'Amir

Amir ibn Shurahbil al-Sha'bi al-Hamadani was one of the most celebrated Tabi'i scholars and jurists of Kufa, renowned for his encyclopedic memory, incisive intelligence, and mastery of hadith, fiqh, and Arabic poetry. He claimed to have met five hundred companions of the Prophet ﷺ, making him one of the Tabi'in with the broadest access to the companion generation. He narrated from major companions including Ibn Abbas, Ibn Umar, Abu Hurayra, Anas ibn Malik, and others, may Allah be pleased with them. His knowledge was so vast that contemporaries marveled at his memory, and he was known for responding to legal questions with a speed and precision that astonished his students. He was appointed as a judge and was also sent by Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz to teach religion in various provinces. Among his famous sayings is his instruction to students: 'Let your writing be your memory.' His narrations appear throughout all six major hadith collections and in the books of tafsir and fiqh. He died around 103–104 AH. When the name 'Amir' appears in hadith chains from the Kufan tradition, it almost always refers to al-Sha'bi.