He was one of the principal teachers of the major Sunni Muslim jurist Ahmad ibn Hanbal.
[3] His refusal of an appointment as qadi (head judge) by Harun al-Rashid out of concern of dependence on the state further contributed to his reputation for piety and ascetism.
[3] Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani has mentioned a long list of his teachers and students in his work Tahdhib al-tahdhib.
[10] He was among the most important teachers of Ahmad ibn Hanbal, founder and namesake of the Hanbali school of Sunni Muslim jurisprudence (fiqh).
[4] On his return from the Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca), Waki died in the Fayd oasis in 197 AH (812).