The quantitative profile, with denominators made explicit:
- **81 narrations** indexed under his name on Sunnah.com, spanning the canonical Sunni collections[2](https://sunnah.com/narrator/7353).
- **27 aggregated critic verdicts** in the digital hadith-criticism encyclopedia: 15 mentions among the Companions, 7 affirmations of companionship, 3 of thiqa, and 2 of thiqa qalil al-hadith[14](https://hdith.com/encyclopedia/rawi/p-6015).
- **Death at 99 years of age** by al-Waqidi's count[10](https://hdith.com/encyclopedia/book/b-48/h/454780).
## References
1. [محمود بن لبيد الأنصاري, المكتبة الشاملة narrator database](https://read.shamela.ws/narrator/6015)
2. [Mahmud ibn Lbyd al-Ashhli, Sunnah.com narrator index](https://sunnah.com/narrator/7353)
3. [Mahmud bin Labid bin 'Uqba, Sahabah.co companion database](https://sahabah.co/companion/mahmud-bin-labid-bin-uqba)
4. [تهذيب الكمال في أسماء الرجال: ترجمة محمود بن لبيد الأنصاري, al-Mizzi with Ibn Hajar's annotations](https://mail.shamela.ws/book/3722/14699)
5. [Siyar A'lam al-Nubala, vol. 3, p. 485, Islamweb library](https://www.islamweb.net/ar/library/content/60/403/%D9%85%D8%AD%D9%85%D9%88%D8%AF-%D8%A8%D9%86-%D9%84%D8%A8%D9%8A%D8%AF)
6. [محمود بن لبيد بن عقبة بن رافع الأنصاري, The Hadith Transmitters Encyclopedia](https://hadithtransmitters.hawramani.com/%d9%85%d8%ad%d9%85%d9%88%d8%af-%d8%a8%d9%86-%d9%84%d8%a8%d9%8a%d8%af-%d8%a8%d9%86-%d8%b9%d9%82%d8%a8%d8%a9-%d8%a8%d9%86-%d8%b1%d8%a7%d9%81%d8%b9-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%a3%d9%86%d8%b5%d8%a7%d8%b1%d9%8a/?book=5563)
7. [Mahmud ibn Lbyd al-Ashhli, Didn't He Say transmitter database](https://didnthesay.com/figures/narrators/mahmud-ibn-lbyd-al-ashhli)
8. [Siyar A'lam al-Nubala, entry 107: Mahmud ibn Labid ibn Uqba ibn Rafi al-Ansari, al-Dhahabi](https://shamela.ws/book/10906/3093)
9. [محمود بن لُبید, Wikighadir](https://wikighadir.com/view/%D9%85%D8%AD%D9%85%D9%88%D8%AF_%D8%A8%D9%86_%D9%84%D9%8F%D8%A8%DB%8C%D8%AF)
10. [تهذيب الكمال (454780), digital edition with takhrij commentary](https://hdith.com/encyclopedia/book/b-48/h/454780)
11. [Musnad Ahmad (al-Risala edition), hadith of Mahmud ibn Labid, no. 23619](https://lib.efatwa.ir/42200/39/30/%22%D8%AD%D8%AF%D9%8A%D8%AB_%D9%85%D8%AD%D9%85%D9%88%D8%AF_%D8%A8%D9%86_%D9%84%D8%A8%D9%8A%D8%AF%22)
12. [Mahmud b. Labid, Musnad Ahmad §13.47, Hadith Unlocked](https://hadithunlocked.com/ahmad/13/47)
13. [Historical narrations of the companion Mahmoud bin Labaid (d. 96 AH / 715 AD), Journal of Education for the Humanities, University of Mosul](https://jeh.uomosul.edu.iq/index.php/jeh/en/article/view/56009)
14. [من هو محمود بن لبيد؟ ترجمته، شيوخه، تلاميذه، وأقوال العلماء فيه, hdith.com rawi encyclopedia](https://hdith.com/encyclopedia/rawi/p-6015)
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*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*
*Initially written Oct 10, 2026 · Edited: Oct 11, 2026; Oct 15, 2026*
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