He authored a book mentioned by Ahmad bin Zayd al-Khuza'i.

He authored a book mentioned by Ahmad bin Zayd al-Khuza'i.[^35] Muhammad bin Sinan: Muhammad bin al-Hassan bin Sinan was known by the name of his grandfather because his father died while he was still a child. His grandfather took custody of him. He was nicknamed Abu-Ja'far and al-Zahiri, after the name of Zahir, the servant of Umar bin al-Humq al-Khuza'i, a well-known companion of both Imam Abul-Hassan al-Kadhim (a.s.) and Imam Abul-Hassan al-Ridha (a.s.).

He authored books mentioned by, among others, al-Hassan bin Sham'oon, Muhammad bin al-Hussein, Ahmad bin Muhammad, and Muhammad bin Ali al- Sayrafi. A number of reputed people like Safwan and al-Abbas bin Ma'roof, and Abdul-Rahman bin al-Hajjaj[^36], quoted him. Muhammad bin Abi-Umayr al-Azdi: His father is Ziyad bin Isa. He was Baghdadi by birth and lived in Baghdad.

In the sight of all people, the common and those close to the Imams, he was one of the most trustworthy, pious and devout among people. "He was unique, among all people, in all his qualities," wrote al-Jahidh. "He was a leading Shi'ite," adds al- Jahidh. "Under al-Rasheed he was thrown in prison, so as to force him to name the Shi'ites, and especially the followers of Musa bin Ja'far (a.s.).

He was so severely beaten that he was about to confess, when he heard Muhammad bin Yunus bin Abdul-Rahman saying to him, 'Fear Allah, Muhammad bin Umay.' He bravely endured torture until Allah granted him freedom." Al-Kishshi reports that, in the days of Haroon, Muhammad was beaten 120 times with a thick piece of wood. Al-Sindi bin Shahik beat him because of being a Shi'ite. He was imprisoned and kept there until he paid a total of 21,000 Dirhams from his own money.

It was also said that al-Ma'moon, the Abbasside caliph, kept him in prison until he accepted the post of judge in a Muslim town. According to Sheikh al-Mufid, in his book al-Ikhtisas (a book of traditions) he was imprisoned 17 years. His sister buried his books for four years, during which period the books decayed. It was also said that he had kept them in a room where the rain destroyed them.

So he depended on his memory, or on the traditions and narratives he had conveyed earlier to people, when he started once again orally narrating the traditions or writing them down. He lived during the Imamate of al-Kadhim (a.s.)[^37] but did not quote him, but quoted both al-Ridha and al-Jawad (a.s.). He died in 217 A.H.