Abu Amr bin Abee Aasim ad-Dahhaak bin Makhlad ash-Shaybaanee, The Imam, the Great Haafidh, the one who closely followed the narrations, author of many works and the Faqeeh. From amongst his works was ‘Kitaabas-Sunnah’ concerning the Attributes of Allah as were understood by the Pious Predecessors. He was born in the year 206H and passed away in the year 287H.

His mother was Asmaa the daughter of the Haafidh, Musaa bin Ismaa`eel at-Tabudhakee and it was under him and his father that ibn Abee Aasim began his studies. He also had the opportunity to study under his grandfather, Abu Aasim. His brother, Uthmaan bin `Amr bin Abee Aasim was also considered to be from the great scholars of that age. After the age of seventeen, he travelled to various lands in the pursuit of knowledge and during his travels accompanied a number of the Sufi scholars such as Abu Turaaban-Nakhshabee.

He was appointed as the Qaadee in Asbahaan for thirteen years until the year 282H. When he passed away his funeral was attended by an estimated two hundred thousand people. He used to say: “I do not like that my circles be attended by the innovator, or one who makes false allegations, or one given to cursing and abusing, or one who openly commits sins or one who has deviated from the way.”

Abu ash-Shaykh said: “he held a lofty station in terms of modesty, virtue, abstinence and chastity.”

Abu al-Abbaas an-Nasawee said: “Abu Bakr bin Abee Aasim, was from the inhabitants of Basrah, from the Sufis of the Masjid. He was amongst the Ahlus Sunnah and Hadeeth, from the ascetics and those who enjoined the good and forbade the evil. He accompanied the ascetics such as Abu Turaab and travelled with him. He was, trustworthy and precise, noble.”

Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Muhammad al-Madeenee al-Bazzaar said: “I went to Basra while Ahmad bin Hanbal RA was still living and I asked him concerning the most knowledgeable in Fiqh of them. He replied that there was no one in Basra who was a greater faqeeh than Ahmad bin `Amr bin Abee Aasim.”

Abu ash-Shaykh said: “I heard my son narrate from Abu Abdullaah al-Kasaa`ee; I heard ibn Abee Aasim say: When the affair of al-Alawee occurred in Basra all of my books were lost, so I re-wrote fifty thousand Ahadith from memory. I used to go to the green grocers’ shop and write using the light of his lamp. Then I realised that I had not asked the permission of the owner of the lamp [to sit in its light] so I went to the sea and washed away all I had written and wrote it again.

The book he wrote on Aqeedah was ‘as-Sunnah’ and it was published with the Tahqeeq of Muhammad Naasir ad-Deen al-Albaanee. May Allah have mercy upon him.