Kharija ibn Zayd ibn Thabit

Kharija ibn Zayd ibn Thabit al-Ansari was one of the Seven Fuqaha of Medina and a leading jurisprudent and hadith scholar of the tabi'un generation. His father Zayd ibn Thabit was one of the most important companions of the Prophet, the primary compiler of the Quran under the direction of Abu Bakr and Uthman, and a foremost authority in religious law. This extraordinary heritage placed Kharija in a uniquely privileged position to inherit and transmit the prophetic knowledge preserved in his household.

He was born in Medina into one of the most learned Ansari households of the city. His teachers included his father Zayd ibn Thabit, from whom he directly received a large body of prophetic knowledge, as well as Zayd ibn Khalid al-Juhani, Aisha the mother of the believers, and other companions and early tabi'un. His transmission from his father was particularly valuable because Zayd ibn Thabit had been the Prophet's primary scribe and was consulted on the most difficult legal questions during the caliphates of Abu Bakr, Umar, and Uthman.

As one of the Seven Fuqaha, Kharija occupied a central position in the legal life of Medina. The group of seven scholars — Said ibn al-Musayyab, Urwah ibn al-Zubayr, al-Qasim ibn Muhammad, Abu Salama ibn Abd al-Rahman, Ubaydallah ibn Abd Allah, Abu Bakr ibn Abd al-Rahman, and Kharija himself — collectively represented the living tradition of Medinan jurisprudence in the late first Islamic century. Their legal opinions and the principles underlying them were the raw material from which Imam Malik later distilled the Maliki madhhab.

Kharija was particularly known for his expertise in the law of inheritance (fara'id), following in the footsteps of his father who had been one of the most expert companions in this complex legal domain. His opinions on inheritance matters were sought by other scholars and by those with legal disputes in Medina.

His hadith narrations are found in all the major collections, including both Sahihs and the Sunan works. The hadith critics considered him reliable and trustworthy. He continued teaching in Medina until his death around 100 AH (718–719 CE), having served as a primary repository of the knowledge that his father had compiled and preserved from the Prophet's era.