In The Name of Allah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.

Thabit Al-Bunani, may Allah have mercy upon him

He is Al-Imam, one followed as a role model, Shaikh al-Islam Abu Muhammad al-Bunani, may Allah have mercy upon him. He was born during the khilaafah of Muaawiyah, may be pleased with him and his father. He narrated from Abdullah Ibn Umar, Abdullah ibn Mughaffal al-Muzani, Abu Barzah al-Aslami, Umar ibn Abee Salamah al-Makhzumi, the stepson of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, Anas ibn Malik, Mutarrif ibn Abdillah, Abu Rafi As-Sa’igh, Abu Burdah al-Ash‘ari, Safwan ibn Muhraz, Abu Uthman al-Nahdi, and al-Jarud ibn Abee Sabrah. (He also narrated) from Shu‘aib ibn Muhammad, and his son Amr Ibn Shu‘aib, Abdullah ibn Rabah al-Ansari, Kinanah ibn Na’eem, Abu Ayyub al-Maraghi, Abu Zubayhah al-Kila’ee, Abul Aaliyah, Habib ibn Abi Dubai‘ah al-Dub’ee, Abdur Rahman ibn Abbas al-Qurashi, Waqi ibn Sihban, Mu‘awiyah ibn Qurrah, Shahr ibn Hawshab, Bakr ibn Abdillah al-Muzani, and many others besides them.

Ahmad Al-Ijli, said about Thabit: “Trustworthy, a righteous man.” An-Nasaa’ee said about him: “Trustworthy.” Abu Ḥatim al-Raazee said about him: “The most reliable among the companions of Anas ibn Malik are al-Zuhree, then Thabit, then Qatadah.”

Ghalib al-Qaṭṭan said reported from Bakr al-Muzanee: “Whoever wants to look at the most devout worshipper of his era, let him look at Thait al-Bunani. We did not meet anyone more devout in worship than him. And whoever wants to look at the most knowledgeable person of his era, let him look at Qatadah.”

Ḥammaad Ibn Salamah said: Thabit recited (the Ayah): While he (Thabit) was praying at night, he kept on weeping and repeating over and over again the Ayah:

أَكَفَرْتَ بِالَّذِي خَلَقَكَ مِن تُرَابٍ ثُمَّ مِن نُّطْفَةٍ ثُمَّ سَوَّاكَ رَجُلًا

Do you disbelieve in Him Who created you out of dust (i.e. your father Adam), then out of Nutfah (mixed semen drops of male and female discharge), then fashioned you into a man? [Al-Kahf 37]

Ḥammaad ibn Zayd, from his father, said: Anas said, “Indeed, goodness has its people, and indeed this Thabit is from the keys of goodness.

An Excerpt from Siyar A’lam An-Nubula 5/22