| Religion: | Islam |
| 'Ubayd bin Shari'a | |
| Birth Name: | 'Ubayd bin Shari'a al-Jurhami |
| Death Date: | 686 CE (67 Hijri) |
| Ethnicity: | Arab |
| Occupation: | Historian |
| Denomination: | Sunni Islam |
The birth date of 'Ubayd bin Shari'a al-Jurhami is unknown. However, he was a contemporary of Muawiyah and also met him in the year 660.[1] He died in 686 during the rule of Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan, the fourth Umayyad Caliph. His age is disputed upon amongst historians; 'Ubayd told Muawiyah that he was 240 years old, something which the latter refused to believe,[2] while 'Ubayd himself has also said that he is 150 years old in some of his works.[3] Another narrative also states that he lived for at least three hundred years.[4] Zarif Marzouk denied the ages stated in the narratives, and came to the conclusion that 'Ubayd died much lesser than what had been stated previously.[5]
Some scholars have disputed whether 'Ubayd bin Shari'a was a real person. Qarunqu denied his existence, and instead concluded that he was a character invented by the historian Ibn al-Nadim, the author of the Fihrist.[6]
Hamilton Gebb mentioned that 'Ubayd did provide the Arabs with early historical information that lacked historical senses.[7] Jawad Ali, on the other hand, accused 'Ubayd of taking stories from Arabian Jewish tales and folklore.[8]
Abdul Aziz al-Douri regarded any narrations of 'Ubayd as mere folktales and poetic imaginary stories of Yemeni history.[9]
The book Kitab al-Muluk wa al-Akhbar al-Madhi was attributed to 'Ubayd bin Shari'a, and a more recent copy was first printed in Hyderabad in 1928, while another older copy still exists in the British Museum.[10] This book, however, is disputed in terms of its authenticity.[11]