Dhahabi introduced him in Siyar A'lam an-Nubala (9/14): “Asad Bin Al-Furat, the Imam, the Allamah, the Qadi, the Amir, the forerunner of the Mujahideen, Abu Abdillah Al-Harrani then Al-Maghribi. He was born in Harran in 144H according to Ibn Makula. Others have said he was born in 145H.” In Shajarat An-Nur Az-Zakiyyah fi Tabaqat Al-Malikiyyah (p.62), Sheikh Muhammad Makhluf Al-Maliki said: “He traveled with his father when he was two years of age with the army of Arabs to Qayrawan in the year 146H. He then entered Tunis and dedicated himself to reciting and studying the Qur'an and its sciences. He heard Al-Muwatta from Ibn Ziyad, and when he was 18 he went to Madina reviewed Al-Muwatta with (Imam) Malik himself. “He then traveled to Iraq and met the most famous companions of Abu Hanifah, including the two leading scholars Abu Yusuf and Muhammad Bin Al-Hasan. He then traveled to Egypt before returning to Qayrawan. This is where he became famous for his knowledge. In the year 212H, the governor Ziyadatullah Al-Aghlabi gathered his army naval fleet and prepared them to invade Sicily. The commander and judge of the army was Asad Bin Al-Furat. He went out as part of a huge caravan that included scholars. “When Asad saw this huge number of people of all types in front of him and behind him, he said to them after praising Allah: “There is none worthy of worship except Allah, without any partners. O people! By Allah, I did not inherit any position of leadership from my father or grandfather, and none of my ancestors have ever seen a gathering such as this! I am not witnessing what you see for any reason other than the pens (i.e. due to learning and studying knowledge, writing it, and placing oneself at its service). So, exert yourselves and exhaust your bodies in seeking knowledge and writing it. Be patient upon its hardship, as you will attain the good of this world and the next through it.” “This caravan stretched all the way to Marsa Susah (on the northern coast of Libya), and the fleet of ships departed from there towards Sicily. After enduring much hardship, he finally entered it and made a great conquest! He died of his wounds during the siege of Syracuse (southern Italy) and was buried there, may Allah have mercy upon him.”
