Abū Zakariyyā al-Kūfī. He had settled in Baghdad. He was a freedman of the Banū Saʿd tribe. He became famous by the nickname al-Farrāʾ. He was the shaykh of grammarians, lexicographers, and Qur'an reciters (qurrāʾ). He was called "the Commander of the Believers in grammar."
In a narration he transmitted through the chain of Ḥāzim b. Ḥasan al-Baṣrī, he reported that Anas b.
Mālik said the following:
"The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him), Abū Bakr, ʿUmar, and ʿUthmān recited the word 'mālik' in the phrase (māliki yawmi d-dīn) in Sūrat al-Fātiḥa, elongating the letter 'mīm'." This was narrated by Khaṭīb, who also stated that Abū Zakariyyā was trustworthy (thiqa) and an imam.
According to another account by Khaṭīb, the caliph Maʾmūn ordered Abū Zakariyyā to write a grammar book, which he did. All people copied and transmitted this book among themselves, and Maʾmūn ordered that his books be placed in the treasuries. He also requested that Abū Zakariyyā educate his two sons, who were his heirs for the period after him.
One day, when Abū Zakariyyā stood up, Maʾmūn's two sons immediately rushed forward and competed with each other to place their teacher's shoes before him. Then they agreed that each would bring one of his shoes and place it before him. Their father, seeing their agreement and the respect they showed their teacher, gave each of them 20,000 dirhams and gave Abū Zakariyyā al-Farrāʾ 10,000 dirhams, saying to him:
"There is no one more honorable than you, for the sons of the caliph and the heirs to the next era are placing your shoes before you."
Bishr al-Marīsī or Muḥammad b. Ḥasan once posed the following question to al-Farrāʾ:
"If a man performing the prostration of forgetfulness (sajdat al-sahw) makes a mistake in one of the prostrations, what should he do?"
"He does not need to do anything."
"Why?"
"Because our companions have said: 'What is already diminished cannot be diminished further.'"
"I have never seen mothers give birth to anyone like you."
According to the well-known report, the person who asked this question was Muḥammad b. Ḥasan, as he was the son of al-Farrāʾ's maternal aunt.
According to Abū Bakr b. Muḥammad b. Muḥammad b. Yaḥyā al-Ṣūlī, al-Farrāʾ died in the year 207 of the Hijra.
Khaṭīb al-Baghdādī said, "He died in Baghdad." There is also a weak report that he died on the road to Mecca.
Scholars praised him for his works and showered him with the commendations he deserved.