OverviewA teacher known for hadith, religious rules and keeping distance from rulers.CategoryScholarPeriodc. 716 – 778 CE
His workHe taught religious rules as well as passing on hadith. A legal school once carried his name, although it no longer survives as a major school.Source: TDV Encyclopaedia of Islam — Sufyan al-Thawri
A difficult choiceBiographical accounts describe him refusing political office. He is remembered for trying to protect a scholar’s independence from powerful rulers.Source: TDV Encyclopaedia of Islam — Sufyan al-Thawri
SourcesOriginal summaries of the cited sources. Qur’anic accounts, later traditions and historical estimates are distinguished; brief profiles do not settle scholarly disagreements.TDV Encyclopaedia of Islam — Sufyan al-Thawri
