Description

First: His name, lineage, and nickname:

He is Imam Abu Muhammad Khalaf bin Hisham bin Tha’lab bin Khalaf Al Asadi, and he is one of the ten reciters of the Holy Quran, and one of the narrators, on the authority of Salim, on the authority of Hamza. He was born in Foum El Solh (near the Iraqi city of Wasit) in the year 150 AH.

Second: His status and knowledge:

He was one of the narrators of the seven reciters, and one of the ten reciters in his choices, Imam Al-Hafiz, the science of (rational) argument. 

أحد رواة القُرَّاء السبعة، وأحد القُرَّاء العشرة في اختياراته، الإمام الحافظ، العَلَم الحجَّة، كان خَيِّراً فاضلاً، ثقة مأموناً، زاهداً عابدًا صوَّاماً،

He was righteous and virtuous, trustworthy and noble, an ascetic and a devout worshipper, faster (abstaining from food regularly). He memorised the Holy Quran when he was a child of ten years, and then was a seeker of knowledge from (the age of) thirteen years old. Abu Al-Abbas bin Muhammad Al-Douri said: “I have not seen a reciter of the Quran better than Khalaf, except for Khallad the reciter”. Further, Al-Hussein bin Fahm said: “I have not seen anyone more noble than Khalaf bin Hisham.”

Third: His teachers of recitation:

Khalaf recited before: Salim bin Isa, on the authority of Hamza bin Habib Al-Zayyat, and Abdul Rahman bin Abi Hammad, on the authority of Hamza, and Yaqoob bin Khalifa Al-A’sha. Also, he recited before Abi Youssef Al-A’mash for Asim, and before Abi Zaid Saeed bin Aws, on the authority of Al-Mufaddal Al-Dhabi, and others.

Fourth: Narrators of his recitations:

Reciting before him were:

Ahmed bin Yazid Al-Halawani, and Ahmed bin Ibrahim Warqa and Muhammad bin Yahya Al-Kisa’i Al-Saghir and Idris bin Abdul Karim Al-Haddad. Also, Muhammad bin Al-Jahm and Salamah bin Asim and his brother, Ishaq bin Ibrahim, and Muhammad bin Ishaq Sheikh Ibn Shanbou, and Ibrahim bin Ali Al-Qassar, and others as well.

The most famous students of Imam Khalaf are:

Ishaq bin Ibrahim Al-Baghdadi Al-Warraq and Idris bin Abdul Karim Al-Haddad Al-Baghdadi.

Fifth: Transformation of spreading and extinction:

There was no news of the spread of Khalaf bin Hisham’s recitations in any period of history.

The places the recitation is widespread today:

This recitation is not recited by the general public, rather it is circulated among scholars and reciters.

Sixth: His death:

Imam Khalaf bin Hisham lived to the age of 79 and died in the year 229 AH. Yahya Al-Fahham said: “I saw Khalaf bin Hisham in a dream, so I said: What has God done with you? He said: He (Allah) forgave me.”