A man

Ata ibn Abi Rabah al-Makki was one of the foremost Tabi'i scholars and jurists and the leading religious authority of Mecca during his lifetime. He was a freed slave of Qurayshi lineage, born in Yemen around 27 AH, and studied under the greatest Companions and Tabi'in scholars of his time including Abdullah ibn Abbas, Abdullah ibn Umar, Abdullah ibn Amr, Jabir ibn Abdullah, and Aisha (may Allah be pleased with them). He became the primary mufti of Mecca for decades and was so esteemed that the Caliph Sulayman ibn Abd al-Malik said to Ibn Shihab al-Zuhri: 'Let us visit the master of the people,' referring to Ata. He narrated a vast number of hadiths and was considered thiqa thiqa (doubly trustworthy) by the hadith critics. He remained in Mecca throughout his life, guiding pilgrims and scholars who came to learn from him. He passed away in Mecca around 114–115 AH. His narrations are found extensively in all six major hadith collections.