Naṣr.[13] Known for his piety and frugality, he was a companion of Jābir ibn Zayd, the founder of ibadism.[7][12] It was said his parents were converts to Islam,[6] and that his father was the first to be named "Ahmad" after the time of Prophet Muhammad.[14] His nickname, "Farahidi", differed from his tribal name and derived from an ancestor named Furhud (Young Lion); plural farahid.[6] He refused lavish gifts from rulers, or to indulge in the slander and gossip his fellow Arab and Persian rival scholars were wont,[9] and he performed annual pilgrimage to Mecca.[4] He lived in a small reed house in Basra and once remarked that when his door was shut, his mind did not go beyond it.[12][15] He taught linguistics,[16] and some of his students became wealthy teachers. Al-Farahidi's main income was falconry and a garden inherited from his father.[17] Two dates of death are cited, 786[1][11] and 791 CE.[3][14][18] The story goes that it was theoretical contemplation that brought about his death. On the particular day, while he was deeply absorbed in contemplation of a system of accounting to save his maidservant from being cheated by the green grocer, he wandered into a mosque and there he absent-mindedly bumped into a pillar and was fatally injured.[16][6][14][16]