Yahya b. Muhammad b. Hubayra Abu'l-Muzaffar. He served as a wazir (vizier) to the caliph. He bore the epithet Avnüddin. He authored the book al-Ifsāḥ. He studied the sciences of the Qur'an. He listened to hadith. He possessed excellent knowledge of nahw (syntax), lughah (lexicography), and ʿarūḍ (prosody). He learned the fiqh (jurisprudence) of the Ḥanbalī madhhab (legal school). He composed fine and beneficial books in this field. One of these works is the multi-volume al-Ifsāḥ. In this book, he commented on hadith. He explained the madhhabs of the scholars. He himself adhered to the atharī creed in ʿaqīda (creed). He was a poor man without wealth. Later, he entered state service and rose in rank. Eventually, he served as wazir to Caliph al-Muqtafi. After him, he served as wazir to his son al-Mustanjid. He was one of the distinguished wazirs and his administration was excellent. He was extremely distant from oppression. He did not wear silk garments. Caliph al-Muqtafi said, "No one like Ibn Hubayra has served as wazir to the Abbasids." Al-Muqtafi's son al-Mustanjid also said the same. Al-Mustanjid greatly admired him. Hadim Marjan said: I personally heard the Commander of the Faithful al-Mustanjid recite this poem of Ibn Hubayra in Ibn Hubayra's presence:
“Two blessings were uniquely yours. You were characterized by them.
But their remembrance will continue until the Resurrection and will be universal.
The world is in need of your existence.
In your time, good things were met with disapproval by people.
O living one, if Jaʿfar al-Barmakī had intended to replace you,
And Yahya had done the same,
Neither Yahya nor Jaʿfar together could have reached this.
Whoever wishes you harm,
O Abu Muzaffar!
You surely triumphed over him.”
Wazir Ibn Hubayra exerted great effort to sustain the Abbasid state. The incursions of the Seljuk rulers against them were prevented. Eventually, the authority of the Abbasid caliphate was established over all of Iraq. In Iraq, no other sultan's rule prevailed alongside the Abbasids. Praise be to Allah.
Wazir Ibn Hubayra used to convene assemblies of scholars in his own residence for munāẓara (scholarly debate). The scholars examined various topics and engaged in debate in these sessions. He benefited from them, and likewise the scholars benefited from him. One day, Ibn Hubayra spoke harshly to one of the fuqahāʾ (jurists), calling him "O donkey." Later, he regretted this and asked that jurist to say the same to him. However, the jurist did not utter this, and Ibn Hubayra reconciled with him by giving him 200 dinars. He died suddenly. According to one report, a physician poisoned him. But that physician himself was poisoned by another six months later. At his death, the physician said, “I poisoned Ibn Hubayra, but I was also poisoned.”
Wazir Ibn Hubayra died on Sunday, the twelfth of Jumādā al-Awwal in the year 560 AH. He was sixty-one years old at his death. Ibn Jawzī washed his body. A large crowd attended the funeral. That day, the markets and bazaars were all closed. People wept for him greatly. He was buried in the madrasa he had built at Bab al-Baṣra. May Allah have mercy on him. Poets composed many elegies for him on the occasion of his death.