Abu Abdullah Sufyan ibn Sa'id al-Thawri (97-161 AH / 716-778 CE) was one of the greatest hadith scholars and jurists of early Islam. Born in Kufa, he was known as Amir al-Mu'minin fil-Hadith (Commander of the Faithful in Hadith) due to his unparalleled mastery. He founded his own school of Islamic jurisprudence (which later merged into other schools). He was famous for his independence from rulers, often fleeing their courts to preserve his integrity. He authored Al-Jami al-Kabir and Al-Jami al-Saghir in hadith.