Aban ibn Taghlib

Who is Aban ibn Taghlib?

Abu Sa'id Aban ibn Taghlib ibn Rubah al-Kindi was a famous Shia Muslim scholar, Quranic reciter, jurisprudence, exegetist and traditionalist.

There is no information about his birthplace but he is to be said from Kufa. Aban spent most of his life in the company of Ahl al-Bayt and studied under them.

He was also a close companion of Imam Ali Zayn al-Abidin ibn Husayn, Imam Muhammad al-Baqir and Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq and studied various branches of science particularly hadith from them and attained a prominent position in the school of Imam al-Sadiq. Aban is famous to have quoted extensively from Imam Sadiq and it is reported that he narrated thirty thousand hadiths from him. He is also considered the most outstanding Quranic reciter and his style of Quranic recitation is very famous among the reciters. He was the first person to publish a book with the meaning of the Holy Quraan and was renewed with meanings every year and still used by many scholars and students even today.

He was considered master in the Quran, traditions, jurisprudence, literature, syntax and philology. He was Appointed by Imam Mohammad al-Baqir for Medina. Shaykh Tusi has reported that once Imam al-Sadiq appointed him to conduct scholarly discourse against one of the pretenders. Imam Sadiq said to him "Sit in the Masjid of the Prophet and in the religious issues give verdict to the people. I love to have my Shia like Aban ibn Taghlib."