[1] Sar Shalom was elected to the Gaonate c. 840, succeeding Kohen Tzedek bar Abimai, and served for ten years until his death.
[2] During his time as gaon, Sar Shalom established a close and extensive relationships with other Jewish communities, such as those in Rome, Spain and especially Kairouan to which many of his responsa where addressed.
In many of said responsa, he warned the people not to establish halakhic institutions which they would not be able to observe, and if he heard that a community had restricted itself by a vow which it later felt unable to comply with, he would use the authority of his office to rescind it.
His responsa also clearly show that Sar Shalom was very tolerant toward non-Jews; he explicitly prohibited taking advantage of, or in any way infringing upon the rights of, gentiles, even when there was no chillul Hashem.
[4] Despite his mild and tolerant disposition, he was adamantly against money lenders,[5] and encouraged the severe punishment of those men who treat their wives poorly or those women who are rebellious toward their husbands.