Chain of transmission
Jabir ibn ʿAbd Allah al-Ansari
c. 607 – c. 697 · Medina · companion of the Prophet Muhammad
Jabir ibn ʿAbd Allah al-Ansari is one of the companions of the Prophet Muhammad and one of the most important transmitters of his words. Spiritual chains link several Sufi lines to him through successive links, among them that of the Shadhiliyya.
A companion from Medina
Jabir was born in Medina, in the Khazraj tribe, around 607. With his father he was among the Medinans who pledged allegiance to the Prophet Muhammad at the second pact of al-ʿAqaba, before the Hijra. He was kept away from the battles of Badr and Uhud, his father having charged him with watching over his sisters; his father died at Uhud.
A great transmitter
He later took part in some twenty of the Prophet's campaigns. He is one of the companions who transmitted the most hadiths — more than a thousand and a half according to tradition — including the detailed account of the farewell pilgrimage.
Teacher in Medina
After the Prophet's death he taught in the mosque of Medina, where a study circle met. He lost his sight in his last years.
Death
He died in Medina around 697, at an advanced age, and is considered one of the last companions of the Prophet to pass away in that city.