Ahmad ibn Ali ibn Thabit who is better known as Al-Khateeb Al-Baghdadi was born in Ghuziyah, a town in Hijaz, in 392 A.H., corresponding roughly to 1002 A.D., but he grew up in Darzeejan, a large village to the southwest of Baghdad, where his father was the imam who led the prayers and addressed the congregation on Fridays for over 20 years. This tells us that Al-Khateeb was brought up in a family of learning. He showed much promise at an early age. Indeed he learnt the Qur’an and its different methods of recitation at an early age. When he was 14, he began his study of Hadith under a number of scholars, many of whom were residents of Baghdad, but he was also keen to study under visiting scholars.
Baghdad was still a center that attracted numerous scholars from all over the Muslim world. Al-Khateeb Al-Baghdadi was keen to learn from them, their books and obtained the certification of many of these scholars. They had a large number of books which they were able to teach, and Al-Khateeb Al-Baghdadi was keen to obtain these books. He would borrow books to copy them in his own fine handwriting. That enabled him to have one of the largest private libraries of his time.
Al-Khateeb Al-Baghdadi did not confine himself to the opportunity in Baghdad to pursue his studies. He started to travel to nearby cities and villages to meet scholars and learn from them. When he was 20, he travelled to the two other seats of learning in Iraq, Kufah and Basrah. But even then, he was keen to achieve what is better and more varied in education. So he travelled to Naissapur, which was renowned as a center of research and intellectual pursuit, as well as Azadabad, Hamthan, Sawa and Al-Rai. Four years later, he started on another journey to the east, when he travelled to Esfahan, where he was welcomed by its great scholar, Abu Nuaim, who granted him full access to his own books and those of other scholars.
Al-Khateeb Al-Baghdadi settled in Baghdad between 423 and 440, when he wrote some of his books, including the History of Baghdad, his best history book. After 440, Al-Khateeb Al-Baghdadi travelled several times to Damascus, before finally settling there in 451 and from there to Sur in Lebanon in 459. He stayed there until 462 when he went back to Baghdad, visiting Tripoli and Aleppo on his way.
Now back in Baghdad at the age of 70, Al-Khateeb Al-Baghdadi steered away from the established schools. He had his own circle in Al-Mansoor Mosque and also taught in his own home. This was partly due to his desire to spare himself any involvement in controversial issues. In Ramadan the following year, i.e. 463, he fell ill. He donated all his wealth, which came to 200 dinars, i.e the gold currency at the time, to scholars of Hadith. He also made his library an endowment for students, putting it in the custody of Abul-Fadhl ibn Khairoon, but most of its books were consumed by a fire not long afterwards. Al-Khateeb Al-Baghdadi died towards the end of the same year, and his funeral was attended by a large number of eminent personalities in Baghdad.
Al-Khateeb Al-Baghdadi was a prolific author. He wrote no less than 86 books, of which 37 were on the various disciplines in the study of Hadith, with the exception of the history of reporters. He also wrote 25 books of history including those concerned with reporters of Hadith. His other books include 14 on different subjects of Fiqh and its basic principles.
Al-Khateeb Al-Baghdadi stresses the importance of giving practical credence to what one has learned. He makes it clear that when a scholar learns something, he should implement it in practical life. Otherwise the credibility of a scholar is called into question. In connection with that, he denounces the pursuit of learning in order to make a profession out of it, seeking either reputation or wages.