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Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books An Introduction to the Emendation of A Shi‘ite Creed Hisham Ibn Al-Hakam some aspects of his personality Abu Muhammad, Hisham ibn al-Hakam al-Kindi (their client) al-Kufi, then al-Baghdadi (c 105/723–189/805), shaykh of the Imami theologians and their leader, was born in Kufah, and grew up in Wasit – both cities in Iraq – and then returned to Kufah and lived there.

He had a business there, and one in Baghdad, and then he moved to Baghdad in the year 179/796, and lived there without interruption. Hisham met the Imams as- Sadiq and al-Kazim, peace be upon them, and outlived al- Kazim, but was unable to meet ar-Rida, peace be upon them. The scholars of the Imamiyyah said of him: "He was a trust- worthy source of hadith, of excellent scholarship in his school, a faqih, and a theologian . . . well versed in the art of theology, ready to answer.

Praises of him are related on the authority of the Imams as-Sadiq, al-Kazim, ar-Rida, and al-Jawad, peace be upon them . . . and they extolled him with abundant commendations."[^1] Ibnu 'n-Nadim described him similarly.[^2] The Shaykh al-Mufid said: "Of his rank and stature, it was reported by Abu ‘Abdillah Ja‘far ibn Muhammad, peace be upon them, that he came to him in Mina while he was a boy, his beard just beginning to grow.

There were Shi‘i shaykhs like Humran ibn A‘yan, Qays al-Masir, Yunus ibn Ya‘qub, Abu Ja‘far al-Ahwal [Mu’minu’t-Taq], and Hisham ibn Salim in his company, and he elevated him above all of them.

All the others were older than him, and when Abu ‘Abdillah, peace be upon him, noticed what he had done was unbearable to his followers, he said: 'He assists us with his heart, his tongue, and his hand.' "[^3] Ibn Shahrashub states the equivalent and adds: [as-Sadiq], peace be upon him, said: 'Hisham ibn al-Hakam is a pioneer of our truth, the driving force of our doctrine, the bulwark of our sincerity, the defender against the falsehood of our enemies; he who follows him follows us, and he who is opposed to him and deviates from him is our enemy and deviates from us.'[^4] Hisham ibn al-Hakam was a theologian, strong in theology, proficient in argument and debate, quick-witted, with a strong memory, a deep knowledge, extensive education, multi-faceted, highly active and a competitor in debate.