Hammad ibn Salamah

Abu Salma Hammad ibn Salamah ibn Dinar al-Basri (Arabic: حماد بن سلمة بن دينار البصري; died 167 AH/783 CE^[1]), the son of Salamah ibn Dinar, was a prominent narrator of hadith and one of the earliest grammarians of the Arabic language. He was noted to have had a great influence on his student, Sibawayh.^[1]

Hammad ibn Salamah
Personal life
Died	167 AH/783 CE
Era	Abbasid era
Region	Abbasid Caliphate
Main interest(s)	Hadith, Arabic language
Religious life
Religion	Islam
Creed	Sunni, Athari
Muslim leader
Influenced Sibawayh

He was a client (mawla) of either Banu Tamim or Quraysh.^[1] He was from the generation of the Tabi‘ al-Tabi‘in, one of the early generations of Islam.^[2]

Life

Ibn Salamah was born roughly in 82 AH (701/702CE) and died of natural causes in 167 AH (783/784CE). In hadith, or recorded statements and actions of the Muslim prophet Muhammad, he was a narrator for later scholars Ibn Jurayj, Sufyan al-Thawri and Abdullah ibn Mubarak.^[2] His status was considered by many Muslim scholars to be of the highest rank in regard to biographical evaluation,^[3] and he is quoted in both Sahih Muslim and Sahih al-Bukhari, the two most significant collections for Sunni Muslims.^[2] He is also considered to have been a teacher of both Abu Dawud at-Tayalisi and Yunus ibn Habib.^[4]

Death and legacy

• Ibn Hibban says: Whoever claims that the difference between Hamad bin Zayd bin Dirham and Hamad bin Salama bin Dinar is the difference between a dirham and a dinar is delusional because Hamad bin Zayd was more knowledgeable and correct than Hamad bin Salama. However, Hamad bin Salama was more pious and pious than Hamad bin Zayd.^[5]

**Summary of Abu Salma Hammad ibn Salamah ibn Dinar al-Basri:**'

Hammad ibn Salamah (d. 167 AH / 783 CE) was a respected hadith narrator and among the earliest Arabic grammarians. He greatly influenced his student, Sibawayh, a foundational figure in Arabic grammar. A mawla (client) of either Banu Tamim or Quraysh, he belonged to the generation of the Tabi‘ al-Tabi‘in.

Born around 82 AH (701/702 CE), he narrated hadiths to notable scholars such as Ibn Jurayj, Sufyan al-Thawri, and Abdullah ibn Mubarak, and was highly regarded in hadith evaluation. His narrations appear in both *Sahih al-Bukhari* and *Sahih Muslim*. He also taught Abu Dawud at-Tayalisi and Yunus ibn Habib.

Although Ibn Hibban compared him to his contemporary Hammad ibn Zayd—saying Zayd was more knowledgeable—he emphasized Hammad ibn Salamah’s greater piety.