Zaid bin Aslam

Zayd ibn Aslam al-Adawi al-Madani was a leading Medinan Tabi'i scholar and the freed slave of Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him. He grew up in the household of Umar and inherited his father Aslam's direct access to Umar's knowledge and practice. He narrated from his father Aslam, from Umar's children, from Jabir ibn Abdillah, Abu Hurayra, Ibn Umar, and many other companions. He was also known as a scholar of Quranic exegesis whose tafsir was transmitted by his son Abdur-Rahman ibn Zayd ibn Aslam. Imam Malik narrated from him extensively, and his chains appear throughout the Muwatta. He was known for a gentle and accessible teaching style and for having a circle of students in Medina's mosque. His narrations cover prayer, charity, trade, Quranic commentary, and the daily Sunnah as practiced in Medina. He passed away around 136 AH. Some hadith scholars noted that while he was a trustworthy narrator in general, certain of his tafsir narrations were considered weak; his hadith transmissions, however, were accepted. His reports appear in the major collections.