# Qattan 'Asqalani
**Qattan 'Asqalani** is the name given to a hadith transmitter who must be distinguished from several earlier and unrelated scholars who carried the name al-Qattan or the nisba ([Arabic name](https://www.edgepedia.org/arabic-name) element indicating a person's place of origin) 'Asqalani.[1](https://sunnahonline.com/library/biographies/370-ibn-hajar-al-asqalani)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Subject | Muhammad ibn Ali al-Qattan al-'Asqalani |
| Closest namesake in Egypt | Muhammad ibn al-Qattan (Abu al-Wafa' al-Mahbi), born in Egypt c. 800 AH, author of *Siyaq al-Murtah*; sourced to al-Sakhawi, *al-Daw' al-Lami'* 9:160[2](https://shamela.ws/book/3901/4196) |
| Earlier namesake, Maghrib | Ibn al-Qattan al-Fasi, Ali ibn Muhammad al-Himyari (562–628 AH / 1167–1230/31 CE), died in Sijilmasa[3](https://areq.net/m/%D8%A7%D8%A8%D9%86_%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%82%D8%B7%D8%A7%D9%86_%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%81%D8%A7%D8%B3%D9%8A.html) |
| Earlier namesake, Khurasan | Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn al-Husayn al-Nisaburi al-Qattan, musnid of Khurasan, d. Shawwal 332 AH[4](https://www.islamweb.net/ar/library/content/60/3195/%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%82%D8%B7%D8%A7%D9%86) |
| Earlier namesake, al-Raqqi | Al-Husayn ibn Abd Allah al-Raqqi al-Qattan, d. c. 310 AH, graded *thiqa* by al-Daraqutni[5](https://hdith.com/encyclopedia/rawi/p-12389) |
| The 'Asqalani nisba | Refers to Asqalan in Palestine, where Ibn Hajar's family settled in 583 AH[1](https://sunnahonline.com/library/biographies/370-ibn-hajar-al-asqalani) |
## Disambiguation: other scholars called al-Qattan
The name al-Qattan was carried by several well-documented narrators and authors, none of them the subject of this article. Al-Dhahabi's *Siyar a'lam al-nubala'* has an entry for Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn al-Husayn al-Nisaburi al-Qattan, called the *musnid* (chain-bearer) of Khurasan, who died in Shawwal 332 AH; al-Hakim Abu Abdallah attended his teaching session more than once but reported no sound hadith from him.[4](https://www.islamweb.net/ar/library/content/60/3195/%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%82%D8%B7%D8%A7%D9%86) The transmitter database at hdith.com treats al-Husayn ibn Abd Allah al-Raqqi al-Qattan, who died around 310 AH and whom al-Daraqutni graded *thiqa* (trustworthy).[5](https://hdith.com/encyclopedia/rawi/p-12389)
In the Maghrib, Ibn al-Qattan al-Fasi, [Ali ibn Muhammad](https://www.edgepedia.org/ali-ibn-muhammad) al-Himyari (562–628 AH / 1167–1230/31 CE), was a hadith scholar and critic of Cordoban origin from Fez who died in Sijilmasa; the Hawramani transmitter database indexes him under the name Ibn al-Qattan Abu al-Hasan Ali ibn Muhammad al-Himyari and notes his book *al-Wahm wa al-Iyham*, described as showing his insight into hadith defects ('ilal).[3](https://areq.net/m/%D8%A7%D8%A8%D9%86_%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%82%D8%B7%D8%A7%D9%86_%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%81%D8%A7%D8%B3%D9%8A.html) • [6](https://hadithtransmitters.hawramani.com/%d8%a7%d8%a8%d9%86-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%82%d8%b7%d8%a7%d9%86-%d8%a3%d8%a8%d9%88-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%ad%d8%b3%d9%86-%d8%b9%d9%84%d9%8a-%d8%a8%d9%86-%d9%85%d8%ad%d9%85%d8%af-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%ad%d9%85%d9%8a%d8%b1/)
Muhammad ibn al-Qattan, Abu al-Wafa' al-Mahbi, was born in Egypt around 800 AH (c. 1398 CE), described as a participant in literature, history, jurisprudence, legal theory, and Arabic; his works include *Siyaq al-Murtah min Sibaq al-Muhtaj* and *Ghurfat al-Nahr wa 'Arf al-Zahr*, and al-Sakhawi's *al-Daw' al-Lami'* (volume 9, page 160) is cited as his biographical source.[2](https://shamela.ws/book/3901/4196) Matching both the given name [Muhammad](https://www.edgepedia.org/muhammad-name) ibn al-Qattan and a death date is therefore essential before attributing any notice, grading, or work to the subject.
## The 'Asqalani nisba and the scholarly circle
The nisba 'Asqalani points to Asqalan, a town in Palestine. The best-documented bearer is the hadith scholar Ahmad ibn Hajar al-'Asqalani (773–852/1372–1449), whose family had lived in Asqalan from 583 AH; the name Hajar itself is that of one of his grandfathers.[1](https://sunnahonline.com/library/biographies/370-ibn-hajar-al-asqalani) His full name is given as Ahmad b. Ali b. Muhammad... Shihab al-Din Abu al-Fazl al-Askalani al-Misri al-Kahiri al-Shafi'i.[7](https://dergipark.org.tr/en/download/article-file/337194)
## The Mamluk-era hadith milieu and Ibn Hajar's career
Ibn Hajar began teaching and dictation circles in 808/1406 and held posts at the Seyhuniyye Madrasa, al-Jamaliyya (811/1409), the Baybars Khanqah (813/1411), the Tulun Mosque (833/1430), the Ashrafiyya Dar al-Hadith in Damascus (836/1433), and the Zayniyya Madrasa (851/1447).[7](https://dergipark.org.tr/en/download/article-file/337194) He studied under Zayn al-Din al-'Iraqi for ten years from 796/1394 and received his first license to teach hadith sciences in 797/1395.[7](https://dergipark.org.tr/en/download/article-file/337194)
**Commentary culture.** Commentaries on [Sahih al-Bukhari](https://www.edgepedia.org/sahih-al-bukhari) in the Mamluk period were embedded in the ethics and culture of live performance before students, patrons, and rivals; Ibn Hajar composed his *Fath al-bari* within this setting.[8](https://brill.com/view/journals/orie/41/3-4/article-p261_3.xml) At his death his reputation in hadith studies was unparalleled in Cairo, and he held the post of qadi l-qudat (chief judge) of the Shafi'i school for a total of 23 years.[9](https://brill.com/downloadpdf/display/book/edcoll/9789004458901/BP000008.pdf)
**Scholar-merchants.** Ibn Hajar came from a wealthy merchant family on his maternal side and an ancient Shafi'i *bayt al-'ilm* (scholarly house) on his paternal side, and his own father was a scholar and merchant who died in 777 AH.[9](https://brill.com/downloadpdf/display/book/edcoll/9789004458901/BP000008.pdf) • [1](https://sunnahonline.com/library/biographies/370-ibn-hajar-al-asqalani)
## References
1. [Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, SunnahOnline](https://sunnahonline.com/library/biographies/370-ibn-hajar-al-asqalani)
2. [معجم المؤلفين — محمد بن القطان (المكتبة الشاملة)](https://shamela.ws/book/3901/4196)
3. [ابن القطان الفاسي](https://areq.net/m/%D8%A7%D8%A8%D9%86_%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%82%D8%B7%D8%A7%D9%86_%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%81%D8%A7%D8%B3%D9%8A.html)
4. [سير أعلام النبلاء — الطبقة التاسعة عشرة — القطان, Islamweb](https://www.islamweb.net/ar/library/content/60/3195/%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%82%D8%B7%D8%A7%D9%86)
5. [من هو القطان؟ ترجمته، شيوخه، تلاميذه، وأقوال العلماء فيه, hdith.com](https://hdith.com/encyclopedia/rawi/p-12389)
6. [ابن القطان أبو الحسن علي بن محمد الحميري — The Hadith Transmitters Encyclopedia](https://hadithtransmitters.hawramani.com/%d8%a7%d8%a8%d9%86-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%82%d8%b7%d8%a7%d9%86-%d8%a3%d8%a8%d9%88-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%ad%d8%b3%d9%86-%d8%b9%d9%84%d9%8a-%d8%a8%d9%86-%d9%85%d8%ad%d9%85%d8%af-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%ad%d9%85%d9%8a%d8%b1/)
7. [Meşhur Hadis Âlimi İbn Hacer el-Askalânî'nin Hayatı ve İlmî Kişiliği, DergiPark](https://dergipark.org.tr/en/download/article-file/337194)
8. [Ḥadīth Commentary in the Presence of Students, Patrons, and Rivals, Brill](https://brill.com/view/journals/orie/41/3-4/article-p261_3.xml)
9. [Ibn Ḥajar al-ʿAsqalānī's Texts and Contexts, Brill](https://brill.com/downloadpdf/display/book/edcoll/9789004458901/BP000008.pdf)
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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*
*Initially written Oct 10, 2026 · Edited: Oct 11, 2026; Oct 15, 2026*
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