دائرة المعارف الإسلامية
Little is known about al-Mada'ini's life. The second edition of the "Encyclopaedia of Islam" notes that according to his own account, he was born in 752. However the third edition of the "Encyclopaedia of Islam" notes that according to other sources (citing al-Marzubani), he was born in 752/3, which can be treated as "his approximate year of birth". Al-Mada'ini and his family were of Iranian descent, and, according to sources attributed to him, he knew Persian. He was most likely born in Basra, and for most of his life remained in various cities in Iraq.