1. Introduction

1. Sahih Muslim ir1In al-Bukhari or Muslim

   واعْلَمْ وفَّقَكَ اللهُ تَعالى أنَّ الواجِبَ عَلى كُلِّ أحَدٍ عَرَفَ التَّمْيِيزِ بَيْنَ صَحِيحِ الرِّواياتِ وسَقِيمِها وثِقاتِ النّاقِلِينَ لَها مِنَ المُتَّهَمِينَ أنْ لا يَرْوِيَ مِنها إلّا ما عَرَفَ صِحَّةَ مَخارِجِهِ والسِّتارَةَ فِي ناقِلِيهِ وأنْ يَتَّقِيَ مِنها ما كانَ مِنها عَنْ أهْلِ التُّهَمِ والمُعانِدِينَ مِن أهْلِ البِدَعِ۔ والدَّلِيلُ عَلى أنَّ الَّذِي قُلْنا مِن هَذا هُوَ اللّازِمُ دُونَ ما خالَفَهُ قَوْلُ اللهُ جَلَّ ذِكْرُهُ ﴿يا أيُّها الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إنْ جاءَكُمْ فاسِقٌ بِنَبَأٍ فَتَبَيَّنُوا أنْ تُصِيبُوا قَوْمًا بِجَهالَةٍ فَتُصْبِحُوا عَلى ما فَعَلْتُمْ نادِمِينَ﴾ [الحجرات ٦] وقالَ جَلَّ ثَناؤُهُ ﴿مِمَّنْ تَرْضَوْنَ مِنَ الشُّهَداءِ﴾ [البقرة ٢٨٢] وقالَ ﷻ ﴿وأشْهِدُوا ذَوَيْ عَدْلٍ مِنكُمْ﴾ [الطلاق ٢] فَدَلَّ بِما ذَكَرْنا مِن هَذِهِ الآيِ أنَّ خَبَرَ الفاسِقِ ساقِطٌ غَيْرُ مَقْبُولٍ وأنَّ شَهادَةَ غَيْرِ العَدْلِ مَرْدُودَةٌ والخَبَرُ وإنْ فارَقَ مَعْناهُ مَعْنى الشَّهادَةِ فِي بَعْضِ الوُجُوهِ فَقَدْ يَجْتَمِعانِ فِي أعْظَمِ مَعانِيهِما إذْ كانَ خَبَرُ الفاسِقِ غَيْرَ مَقْبُولٍ عِنْدَ أهْلِ العِلْمِ كَما أنَّ شَهادَتَهُ مَرْدُودَةٌ عِنْدَ جَمِيعِهِمْ ودَلَّتِ السُّنَّةُ عَلى نَفْيِ رِوايَةِ المُنْكَرِ مِنَ الأخْبارِ كَنَحْوِ دَلالَةِ القُرْآنِ عَلى نَفْيِ خَبَرِ الفاسِقِ۔ وهُوَ الأثَرُ المَشْهُورُ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ «مَن حَدَّثَ عَنِّي بِحَدِيثٍ يُرى أنَّهُ كَذِبٌ فَهُوَ أحَدُ الكاذِبِينَ» حَدَّثَنا أبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أبِي شَيْبَةَ حَدَّثَنا وكِيعٌ عَنْ شُعْبَةَ عَنِ الحَكَمِ عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ أبِي لَيْلى عَنْ سَمُرَةَ بْنِ جُنْدَبٍ ح وحَدَّثَنا أبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أبِي شَيْبَةَ أيْضًا حَدَّثَنا وكِيعٌ عَنْ شُعْبَةَ وسُفْيانَ عَنْ حَبِيبٍ عَنْ مَيْمُونِ بْنِ أبِي شَبِيبٍ عَنِ المُغِيرَةِ بْنِ شُعْبَةَ قالا قالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ ذَلِكَ۔

   Know - may Allah, exalted is He, grant you success – that what is obligatory upon everyone who is aware of the distinction between the Sahīh transmissions and their weak, the trustworthy narrators from those who stand accused, is to not transmit from them except what is known for the soundness of its emergence and the protection of its narrators; and that they fear what may be from those accused (of deficiency in narrating) and the stubborn people of innovation. The proof that what we have said is required above what opposes it is in the verse: {Oh you who believe! If a sinful person comes to you with news, then verify it lest you afflict people through ignorance then you become sorry about what you did}[al-Hujurāt: 6]; and the verse: {… from whom you are pleased with from the witnesses}[al-Baqarah: 282] and the verse: {And let two who possess integrity among you bare witness}[at-Talāq: 2]. Thus it demonstrates what we mentioned from these two verses that the report of the sinful is dropped and not accepted and that the testimony [Shahādah] of one who does not possess integrity is rejected, and the report [Khabar] as well- even though its significance is separated from the meaning of testimony in some respects, they are in agreement regarding the overall conditions they share since the report of the sinful is not acceptable according to Ahl ul-Ilm just as his testimony is rejected according to all of them. The Sunnah demonstrates the prohibition of transmitting abominable transmissions just as in the example from the Qur’ān regarding the prohibition of the report of the sinful. There is a famous narration on the authority of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ that: ‘Whoever relates on my authority a narration while aware that it is a lie, then he is one of the liars’. Abū Bakr ibn Abī Shaybah narrated it to us that Wakī narrated to us, on the authority of Shu’bah, on the authority of al-Hakam, on the authority of Abd ir-Rahman ibn Abī Laylā, on the authority of Samurah bin Jundab. And also Abū Bakr ibn Abī Shaybah narrated to us, that Wakī narrated to us, on the authority of Shu’bah and Sufyān, on the authority of Habīb, on the authority of Maymūn ibn Abī Shabīb, on the authority of al-Mughīrat ibn Shu’bah, they both said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said the same thing.

2. Sahih Muslim 1In al-Bukhari or Muslim

   «لاَ تَكْذِبُوا عَلَىَّ فَإِنَّهُ مَنْ يَكْذِبْ عَلَىَّ يَلِجِ النَّارَ۔»

   Ribʿī b. Ḥirāsh heard Alī giving a khuṭbah and he said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "Do not lie upon me; indeed whoever lies upon me will enter the Fire."

3. Sahih Muslim 2In al-Bukhari or Muslim

   إِنَّهُ لَيَمْنَعُنِي أَنْ أُحَدِّثَكُمْ حَدِيثًا كَثِيرًا أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ مَنْ تَعَمَّدَ عَلَىَّ كَذِبًا فَلْيَتَبَوَّأْ مَقْعَدَهُ مِنَ النَّارِ

   Indeed what prevents me from relating to you a great number of Ḥadīth is that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: ‘Whoever intends to lie upon me, then let him take his seat in the Fire."

4. Sahih Muslim 3In al-Bukhari or Muslim

   مَنْ كَذَبَ عَلَىَّ مُتَعَمِّدًا فَلْيَتَبَوَّأْ مَقْعَدَهُ مِنَ النَّارِ

   the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "Whoever lies upon me intentionally, then let him take his seat in the Fire."

5. Sahih Muslim 4In al-Bukhari or Muslim

   إِنَّ كَذِبًا عَلَىَّ لَيْسَ كَكَذِبٍ عَلَى أَحَدٍ فَمَنْ كَذَبَ عَلَىَّ مُتَعَمِّدًا فَلْيَتَبَوَّأْ مَقْعَدَهُ مِنَ النَّارِ

   I arrived at the Masjid and al-Mughīrah, the Amīr of al-Kūfah said: I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ saying, "Indeed a lie upon me is not like a lie upon anyone else, for whoever lies upon me intentionally, then he shall take his seat in the Fire."

6. Sahih Muslim i001In al-Bukhari or Muslim

   وَحَدَّثَنِي عَلِيُّ بْنُ حُجْرٍ السَّعْدِيُّ حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُسْهِرٍ أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ قَيْسٍ الأَسَدِيُّ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ رَبِيعَةَ الأَسَدِيِّ عَنِ الْمُغِيرَةِ بْنِ شُعْبَةَ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ بِمِثْلِهِ وَلَمْ يَذْكُرْ إِنَّ كَذِبًا عَلَىَّ لَيْسَ كَكَذِبٍ عَلَى أَحَدٍ

   from the Prophet ﷺ a similar narration, however he did not mention the words: "Indeed a lie upon me is not like a lie upon anyone else."

7. Sahih Muslim i002In al-Bukhari or Muslim

   «كَفَى بِالْمَرْءِ كَذِبًا أَنْ يُحَدِّثَ بِكُلِّ مَا سَمِعَ۔»

   the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "It is enough of a lie for a man to narrate everything he hears."

8. Sahih Muslim i003In al-Bukhari or Muslim

   وَحَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ حَفْصٍ حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ عَنْ خُبَيْبِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ عَنْ حَفْصِ بْنِ عَاصِمٍ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ بِمِثْلِ ذَلِكَ

   from the Prophet ﷺ, the same as that.

9. Sahih Muslim 5In al-Bukhari or Muslim

   «بِحَسْبِ الْمَرْءِ مِنَ الْكَذِبِ أَنْ يُحَدِّثَ بِكُلِّ مَا سَمِعَ۔»

   ‘It is enough of a lie for a man that he narrates everything he hears’.

10. Sahih Muslim i004In al-Bukhari or Muslim

    قَالَ لِي مَالِكٌ اعْلَمْ أَنَّهُ لَيْسَ يَسْلَمُ رَجُلٌ حَدَّثَ بِكُلِّ مَا سَمِعَ وَلاَ يَكُونُ إِمَامًا أَبَدًا وَهُوَ يُحَدِّثُ بِكُلِّ مَا سَمِعَ

    ‘Know that a man who relates everything he hears is not safe, and he can never be an Imām, as long as he narrates everything he hears’.

11. Sahih Muslim i005In al-Bukhari or Muslim

    بِحَسْبِ الْمَرْءِ مِنَ الْكَذِبِ أَنْ يُحَدِّثَ بِكُلِّ مَا سَمِعَ

    ‘It is enough of a lie for a man that he narrates everything he hears’.

12. Sahih Muslim i005.s2In al-Bukhari or Muslim

    بِحَسْبِ الْمَرْءِ مِنَ الْكَذِبِ أَنْ يُحَدِّثَ بِكُلِّ مَا سَمِعَ

    Yahyā bin Yahyā narrated to us, Hushaym informed us, on authority of Sulaymān at-Taymī, on authority of Abī Uthmān an-Nahdī, he said, Umar bin ul-Khattāb, may Allah be pleased with him, said: ‘It is enough of a lie for a man that he narrates everything he hears’.

13. Sahih Muslim i006In al-Bukhari or Muslim

    لاَ يَكُونُ الرَّجُلُ إِمَامًا يُقْتَدَى بِهِ حَتَّى يُمْسِكَ عَنْ بَعْضِ مَا سَمِعَ

    I heard Abd ar-Rahman bin Mahdī saying: ‘A man cannot be an Imām whose example is followed until he withholds from some of what he hears’.

14. Sahih Muslim i007In al-Bukhari or Muslim

    سَأَلَنِي إِيَاسُ بْنُ مُعَاوِيَةَ فَقَالَ إِنِّي أَرَاكَ قَدْ كَلِفْتَ بِعِلْمِ الْقُرْآنِ فَاقْرَأْ عَلَىَّ سُورَةً وَفَسِّرْ حَتَّى أَنْظُرَ فِيمَا عَلِمْتَ قَالَ فَفَعَلْتُ فَقَالَ لِيَ احْفَظْ عَلَىَّ مَا أَقُولُ لَكَ إِيَّاكَ وَالشَّنَاعَةَ فِي الْحَدِيثِ فَإِنَّهُ قَلَّمَا حَمَلَهَا أَحَدٌ إِلاَّ ذَلَّ فِي نَفْسِهِ وَكُذِّبَ فِي حَدِيثِهِ

    ‘Iyās bin Mu’āwiyah asked me saying: ‘Indeed I see that you love knowledge of the Qur’ān, so recite for me a Sūrah and explain it until I can reflect on what you know’. [Sufyān] said, so I did that, and [Iyās] said to me: ‘Memorize from me what I am about to say to you- Beware of abominations in Ḥadīth for indeed rarely does anyone convey them except he lowers himself and his Ḥadīth are denied’.’

15. Sahih Muslim i008In al-Bukhari or Muslim

    مَا أَنْتَ بِمُحَدِّثٍ قَوْمًا حَدِيثًا لاَ تَبْلُغُهُ عُقُولُهُمْ إِلاَّ كَانَ لِبَعْضِهِمْ فِتْنَةً

    ‘It is the case that you do not relate to the people a narration which their minds cannot grasp except that it becomes a Fitnah for some of them’.

16. Sahih Muslim 6In al-Bukhari or Muslim

    «سَيَكُونُ فِي آخِرِ أُمَّتِي أُنَاسٌ يُحَدِّثُونَكُمْ مَا لَمْ تَسْمَعُوا أَنْتُمْ وَلاَ آبَاؤُكُمْ فَإِيَّاكُمْ وَإِيَّاهُمْ۔»

    from Messenger of Allah ﷺ that he said: "There will be in the last of my nation a people narrating to you what you nor your fathers heard, so beware of them."

17. Sahih Muslim 7In al-Bukhari or Muslim

    يَكُونُ فِي آخِرِ الزَّمَانِ دَجَّالُونَ كَذَّابُونَ يَأْتُونَكُمْ مِنَ الأَحَادِيثِ بِمَا لَمْ تَسْمَعُوا أَنْتُمْ وَلاَ آبَاؤُكُمْ فَإِيَّاكُمْ وَإِيَّاهُمْ لاَ يُضِلُّونَكُمْ وَلاَ يَفْتِنُونَكُمْ

    ‘There will be in the end of time charlatan liars coming to you with narrations that you nor your fathers heard, so beware of them lest they misguide you and cause you tribulations’.’

18. Sahih Muslim i009In al-Bukhari or Muslim

    إِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ لَيَتَمَثَّلُ فِي صُورَةِ الرَّجُلِ فَيَأْتِي الْقَوْمَ فَيُحَدِّثُهُمْ بِالْحَدِيثِ مِنَ الْكَذِبِ فَيَتَفَرَّقُونَ فَيَقُولُ الرَّجُلُ مِنْهُمْ سَمِعْتُ رَجُلاً أَعْرِفُ وَجْهَهُ وَلاَ أَدْرِي مَا اسْمُهُ يُحَدِّثُ

    ‘Indeed Satan will appear in the form of a man and he will come to the people, narrating to them false Ḥadīth, and they will then depart. Then a man among them will say: ‘I heard a man whose face I recognize but I do not know his name narrating [such and such]…’

19. Sahih Muslim i010In al-Bukhari or Muslim

    إِنَّ فِي الْبَحْرِ شَيَاطِينَ مَسْجُونَةً أَوْثَقَهَا سُلَيْمَانُ يُوشِكُ أَنْ تَخْرُجَ فَتَقْرَأَ عَلَى النَّاسِ قُرْآنًا

    ‘Indeed in the sea are devils chained up, whom Sulaymān shackled and they are at the point of emerging. Then they will recite a Qur’ān upon the people.’

20. Sahih Muslim i011In al-Bukhari or Muslim

    جَاءَ هَذَا إِلَى ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ يَعْنِي بُشَيْرَ بْنَ كَعْبٍ فَجَعَلَ يُحَدِّثُهُ فَقَالَ لَهُ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ عُدْ لِحَدِيثِ كَذَا وَكَذَا فَعَادَ لَهُ ثُمَّ حَدَّثَهُ فَقَالَ لَهُ عُدْ لِحَدِيثِ كَذَا وَكَذَا فَعَادَ لَهُ فَقَالَ لَهُ مَا أَدْرِي أَعَرَفْتَ حَدِيثِي كُلَّهُ وَأَنْكَرْتَ هَذَا أَمْ أَنْكَرْتَ حَدِيثِي كُلَّهُ وَعَرَفْتَ هَذَا فَقَالَ لَهُ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ إِنَّا كُنَّا نُحَدِّثُ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِذْ لَمْ يَكُنْ يُكْذَبُ عَلَيْهِ فَلَمَّا رَكِبَ النَّاسُ الصَّعْبَ وَالذَّلُولَ تَرَكْنَا الْحَدِيثَ عَنْهُ

    ‘Go back to such-and-such narration‘. Then [Bushayr] returned to it and narrated it. So [Ibn Abbās] said to him: ‘Go back to such-and-such narration’. Then [Bushayr] returned to it and narrated it. Thus [Bushayr] said to him: ‘I do not know whether you know all of my Ḥadīth and you reject this one and that, or if you reject all of my Ḥadīth and know this one and that?’ Ibn Abbās said to him: ‘Indeed we would be narrated to on authority of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah upon him, at a time when one would not lie upon him, however when the people took the difficult [Munkar] and the docile [Sahīh], we abandoned listening to Ḥadīth from them’.

21. Sahih Muslim i012In al-Bukhari or Muslim

    إِنَّمَا كُنَّا نَحْفَظُ الْحَدِيثَ وَالْحَدِيثُ يُحْفَظُ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَأَمَّا إِذْ رَكِبْتُمْ كُلَّ صَعْبٍ وَذَلُولٍ فَهَيْهَاتَ

    ‘Indeed we would take Ḥadīth and they would be taken on authority of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah upon him. However if you take every difficult and docile [narration] then how far that is [from being upright]!

22. Sahih Muslim i013In al-Bukhari or Muslim

    جَاءَ بُشَيْرٌ الْعَدَوِيُّ إِلَى ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ فَجَعَلَ يُحَدِّثُ وَيَقُولُ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَجَعَلَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ لاَ يَأْذَنُ لِحَدِيثِهِ وَلاَ يَنْظُرُ إِلَيْهِ فَقَالَ يَا ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ مَا لِي لاَ أَرَاكَ تَسْمَعُ لِحَدِيثِي أُحَدِّثُكَ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَلاَ تَسْمَعُ فَقَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ إِنَّا كُنَّا مَرَّةً إِذَا سَمِعْنَا رَجُلاً يَقُولُ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ ابْتَدَرَتْهُ أَبْصَارُنَا وَأَصْغَيْنَا إِلَيْهِ بِآذَانِنَا فَلَمَّا رَكِبَ النَّاسُ الصَّعْبَ وَالذَّلُولَ لَمْ نَأْخُذْ مِنَ النَّاسِ إِلاَّ مَا نَعْرِفُ

    ‘The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah upon him, said…’, ‘the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah upon him, said…’. Then it seemed that Ibn Abbās was not listening to his Ḥadīth and not reflecting on them, so [Bushayr] said: ‘Oh Ibn Abbās, why is it that I see you not listening to my Ḥadīth? I narrate to you on authority of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah upon him, however you are not listening’. Ibn Abbās said: ‘Indeed once upon a time we would listen to a man saying, ‘the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah upon him, said…’ rushing towards him with our eyes and harkening towards him with our ears; then when the people took the difficult and the docile we no longer took from people except those whom we knew’.

23. Sahih Muslim i014In al-Bukhari or Muslim

    كَتَبْتُ إِلَى ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ أَسْأَلُهُ أَنْ يَكْتُبَ لِي كِتَابًا وَيُخْفِي عَنِّي فَقَالَ وَلَدٌ نَاصِحٌ أَنَا أَخْتَارُ لَهُ الأُمُورَ اخْتِيَارًا وَأُخْفِي عَنْهُ قَالَ فَدَعَا بِقَضَاءِ عَلِيٍّ فَجَعَلَ يَكْتُبُ مِنْهُ أَشْيَاءَ وَيَمُرُّ بِهِ الشَّىْءُ فَيَقُولُ وَاللَّهِ مَا قَضَى بِهَذَا عَلِيٌّ إِلاَّ أَنْ يَكُونَ ضَلَّ

    ‘I wrote to Ibn Abbās asking him to write something [pertaining to knowledge] for me and he withheld from me quite a bit, and said: ‘As [if he were] a sincere child, I will write for him something especially suited to his status withholding from him what would not benefit him’. [Ibn Abī Mulaykah] said: ‘So [Ibn Abbās] called for the judgment of Alī [bin Abī Tālib which was a book with which Alī would pass verdicts in Kuffah], and he began to write from it [with respect to the request of Ibn Abī Mulaykah] and he came upon something [not appropriate to the station of Alī regarding the science of verdicts]. So [Ibn Abbās] said: ‘By Allah, Alī did not give judgment according to this unless he was astray’.’

24. Sahih Muslim i015In al-Bukhari or Muslim

    أُتِيَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ بِكِتَابٍ فِيهِ قَضَاءُ عَلِيٍّ ؓ فَمَحَاهُ إِلاَّ قَدْرَ وَأَشَارَ سُفْيَانُ بْنُ عُيَيْنَةَ بِذِرَاعِهِ

    ‘A book was brought to Ibn Abbās which contained the verdicts of Alī, may Allah be pleased with him, and he effaced but a small amount,’ and Sufyān bin Uyaynah indicated with his arm [the amount].

25. Sahih Muslim i016In al-Bukhari or Muslim

    لَمَّا أَحْدَثُوا تِلْكَ الأَشْيَاءَ بَعْدَ عَلِيٍّ ؓ قَالَ رَجُلٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ عَلِيٍّ قَاتَلَهُمُ اللَّهُ أَىَّ عِلْمٍ أَفْسَدُوا

    ‘When they narrated these things after Alī, may Allah be pleased with him, a man from the companions of Alī said: ‘May Allah curse them. Did they corrupt every [type of] knowledge!?’

26. Sahih Muslim i017In al-Bukhari or Muslim

    لَمْ يَكُنْ يَصْدُقُ عَلَى عَلِيٍّ ؓ فِي الْحَدِيثِ عَنْهُ إِلاَّ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مَسْعُودٍ

    ‘There are no Ḥadīth on authority of Alī, may Allah be pleased with him, that are confirmed except from the companions of Abd Allah bin Mas’ūd.’

27. Sahih Muslim i018In al-Bukhari or Muslim

    إِنَّ هَذَا الْعِلْمَ دِينٌ فَانْظُرُوا عَمَّنْ تَأْخُذُونَ دِينَكُمْ

    ‘Indeed this knowledge is faith, so carefully consider from whom you take your faith’.

28. Sahih Muslim i019In al-Bukhari or Muslim

    لَمْ يَكُونُوا يَسْأَلُونَ عَنِ الإِسْنَادِ فَلَمَّا وَقَعَتِ الْفِتْنَةُ قَالُوا سَمُّوا لَنَا رِجَالَكُمْ فَيُنْظَرُ إِلَى أَهْلِ السُّنَّةِ فَيُؤْخَذُ حَدِيثُهُمْ وَيُنْظَرُ إِلَى أَهْلِ الْبِدَعِ فَلاَ يُؤْخَذُ حَدِيثُهُمْ

    ‘They would not ask about the chains of narration, and when the Fitnah occurred, they said: ‘Name for us your men’. So Ahl us-Sunnah would be regarded, and their Ḥadīth were then taken, and Ahl ul-Bi’dah would be regarded, and their Ḥadīth were not taken’.

29. Sahih Muslim i020In al-Bukhari or Muslim

    لَقِيتُ طَاوُسًا فَقُلْتُ حَدَّثَنِي فُلاَنٌ كَيْتَ وَكَيْتَ قَالَ إِنْ كَانَ صَاحِبُكَ مَلِيًّا فَخُذْ عَنْهُ

    ‘I came across Tāwus and said: ‘So-and-so narrated to me such-and-such’. Then he said: ‘If your companion is trustworthy, then take from him.’

30. Sahih Muslim i021In al-Bukhari or Muslim

    قُلْتُ لِطَاوُسٍ إِنَّ فُلاَنًا حَدَّثَنِي بِكَذَا وَكَذَا قَالَ إِنْ كَانَ صَاحِبُكَ مَلِيًّا فَخُذْ عَنْهُ

    ‘So-and-so narrated to me like this-and-that’. He said: ‘If your companion is trustworthy, then take from him.’

31. Sahih Muslim i022In al-Bukhari or Muslim

    أَدْرَكْتُ بِالْمَدِينَةِ مِائَةً كُلُّهُمْ مَأْمُونٌ مَا يُؤْخَذُ عَنْهُمُ الْحَدِيثُ يُقَالُ لَيْسَ مِنْ أَهْلِهِ

    ‘I met one hundred [transmitters] in al-Madīnah, each of whom were reliable. Narrations were not taken from one about who it was said, ‘he is not from its people’.’

32. Sahih Muslim i023In al-Bukhari or Muslim

    لاَ يُحَدِّثُ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِلاَّ الثِّقَاتُ

    ‘There is to be no narrating on authority of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah send blessings and peace upon him, except by trustworthy narrators (Thiqāt)’.

33. Sahih Muslim i024In al-Bukhari or Muslim

    «الإِسْنَادُ مِنَ الدِّينِ وَلَوْلاَ الإِسْنَادُ لَقَالَ مَنْ شَاءَ مَا شَاءَ۔»

    I heard ʿAbdullāh b. al-Mubārak say: ‘The chain of narration is from the Dīn, and were it not for the chain of narration whoever wished could say what he wanted’.

34. Sahih Muslim i025In al-Bukhari or Muslim

    (بَيْنَنا وبَيْنَ القَوْمِ القَوائِمُ) يَعْنِي الإسْنادَ

    Between us and the people are ‘the legs’.

35. Sahih Muslim i026In al-Bukhari or Muslim

    قُلْتُ لِعَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ المُبارَكِ يا أبا عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ: الحَدِيثُ الَّذِي جاءَ «إنَّ مِنَ البِرِّ بَعْدَ البِرِّ أنْ تُصَلِّيَ لِأبَوَيْكَ مَعَ صَلاتِكَ وتَصُومَ لَهُما مَعَ صَوْمِكَ». قالَ: فَقالَ عَبْدُ اللهِ: يا أبا إسْحاقَ عَمَّنْ هَذا؟ قالَ: قُلْتُ لَهُ: هَذا مِن حَدِيثِ شِهابِ بْنِ خِراشٍ فَقالَ: ثِقَةٌ عَمَّنْ قالَ؟ قُلْتُ: عَنِ الحَجّاجِ بْنِ دِينارٍ قالَ: ثِقَةٌ۔ عَمَّنْ قالَ؟ " قُلْتُ: قالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ. قالَ: يا أبا إسْحاقَ إنَّ بَيْنَ الحَجّاجِ بْنِ دِينارٍ وبَيْنَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ مَفاوِزَ تَنْقَطِعُ فِيها أعْناقُ المَطِيِّ ولَكِنْ لَيْسَ فِي الصَّدَقَةِ اخْتِلافٌ۔

    I said to Abd Allah bin al-Mubārak: ‘Oh Abā Abd ir-Rahman! How is the Ḥadīth which goes ‘Indeed from al-Birr after al-Birr is that you pray for your parents after you pray for yourself and you fast for them both after you fast for yourself’? So [Ibn al-Mubārak] said: ‘Oh Abā Ishāq! On whose authority is this?’ I said to him: ‘This is a Ḥadīth from Shihāb bin Khirāsh’. [Ibn al-Mubārak] said: ‘[He is] trustworthy. On whose authority [did he transmit]?’ I said: ‘on authority of al-Hajjāj bin Dīnār’. [Ibn al-Mubārak] said: ‘[He is] trustworthy. On whose authority [did he transmit]?’ I said: ‘He [al-Hajjāj said] the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah upon him, said…’ [Ibn al-Mubārak] said: ‘Oh Abū Ishāq! Indeed between al-Hajjāj bin Dīnār and the Prophet ﷺ is a wilderness in which the necks of the mounts are severed, however, there is no difference of opinion regarding charity [offered on behalf of one’s parents]’.

36. Sahih Muslim i027In al-Bukhari or Muslim

    عَلى رُءُوسِ النّاسِ: «دَعُوا حَدِيثَ عَمْرِو بْنِ ثابِتٍ فَإنَّهُ كانَ يَسُبَّ السَّلَفَ»

    I heard Alī bin Shaqīq saying, I heard Abd Allah bin al-Mubārak saying in front of the people: ‘Abandon the Ḥadīth of Amr bin Thābit for indeed he would curse the Salaf [i.e., the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them]’.

37. Sahih Muslim i028In al-Bukhari or Muslim

    كُنْتُ جَالِسًا عِنْدَ الْقَاسِمِ بْنِ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ وَيَحْيَى بْنِ سَعِيدٍ فَقَالَ يَحْيَى لِلْقَاسِمِ يَا أَبَا مُحَمَّدٍ إِنَّهُ قَبِيحٌ عَلَى مِثْلِكَ عَظِيمٌ أَنْ تُسْأَلَ عَنْ شَىْءٍ مِنْ أَمْرِ هَذَا الدِّينِ فَلاَ يُوجَدَ عِنْدَكَ مِنْهُ عِلْمٌ وَلاَ فَرَجٌ أَوْ عِلْمٌ وَلاَ مَخْرَجٌ فَقَالَ لَهُ الْقَاسِمُ وَعَمَّ ذَاكَ قَالَ لأَنَّكَ ابْنُ إِمَامَىْ هُدًى ابْنُ أَبِي بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرَ قَالَ يَقُولُ لَهُ الْقَاسِمُ أَقْبَحُ مِنْ ذَاكَ عِنْدَ مَنْ عَقَلَ عَنِ اللَّهِ أَنْ أَقُولَ بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ أَوْ آخُذَ عَنْ غَيْرِ ثِقَةٍ قَالَ فَسَكَتَ فَمَا أَجَابَهُ

    ‘I was sitting near al-Qāsim bin Ubayd Allah and Yahyā bin Sa’īd [bin Qays al-Madanī al-Qāḍī], when Yahyā said to al-Qāsim: ‘Oh Abā Muhammad! Indeed it is gravely harmful for the likes of you to be asked about something from the affair of this Dīn, and then knowledge of it is not found with you, and no relief [in the form of an answer]’ -or- ‘…knowledge and no articulation’. So al-Qāsim said [to Yahyā bin Sa’īd]: ‘Where did that come from?’ [Yahyā] said: ‘It is because you are the son of two Imāms of guidance- a descendent of Abu Bakr and Umar.’ [al-Qāsim] said to him: ‘More harmful than that- according to whoever reflects about Allah- is to speak without knowledge or to take [Ḥadīth] from someone who is not trustworthy’. [Abū Aqīl] said: ‘So [Yahyā bin Sa’īd] was quiet and did not respond to him’.

38. Sahih Muslim i029In al-Bukhari or Muslim

    أَنَّ أَبْنَاءً لِعَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُمَرَ سَأَلُوهُ عَنْ شَىْءٍ لَمْ يَكُنْ عِنْدَهُ فِيهِ عِلْمٌ فَقَالَ لَهُ يَحْيَى بْنُ سَعِيدٍ وَاللَّهِ إِنِّي لأُعْظِمُ أَنْ يَكُونَ مِثْلُكَ وَأَنْتَ ابْنُ إِمَامَىِ الْهُدَى يَعْنِي عُمَرَ وَابْنَ عُمَرَ تُسْأَلُ عَنْ أَمْرٍ لَيْسَ عِنْدَكَ فِيهِ عِلْمٌ فَقَالَ أَعْظَمُ مِنْ ذَلِكَ وَاللَّهِ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ وَعِنْدَ مَنْ عَقَلَ عَنِ اللَّهِ أَنْ أَقُولَ بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ أَوْ أُخْبِرَ عَنْ غَيْرِ ثِقَةٍ قَالَ وَشَهِدَهُمَا أَبُو عَقِيلٍ يَحْيَى بْنُ الْمُتَوَكِّلِ حِينَ قَالاَ ذَلِكَ

    ‘By Allah, indeed it is a grave matter that the likes of you, a descendent of two Imāms of guidance – meaning Umar and Ibn Umar – is asked about a matter and you have no knowledge of it’. So [al-Qāsim] said: ‘By Allah, more grave than that according to Allah, and to whoever reflects about Allah, is to speak without knowledge or to report on authority of one who is not trustworthy’. [Ibn Uyaynah] said that Abū Aqīl Yahyā bin al-Mutawakkil witnessed them both when they said that.

39. Sahih Muslim i030In al-Bukhari or Muslim

    وَحَدَّثَنَا عَمْرُو بْنُ عَلِيٍّ أَبُو حَفْصٍ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ يَحْيَى بْنَ سَعِيدٍ قَالَ سَأَلْتُ سُفْيَانَ الثَّوْرِيَّ وَشُعْبَةَ وَمَالِكًا وَابْنَ عُيَيْنَةَ عَنِ الرَّجُلِ لاَ يَكُونُ ثَبْتًا فِي الْحَدِيثِ فَيَأْتِينِي الرَّجُلُ فَيَسْأَلُنِي عَنْهُ قَالُوا أَخْبِرْ عَنْهُ أَنَّهُ لَيْسَ بِثَبْتٍ

    ‘I asked Sufyān ath-Thawrī, Shu’bah, Mālik, and Ibn Uyaynah about a man who is not reliable (Thabt) in Ḥadīth, and someone comes and asks me about him, and they said: ‘Inform [others] against him that he is not reliable’.’

40. Sahih Muslim i031In al-Bukhari or Muslim

    سُئِلَ ابْنُ عَوْنٍ عَنْ حَدِيثٍ لِشَهْرٍ وَهُوَ قَائِمٌ عَلَى أُسْكُفَّةِ الْبَابِ فَقَالَ إِنَّ شَهْرًا نَزَكُوهُ إِنَّ شَهْرًا نَزَكُوهُ قَالَ مُسْلِمٌ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ يَقُولُ أَخَذَتْهُ أَلْسِنَةُ النَّاسِ تَكَلَّمُوا فِيهِ

    ‘Ibn Awn was asked about the Ḥadīth of Shahr and he was standing at the threshold of the door, so [Ibn Awn] said: ‘Indeed they criticized Shahr, indeed they criticized Shahr’. Muslim, may Allah have mercy on him, said ‘He means- the tongues of men were busy criticizing him’.’

41. Sahih Muslim i032In al-Bukhari or Muslim

    وَقَدْ لَقِيتُ شَهْرًا فَلَمْ أَعْتَدَّ بِهِ

    Shuʿbah said, "I had met Shahr then abandoned transmitting from him."

42. Sahih Muslim i033In al-Bukhari or Muslim

    قُلْتُ لِسُفْيَانَ الثَّوْرِيِّ إِنَّ عَبَّادَ بْنَ كَثِيرٍ مَنْ تَعْرِفُ حَالَهُ وَإِذَا حَدَّثَ جَاءَ بِأَمْرٍ عَظِيمٍ فَتَرَى أَنْ أَقُولَ لِلنَّاسِ لاَ تَأْخُذُوا عَنْهُ قَالَ سُفْيَانُ بَلَى۔ قَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ فَكُنْتُ إِذَا كُنْتُ فِي مَجْلِسٍ ذُكِرَ فِيهِ عَبَّادٌ أَثْنَيْتُ عَلَيْهِ فِي دِينِهِ وَأَقُولُ لاَ تَأْخُذُوا عَنْهُ۔ وَقَالَ مُحَمَّدٌ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عُثْمَانَ قَالَ قَالَ أَبِي قَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ الْمُبَارَكِ انْتَهَيْتُ إِلَى شُعْبَةَ فَقَالَ هَذَا عَبَّادُ بْنُ كَثِيرٍ فَاحْذَرُوهُ۔

    Abd Allah bin al-Mubārak said, I said to Sufyān ath-Thawrī: ‘Indeed Abbād bin Kathīr, about whose condition you are aware, when he related [narrations] he introduced a grave matter- do you believe that it should be said to the people ‘Do not take from him?’ Sufyān said: ‘Indeed!’ Abd Allah [bin al-Mubārak] said: ‘So when I was in an assembly and Abbād was mentioned there, I praised him regarding his Dīn and said: ‘Do not take from him.’ Muhammad said, Abd Allah bin Uthmān narrated to us, he said, my father said, Abd Allah bin al-Mubārak said: ‘I ended up in an assembly of Shu’bah, and he said: ‘This is Abbād bin Kathīr so be warned against him.’

43. Sahih Muslim i034In al-Bukhari or Muslim

    كُنْتُ عَلَى بَابِهِ وَسُفْيَانُ عِنْدَهُ فَلَمَّا خَرَجَ سَأَلْتُهُ عَنْهُ فَأَخْبَرَنِي أَنَّهُ كَذَّابٌ

    Īsā bin Yūnus said: ‘I was at his door and Sufyān was with [Muhammad bin Sa’īd], then when he came out I asked [Sufyān] about him. So he informed me that he was a liar.’

44. Sahih Muslim i035In al-Bukhari or Muslim

    لَمْ نَرَ الصَّالِحِينَ فِي شَىْءٍ أَكْذَبَ مِنْهُمْ فِي الْحَدِيثِ

    on authority of his father, he said: ‘We do not see the righteous more false in anything than they are regarding Ḥadīth’.

45. Sahih Muslim i036In al-Bukhari or Muslim

    لَمْ تَرَ أَهْلَ الْخَيْرِ فِي شَىْءٍ أَكْذَبَ مِنْهُمْ فِي الْحَدِيثِ

    Ibn Abī Attāb said: ‘So Muhammad bin Yahyā bin Sa’īd al-Qattān and I met and I asked him about it and he said on authority of his father: ‘You will not see the people of good (Ahl ul-Khayr) more false in anything than they are regarding Ḥadīth.’

46. Sahih Muslim i037In al-Bukhari or Muslim

    يَجْرِي الْكَذِبُ عَلَى لِسَانِهِمْ وَلاَ يَتَعَمَّدُونَ الْكَذِبَ

    Muslim said: ‘He was saying that falsehood flows upon their tongues although they do not intend to lie’.

47. Sahih Muslim i038In al-Bukhari or Muslim

    دَخَلْتُ عَلَى غَالِبِ بْنِ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ فَجَعَلَ يُمْلِي عَلَىَّ حَدَّثَنِي مَكْحُولٌ حَدَّثَنِي مَكْحُولٌ فَأَخَذَهُ الْبَوْلُ فَقَامَ فَنَظَرْتُ فِي الْكُرَّاسَةِ فَإِذَا فِيهَا حَدَّثَنِي أَبَانٌ عَنْ أَنَسٍ وَأَبَانٌ عَنْ فُلاَنٍ فَتَرَكْتُهُ وَقُمْتُ قَالَ وَسَمِعْتُ الْحَسَنَ بْنَ عَلِيٍّ الْحُلْوَانِيَّ يَقُولُ رَأَيْتُ فِي كِتَابِ عَفَّانَ حَدِيثَ هِشَامٍ أَبِي الْمِقْدَامِ حَدِيثُ عُمَرَ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ قَالَ هِشَامٌ حَدَّثَنِي رَجُلٌ يُقَالُ لَهُ يَحْيَى بْنُ فُلاَنٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ كَعْبٍ قَالَ قُلْتُ لِعَفَّانَ إِنَّهُمْ يَقُولُونَ هِشَامٌ سَمِعَهُ مِنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ كَعْبٍ فَقَالَ إِنَّمَا ابْتُلِيَ مِنْ قِبَلِ هَذَا الْحَدِيثِ كَانَ يَقُولُ حَدَّثَنِي يَحْيَى عَنْ مُحَمَّدٍ ثُمَّ ادَّعَى بَعْدُ أَنَّهُ سَمِعَهُ مِنْ مُحَمَّدٍ

    ‘I entered upon Ghālib bin Ubayd Allah so he began dictating to me ‘Mak’hūl narrated to me this’ and ‘Mak’hūl narrated to me that’. So he prepared to answer the call of nature and stood up, then I looked in his notebook and in it was ‘Abān narrated to me, on authority of Anas’ and ‘Abān on authority of so-and-so’. So I abandoned [listening to his Ḥadīth] and stood up [to leave]’. I heard al-Hasan bin Alī al-Hulwānī saying: ‘I saw in one of the books of Affān a Ḥadīth of Hishām Abīl-Miqdām meaning a Ḥadīth of Umar bin Abd il-Azīz. [In it was written] ‘Hishām said: ‘A man said to be Yahyā bin so-and-so narrated to me, on authority of Muhammad bin Ka’b…’ [Al-Hulwānī] said, I said to Affān: ‘They would say Hishām heard it [directly] from Muhammad bin Ka’b’. So [Affān] said: ‘Indeed Hishām was stricken [with accusations of lying] with regards to this Ḥadīth for he would say ‘Yahyā narrated to me on authority of Muhammad’, then he claimed afterwards that he heard it from Muhammad [directly]’.’

48. Sahih Muslim i039In al-Bukhari or Muslim

    يَوْمُ الْفِطْرِ يَوْمُ الْجَوَائِزِ

    ‘Who is this man from whom you transmit the Ḥadīth of Abd Allah bin Amr, ‘The day of Fitr is the day of prizes…’?’ [Abd Allah] said: ‘Sulaymān bin al-Hajjāj. Look at what I placed in your hands [of praise] about him’. Ibn Quhzādh said I heard Wahb bin Zam’ah mentioning about Sufyān bin Abd il-Mālik, he said, Abd Allah –meaning Ibn al-Mubārak- said: ‘I saw Rawh bin Ghutayf, the companion of blood the amount of a Dirham, and I took a seat in one of his audiences. Then I began to become ashamed for my companions to see me sitting with him while his Ḥadīth are disapproved of.’

49. Sahih Muslim i040In al-Bukhari or Muslim

    بَقِيَّةُ صَدُوقُ اللِّسَانِ وَلَكِنَّهُ يَأْخُذُ عَمَّنْ أَقْبَلَ وَأَدْبَرَ

    ‘Baqiyyah [bin al-Walīd] is truthful of tongue however he transmits [Ḥadīth] from those who approach [the Muhaddithīn, i.e. are trustworthy] and from those who turn their backs on [the Muhaddithīn, i.e. and are weak]’.

50. Sahih Muslim i041In al-Bukhari or Muslim

    حَدَّثَنِي الْحَارِثُ الأَعْوَرُ الْهَمْدَانِيُّ وَكَانَ كَذَّابًا

    ‘al-Hārith al-A’war ul-Hamdānī narrated to me, and he is a liar’.

51. Sahih Muslim i042In al-Bukhari or Muslim

    حَدَّثَنِي الْحَارِثُ الأَعْوَرُ وَهُوَ يَشْهَدُ أَنَّهُ أَحَدُ الْكَاذِبِينَ

    ‘al-Hārith al-A’war narrated to me,’ and he [ash-Sha’bī] was testifying that he was one of the liars’.

52. Sahih Muslim i043In al-Bukhari or Muslim

    قَرَأْتُ الْقُرْآنَ فِي سَنَتَيْنِ فَقَالَ الْحَارِثُ الْقُرْآنُ هَيِّنٌ الْوَحْىُ أَشَدُّ

    ‘I memorized the Qur’ān in two years’. al-Hārith said: ‘The Qur’ān is easy; the revelation [i.e. the secret revelation to Alī in the belief of the Shī’ah] is more difficult ’.

53. Sahih Muslim i044In al-Bukhari or Muslim

    تَعَلَّمْتُ الْقُرْآنَ فِي ثَلاَثِ سِنِينَ وَالْوَحْىَ فِي سَنَتَيْنِ أَوْ قَالَ الْوَحْىَ فِي ثَلاَثِ سِنِينَ وَالْقُرْآنَ فِي سَنَتَيْنِ

    ‘I studied the Qur’ān for three years and the revelation for two years’; or he said: ‘…the revelation in three years and the Qur’ān in two years ’.

54. Sahih Muslim i045In al-Bukhari or Muslim

    أَنَّ الْحَارِثَ اتُّهِمَ

    Hajjāj narrated to me, he said Ahmad- and he is Ibn Yūnus- narrated to me, Zā’idah narrated to us, on authority of Mansūr and al-Mughīrah, on authority of Ibrāhīm that al-Hārith was imputed.

55. Sahih Muslim i046In al-Bukhari or Muslim

    سَمِعَ مُرَّةُ الْهَمْدَانِيُّ مِنَ الْحَارِثِ شَيْئًا فَقَالَ لَهُ اقْعُدْ بِالْبَابِ قَالَ فَدَخَلَ مُرَّةُ وَأَخَذَ سَيْفَهُ قَالَ وَأَحَسَّ الْحَارِثُ بِالشَّرِّ فَذَهَبَ

    ‘Murrah al-Hamdānī heard something from al-Hārith and said to him: ‘sit by the door’. [Hamzah] said: ‘So Murrah went inside and took his sword and al-Hārith sensed evil and left’.

56. Sahih Muslim i047In al-Bukhari or Muslim

    قَالَ لَنَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ إِيَّاكُمْ وَالْمُغِيرَةَ بْنَ سَعِيدٍ وَأَبَا عَبْدِ الرَّحِيمِ فَإِنَّهُمَا كَذَّابَانِ

    ‘Beware of al-Mughīrah bin Sa’īd and Abū Abd ar-Rahīm for they are both liars’.

57. Sahih Muslim i048In al-Bukhari or Muslim

    كُنَّا نَأْتِي أَبَا عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ السُّلَمِيَّ وَنَحْنُ غِلْمَةٌ أَيْفَاعٌ فَكَانَ يَقُولُ لَنَا لاَ تُجَالِسُوا الْقُصَّاصَ غَيْرَ أَبِي الأَحْوَصِ وَإِيَّاكُمْ وَشَقِيقًا قَالَ وَكَانَ شَقِيقٌ هَذَا يَرَى رَأْىَ الْخَوَارِجِ وَلَيْسَ بِأَبِي وَائِلٍ

    ‘We would catch up with Abū Abd ar-Rahman as-Sulamī and at the time we were young men, so he would say to us: ‘Do not sit with story-tellers other than Abūl-Ahwas and beware of Shaqīq [Abū Abd ar-Rahīm]’. [Muslim] said: ‘This Shaqīq held the view of the Khawārij and is not Abū Wā’il [Shaqīq bin Salamah, the righteous Tabi’ī]’.

58. Sahih Muslim i049In al-Bukhari or Muslim

    لَقِيتُ جَابِرَ بْنَ يَزِيدَ الْجُعْفِيَّ فَلَمْ أَكْتُبْ عَنْهُ كَانَ يُؤْمِنُ بِالرَّجْعَةِ

    ‘I met Jābir bin Yazīd al-Ju’fī and did not write [Ḥadīth] from him; he believed in ar-Raj’ah’ [A Rāfiḍī belief regarding Alī returning].

59. Sahih Muslim i050In al-Bukhari or Muslim

    حَدَّثَنَا جَابِرُ بْنُ يَزِيدَ قَبْلَ أَنْ يُحْدِثَ مَا أَحْدَثَ

    ‘Jābir bin Yazīd narrated to us before there took place what happened [i.e. before his false beliefs] ’.

60. Sahih Muslim i051In al-Bukhari or Muslim

    كَانَ النَّاسُ يَحْمِلُونَ عَنْ جَابِرٍ قَبْلَ أَنْ يُظْهِرَ مَا أَظْهَرَ فَلَمَّا أَظْهَرَ مَا أَظْهَرَ اتَّهَمَهُ النَّاسُ فِي حَدِيثِهِ وَتَرَكَهُ بَعْضُ النَّاسِ فَقِيلَ لَهُ وَمَا أَظْهَرَ قَالَ الإِيمَانَ بِالرَّجْعَةِ

    ‘The people would transmit from Jābir before there appeared what appeared, then when there appeared what appeared, the people imputed him in his Ḥadīth and some of the people abandoned him’. So it was said to [Sufyān]: ‘What appeared?’ [Sufyān] said: ‘Belief in ar-Raj’ah’.

61. Sahih Muslim i052In al-Bukhari or Muslim

    وَحَدَّثَنَا حَسَنٌ الْحُلْوَانِيُّ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو يَحْيَى الْحِمَّانِيُّ حَدَّثَنَا قَبِيصَةُ وَأَخُوهُ أَنَّهُمَا سَمِعَا الْجَرَّاحَ بْنَ مَلِيحٍ يَقُولُ سَمِعْتُ جَابِرًا يَقُولُ عِنْدِي سَبْعُونَ أَلْفَ حَدِيثٍ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ كُلُّهَا

    ‘I have 70,000 Ḥadīth all of which are on authority of Abū Ja’far on authority of the Prophet, peace and blessings upon him’.

62. Sahih Muslim i053In al-Bukhari or Muslim

    وَحَدَّثَنِي حَجَّاجُ بْنُ الشَّاعِرِ حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ يُونُسَ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ زُهَيْرًا يَقُولُ قَالَ جَابِرٌ أَوْ سَمِعْتُ جَابِرًا يَقُولُ إِنَّ عِنْدِي لَخَمْسِينَ أَلْفَ حَدِيثٍ مَا حَدَّثْتُ مِنْهَا بِشَىْءٍ قَالَ ثُمَّ حَدَّثَ يَوْمًا بِحَدِيثٍ فَقَالَ هَذَا مِنَ الْخَمْسِينَ أَلْفًا

    ‘Indeed I have fifty thousand Ḥadīth that I have not narrated from at all’. [Zuhayr] said: ‘Then that day he related a Ḥadīth and said, ‘This is from the fifty thousand’.

63. Sahih Muslim i054In al-Bukhari or Muslim

    وَحَدَّثَنِي إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ خَالِدٍ الْيَشْكُرِيُّ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا الْوَلِيدِ يَقُولُ سَمِعْتُ سَلاَّمَ بْنَ أَبِي مُطِيعٍ يَقُولُ سَمِعْتُ جَابِرًا الْجُعْفِيَّ يَقُولُ عِنْدِي خَمْسُونَ أَلْفَ حَدِيثٍ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ

    ‘I have fifty thousand Ḥadīth on authority of the Prophet, peace and blessings upon him’.

64. Sahih Muslim i055In al-Bukhari or Muslim

    سَمِعْتُ رَجُلاً سَأَلَ جَابِرًا عَنْ قَوْلِهِ ﷻ { فَلَنْ أَبْرَحَ الأَرْضَ حَتَّى يَأْذَنَ لِي أَبِي أَوْ يَحْكُمَ اللَّهُ لِي وَهُوَ خَيْرُ الْحَاكِمِينَ} فَقَالَ جَابِرٌ لَمْ يَجِئْ تَأْوِيلُ هَذِهِ قَالَ سُفْيَانُ وَكَذَبَ فَقُلْنَا لِسُفْيَانَ وَمَا أَرَادَ بِهَذَا فَقَالَ إِنَّ الرَّافِضَةَ تَقُولُ إِنَّ عَلِيًّا فِي السَّحَابِ فَلاَ نَخْرُجُ مَعَ مَنْ خَرَجَ مِنْ وَلَدِهِ حَتَّى يُنَادِيَ مُنَادٍ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ يُرِيدُ عَلِيًّا أَنَّهُ يُنَادِي اخْرُجُوا مَعَ فُلاَنٍ يَقُولُ جَابِرٌ فَذَا تَأْوِيلُ هَذِهِ الآيَةِ وَكَذَبَ كَانَتْ فِي إِخْوَةِ يُوسُفَ ﷺ

    {Thus I will never depart from the land until my father permits me or Allah decides for me, and He is the best of Judges}[Yūsuf: 80]. Jābir said: ‘An interpretation has not come to me about these [verses]’. Sufyān said: ‘He lied’. We said to Sufyān: ‘What did he mean by this?’ [Sufyān] said: ‘Indeed the Rāfiḍah say, ‘Alī is in the clouds and we will not emerge along with he who will emerge from his children [the Khalīfah] until a caller calls from the heaven, meaning Alī: ‘Ride out along with so-and-so [meaning the promised Mahdī]’. Jābir said, ‘that is an interpretation for these verses’, and he would lie as they were regarding the brothers of Yūsuf, peace be upon him’.

65. Sahih Muslim i056In al-Bukhari or Muslim

    سَمِعْتُ جَابِرًا يُحَدِّثُ بِنَحْوٍ مِنْ ثَلاَثِينَ أَلْفَ حَدِيثٍ مَا أَسْتَحِلُّ أَنْ أَذْكُرَ مِنْهَا شَيْئًا وَأَنَّ لِي كَذَا وَكَذَا قَالَ مُسْلِمٌ وَسَمِعْتُ أَبَا غَسَّانَ مُحَمَّدَ بْنَ عَمْرٍو الرَّازِيَّ قَالَ سَأَلْتُ جَرِيرَ بْنَ عَبْدِ الْحَمِيدِ فَقُلْتُ الْحَارِثُ بْنُ حَصِيرَةَ لَقِيتَهُ قَالَ نَعَمْ شَيْخٌ طَوِيلُ السُّكُوتِ يُصِرُّ عَلَى أَمْرٍ عَظِيمٍ

    ‘I heard Jābir talking about something like 30,000 Ḥadīth [that] I did not regard as permissible to mention anything from, and that to me was like this and that [Ḥadīth].’ Muslim said, I heard Abū Ghassān Muhammad bin Amr ar-Rāzī say, ‘I asked Jarīr bin Abd il-Hamīd: ‘Did you meet al-Hārith bin Hasīrah? He said: ‘Yes, [he is a] Shaykh of lengthy silence; he persisted in a grave matter.’

66. Sahih Muslim i057In al-Bukhari or Muslim

    ذَكَرَ أَيُّوبُ رَجُلاً يَوْمًا فَقَالَ لَمْ يَكُنْ بِمُسْتَقِيمِ اللِّسَانِ وَذَكَرَ آخَرَ فَقَالَ هُوَ يَزِيدُ فِي الرَّقْمِ

    ‘He is not upright in speech [i.e. he lies]’, and he mentioned another [person] and said: ‘He adds to records [i.e. he lies]’.

67. Sahih Muslim i058In al-Bukhari or Muslim

    حَدَّثَنِي حَجَّاجُ بْنُ الشَّاعِرِ حَدَّثَنَا سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادُ بْنُ زَيْدٍ قَالَ قَالَ أَيُّوبُ إِنَّ لِي جَارًا ثُمَّ ذَكَرَ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ وَلَوْ شَهِدَ عِنْدِي عَلَى تَمْرَتَيْنِ مَا رَأَيْتُ شَهَادَتَهُ جَائِزَةً

    ‘Indeed I have a neighbor’ and he mentioned some of his virtues, [and continued] ‘…even if he testified to me about two dates I would not see his testimony as permissible’.

68. Sahih Muslim i059In al-Bukhari or Muslim

    قَالَ مَعْمَرٌ مَا رَأَيْتُ أَيُّوبَ اغْتَابَ أَحَدًا قَطُّ إِلاَّ عَبْدَ الْكَرِيمِ يَعْنِي أَبَا أُمَيَّةَ فَإِنَّهُ ذَكَرَهُ فَقَالَ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ كَانَ غَيْرَ ثِقَةٍ لَقَدْ سَأَلَنِي عَنْ حَدِيثٍ لِعِكْرِمَةَ ثُمَّ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ عِكْرِمَةَ

    ‘I did not see Ayyūb speaking ill of anyone, ever, except for Abd al-Karīm- meaning Abū Umayyah’. So he mentioned him and said, may Allah have mercy on him ‘He is not trustworthy- he had asked me about a Ḥadīth of Ikrimah then said ‘I heard from Ikrimah’ [when relating the Ḥadīth].’

69. Sahih Muslim i060In al-Bukhari or Muslim

    قَدِمَ عَلَيْنَا أَبُو دَاوُدَ الأَعْمَى فَجَعَلَ يَقُولُ حَدَّثَنَا الْبَرَاءُ قَالَ وَحَدَّثَنَا زَيْدُ بْنُ أَرْقَمَ فَذَكَرْنَا ذَلِكَ لِقَتَادَةَ فَقَالَ كَذَبَ مَا سَمِعَ مِنْهُمْ إِنَّمَا كَانَ ذَلِكَ سَائِلاً يَتَكَفَّفُ النَّاسَ زَمَنَ طَاعُونِ الْجَارِفِ

    ‘Al-Barā’ [bin Āzib, the Companion] narrated to us’; he said: ‘Zayd bin Arqam narrated to us’- and he mentioned that [those chains] to Qatādah. [Qatādah] said ‘He lied; he did not hear from them. He would beg the people asking [about Ḥadīth] at the time of the plague’ [circa 67H].

70. Sahih Muslim i061In al-Bukhari or Muslim

    دَخَلَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ الأَعْمَى عَلَى قَتَادَةَ فَلَمَّا قَامَ قَالُوا إِنَّ هَذَا يَزْعُمُ أَنَّهُ لَقِيَ ثَمَانِيَةَ عَشَرَ بَدْرِيًّا فَقَالَ قَتَادَةُ هَذَا كَانَ سَائِلاً قَبْلَ الْجَارِفِ لاَ يَعْرِضُ فِي شَىْءٍ مِنْ هَذَا وَلاَ يَتَكَلَّمُ فِيهِ فَوَاللَّهِ مَا حَدَّثَنَا الْحَسَنُ عَنْ بَدْرِيٍّ مُشَافَهَةً وَلاَ حَدَّثَنَا سَعِيدُ بْنُ الْمُسَيَّبِ عَنْ بَدْرِيٍّ مُشَافَهَةً إِلاَّ عَنْ سَعْدِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ

    ‘Indeed this one alleges he has met eighteen of the warriors of the battle of Badr’. Qatādah said: ‘This one was barely asking [about Ḥadīth] before the plague; he did not attend to anything from [seeking Ḥadīth] and he did not speak [to any scholars] regarding it. By Allah, al-Hasan did not narrate to us from a witness of the battle of Badr without an intermediary; and Sa’īd bin al-Musayyib did not narrate to us from a witness of the battle of Badr without an intermediary except from Sa’d bin Mālik’.

71. Sahih Muslim i062In al-Bukhari or Muslim

    أَنَّ أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ الْهَاشِمِيَّ الْمَدَنِيَّ كَانَ يَضَعُ أَحَادِيثَ كَلاَمَ حَقٍّ وَلَيْسَتْ مِنْ أَحَادِيثِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ وَكَانَ يَرْوِيهَا عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ

    Uthmān bin Abī Shaybah narrated to us, Jarīr narrated to us, on authority of Raqabah that ‘Abū Ja’far al-Hāshimī al-Madanī was fabricating narrations with words of truth, and they were not from the narrations of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah upon him, though he was transmitting them on authority of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah upon him.’

72. Sahih Muslim i063In al-Bukhari or Muslim

    كَانَ عَمْرُو بْنُ عُبَيْدٍ يَكْذِبُ فِي الْحَدِيثِ

    ‘Amr bin Ubayd would lie regarding Ḥadīth’.

73. Sahih Muslim i064In al-Bukhari or Muslim

    حَدَّثَنِي عَمْرُو بْنُ عَلِيٍّ أَبُو حَفْصٍ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ مُعَاذَ بْنَ مُعَاذٍ يَقُولُ قُلْتُ لِعَوْفِ بْنِ أَبِي جَمِيلَةَ إِنَّ عَمْرَو بْنَ عُبَيْدٍ حَدَّثَنَا عَنِ الْحَسَنِ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ مَنْ حَمَلَ عَلَيْنَا السِّلاَحَ فَلَيْسَ مِنَّا قَالَ كَذَبَ وَاللَّهِ عَمْرٌو وَلَكِنَّهُ أَرَادَ أَنْ يَحُوزَهَا إِلَى قَوْلِهِ الْخَبِيثِ

    ‘Whoever carries arms against us then he is not from us’. [Awf bin Abī Jamīlah] said ‘Amr lied, by Allah. Rather he intended it as a way to permit his filthy opinion.’

74. Sahih Muslim i065In al-Bukhari or Muslim

    كَانَ رَجُلٌ قَدْ لَزِمَ أَيُّوبَ وَسَمِعَ مِنْهُ فَفَقَدَهُ أَيُّوبُ فَقَالُوا يَا أَبَا بَكْرٍ إِنَّهُ قَدْ لَزِمَ عَمْرَو بْنَ عُبَيْدٍ قَالَ حَمَّادٌ فَبَيْنَا أَنَا يَوْمًا مَعَ أَيُّوبَ وَقَدْ بَكَّرْنَا إِلَى السُّوقِ فَاسْتَقْبَلَهُ الرَّجُلُ فَسَلَّمَ عَلَيْهِ أَيُّوبُ وَسَأَلَهُ ثُمَّ قَالَ لَهُ أَيُّوبُ بَلَغَنِي أَنَّكَ لَزِمْتَ ذَاكَ الرَّجُلَ قَالَ حَمَّادٌ سَمَّاهُ يَعْنِي عَمْرًا قَالَ نَعَمْ يَا أَبَا بَكْرٍ إِنَّهُ يَجِيئُنَا بِأَشْيَاءَ غَرَائِبَ قَالَ يَقُولُ لَهُ أَيُّوبُ إِنَّمَا نَفِرُّ أَوْ نَفْرَقُ مِنْ تِلْكَ الْغَرَائِبِ

    ‘A man kept company with Ayyūb and listened [to Ḥadīth] from him, but then Ayyūb did not find him [one day]. [When Ayyūb asked, the people] said: ‘Oh Abā Bakr, indeed he keeps company with Amr bin Ubayd [now]’. Hammād said: ‘One day we were with Ayyūb, and we went to the market early in the morning. A man came to meet Ayyūb so he gave Salām to him, asked how he was doing, and then Ayyūb said to him: ‘It reached me that you kept company with that man’. Hammād said: ‘[Ayyūb] designated him, that is to say ‘Amr’.’ [The man] said: ‘Yes, Oh Abā Bakr. Indeed he came to us with strange things [i.e. reports]’. Ayyūb said to him: ‘Indeed we flee…’ or ‘…we fear from these strange things [transmissions]’.

75. Sahih Muslim i066In al-Bukhari or Muslim

    وَحَدَّثَنِي حَجَّاجُ بْنُ الشَّاعِرِ حَدَّثَنَا سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ زَيْدٍ يَعْنِي حَمَّادًا قَالَ قِيلَ لأَيُّوبَ إِنَّ عَمْرَو بْنَ عُبَيْدٍ رَوَى عَنِ الْحَسَنِ قَالَ لاَ يُجْلَدُ السَّكْرَانُ مِنَ النَّبِيذِ فَقَالَ كَذَبَ أَنَا سَمِعْتُ الْحَسَنَ يَقُولُ يُجْلَدُ السَّكْرَانُ مِنَ النَّبِيذِ

    ‘There is no flogging the one who gets drunk from Nabīdh’.’ [Ayyūb] said: ‘He lied, for I heard al-Hasan saying, ‘Flog the one who gets drunk from Nabīdh’.’

76. Sahih Muslim i067In al-Bukhari or Muslim

    بَلَغَ أَيُّوبَ أَنِّي آتِي عَمْرًا فَأَقْبَلَ عَلَىَّ يَوْمًا فَقَالَ أَرَأَيْتَ رَجُلاً لاَ تَأْمَنُهُ عَلَى دِينِهِ كَيْفَ تَأْمَنُهُ عَلَى الْحَدِيثِ

    ‘Have you seen a man whose Dīn you do not trust- how do you trust him regarding Ḥadīth?’

77. Sahih Muslim i068In al-Bukhari or Muslim

    حَدَّثَنَا عَمْرُو بْنُ عُبَيْدٍ قَبْلَ أَنْ يُحْدِثَ

    ‘Amr bin Ubayd narrated to us before what happened’ [i.e. before he became Mu’tazilī].

78. Sahih Muslim i069In al-Bukhari or Muslim

    كَتَبْتُ إِلَى شُعْبَةَ أَسْأَلُهُ عَنْ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ قَاضِي وَاسِطٍ فَكَتَبَ إِلَىَّ لاَ تَكْتُبْ عَنْهُ شَيْئًا وَمَزِّقْ كِتَابِي

    ‘I wrote to Shu’bah asking him about Abū Shaybah, a judge of Wāsit, so he wrote to me: ‘Do not write anything from him [of Ḥadīth] and tear up my letter [to you about this]’.

79. Sahih Muslim i070In al-Bukhari or Muslim

    حَدَّثْتُ حَمَّادَ بْنَ سَلَمَةَ عَنْ صَالِحٍ الْمُرِّيِّ بِحَدِيثٍ عَنْ ثَابِتٍ فَقَالَ كَذَبَ وَحَدَّثْتُ هَمَّامًا عَنْ صَالِحٍ الْمُرِّيِّ بِحَدِيثٍ فَقَالَ كَذَبَ

    ‘I narrated to Hammād bin Salamah [bin Dīnār al-Basrī], on authority of Sālih al-Murrī, a Ḥadīth on authority of Thābit [bin Aslam al-Banānī], then [Hammād] said: ‘[Sālih] lied’. I also narrated to Hammām on authority of Sālih al-Murrī a Ḥadīth then [Hammām] said: ‘[Sālih] lied’.

80. Sahih Muslim i071In al-Bukhari or Muslim

    وَحَدَّثَنَا مَحْمُودُ بْنُ غَيْلاَنَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو دَاوُدَ قَالَ قَالَ لِي شُعْبَةُ ايتِ جَرِيرَ بْنَ حَازِمٍ فَقُلْ لَهُ لاَ يَحِلُّ لَكَ أَنْ تَرْوِيَ عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ عُمَارَةَ فَإِنَّهُ يَكْذِبُ قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ قُلْتُ لِشُعْبَةَ وَكَيْفَ ذَاكَ فَقَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَنِ الْحَكَمِ بِأَشْيَاءَ لَمْ أَجِدْ لَهَا أَصْلاً قَالَ قُلْتُ لَهُ بِأَىِّ شَىْءٍ قَالَ قُلْتُ لِلْحَكَمِ أَصَلَّى النَّبِيُّ ﷺ عَلَى قَتْلَى أُحُدٍ فَقَالَ لَمْ يُصَلِّ عَلَيْهِمْ فَقَالَ الْحَسَنُ بْنُ عُمَارَةَ عَنِ الْحَكَمِ عَنْ مِقْسَمٍ عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ إِنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ صَلَّى عَلَيْهِمْ وَدَفَنَهُمْ قُلْتُ لِلْحَكَمِ مَا تَقُولُ فِي أَوْلاَدِ الزِّنَا قَالَ يُصَلَّى عَلَيْهِمْ قُلْتُ مِنْ حَدِيثِ مَنْ يُرْوَى قَالَ يُرْوَى عَنِ الْحَسَنِ الْبَصْرِيِّ فَقَالَ الْحَسَنُ بْنُ عُمَارَةَ حَدَّثَنَا الْحَكَمُ عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ الْجَزَّارِ عَنْ عَلِيٍّ

    ‘Go to Jarīr bin Hāzim and say to him, ‘It is not allowed for you to transmit from al-Hasan bin Umārah for indeed he lies’.’ Abū Dāwud said, I said to Shu’bah: ‘And how do you know that?’ So [Shu’bah] said: ‘He narrated to us on authority of al-Hakam things that were not found to have any basis’. [Abū Dāwud] said: ‘What things?’ [Shu’bah] said, I said to al-Hakam: ‘Did the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah upon him, pray over the martyrs of Uhud?’ [al-Hakam] said: ‘He did not pray over them’. Al-Hasan bin Umārah said, on authority of al-Hakam, on authority of Miqsam, on authority of Ibn Abbās: ‘Indeed the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah upon him, prayed over them and buried them ’. I [Shu’bah] said to al-Hakam: ‘What do you say about the children born from fornication?’ [Al-Hakam] said: ‘Pray over them ’. I [Shu’bah] said: ‘From whose Ḥadīth is it transmitted?’ [Al-Hakam] said: ‘It is transmitted on authority of al-Hasan al-Basrī’.’ Al-Hasan bin Umārah said: ‘Al-Hakam narrated to us, on authority of Yahyā bin al-Jazzār, on authority of Alī.

81. Sahih Muslim i072In al-Bukhari or Muslim

    وَذَكَرَ زِيَادَ بْنَ مَيْمُونٍ فَقَالَ حَلَفْتُ أَلاَّ أَرْوِيَ عَنْهُ شَيْئًا وَلاَ عَنْ خَالِدِ بْنِ مَحْدُوجٍ وَقَالَ لَقِيتُ زِيَادَ بْنَ مَيْمُونٍ فَسَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ حَدِيثٍ فَحَدَّثَنِي بِهِ عَنْ بَكْرٍ الْمُزَنِيِّ ثُمَّ عُدْتُ إِلَيْهِ فَحَدَّثَنِي بِهِ عَنْ مُوَرِّقٍ ثُمَّ عُدْتُ إِلَيْهِ فَحَدَّثَنِي بِهِ عَنِ الْحَسَنِ وَكَانَ يَنْسُبُهُمَا إِلَى الْكَذِبِ قَالَ الْحُلْوَانِيُّ سَمِعْتُ عَبْدَ الصَّمَدِ وَذَكَرْتُ عِنْدَهُ زِيَادَ بْنَ مَيْمُونٍ فَنَسَبَهُ إِلَى الْكَذِبِ

    ‘I swore that I would not transmit anything from him or Khālid bin Mahdūj’. [Yazīd] said: ‘I met Ziyād bin Maymūn and asked him about a Ḥadīth, so he narrated it to me on authority of Bakr al-Muzanī, then I returned to him and he narrated [the same Ḥadīth] to me on authority of Muwarriq; then I returned to him and he narrated it to me on authority of al-Hasan.’ [Al-Hulwānī said]: ‘He [Yazīd] would charge both of them with lying [i.e. Ziyād bin Maymūn and Khālid bin Mahdūj].’ Al-Hulwānī said: ‘I heard [Ḥadīth] from Abd as-Samad and I mentioned Ziyād bin Maymūn near him and he charged him with lying’.

82. Sahih Muslim i073In al-Bukhari or Muslim

    قُلْتُ لأَبِي دَاوُدَ الطَّيَالِسِيِّ قَدْ أَكْثَرْتَ عَنْ عَبَّادِ بْنِ مَنْصُورٍ فَمَا لَكَ لَمْ تَسْمَعْ مِنْهُ حَدِيثَ الْعَطَّارَةِ الَّذِي رَوَى لَنَا النَّضْرُ بْنُ شُمَيْلٍ قَالَ لِيَ اسْكُتْ فَأَنَا لَقِيتُ زِيَادَ بْنَ مَيْمُونٍ وَعَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ مَهْدِيٍّ فَسَأَلْنَاهُ فَقُلْنَا لَهُ هَذِهِ الأَحَادِيثُ الَّتِي تَرْوِيهَا عَنْ أَنَسٍ فَقَالَ أَرَأَيْتُمَا رَجُلاً يُذْنِبُ فَيَتُوبُ أَلَيْسَ يَتُوبُ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ قَالَ قُلْنَا نَعَمْ قَالَ مَا سَمِعْتُ مِنْ أَنَسٍ مِنْ ذَا قَلِيلاً وَلاَ كَثِيرًا إِنْ كَانَ لاَ يَعْلَمُ النَّاسُ فَأَنْتُمَا لاَ تَعْلَمَانِ أَنِّي لَمْ أَلْقَ أَنَسًا قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ فَبَلَغَنَا بَعْدُ أَنَّهُ يَرْوِي فَأَتَيْنَاهُ أَنَا وَعَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ فَقَالَ أَتُوبُ ثُمَّ كَانَ بَعْدُ يُحَدِّثُ فَتَرَكْنَاهُ

    ‘You transmit a great deal on authority of Abbād bin Mansūr - so how is it that you did not hear the Ḥadīth of ‘the lady perfume seller’ from him which an-Naḍr bin Shumayl transmitted to us?’ [Abū Dāwud] said to me: ‘Be quiet, for Abd ar-Rahma bin Mahdī and I met Ziyād bin Maymūn and asked him, saying to him, ‘Are these Ḥadīth you transmit on authority of Anas?’ [Ziyād] said: ‘Have you seen a man sin and then repent- does Allah not turn to him?’ [Abū Dāwud] said: ‘We said, ‘Yes’.’ [Ziyād] said: ‘I did not hear from Anas whether a little or a lot; if the people did not know, then you two would not know that I did not meet Anas’. Abū Dāwud said: ‘So it reached us afterwards that he was transmitting [from Anas], then Abd ar-Rahman and I went to him and he said: ‘I repented’. Then afterwards he was narrating [again in the same fashion] so we abandoned him ’.

83. Sahih Muslim i074In al-Bukhari or Muslim

    نَهَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَنَّ يُتَّخَذَ الرَّوْحُ عَرْضًا

    ‘Abd ul-Quddūs was narrating to us saying,‘Suwayd bin Aqalah said…’ [when it should be ‘bin Ghafalah’] Shabābah said: ‘And I heard Abd ul-Quddūs saying, ‘The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah upon him, prohibited taking a Rawḥ by accident’. [Shabābah] said: ‘So it was said to him, ‘What does this mean?’ [Abd ul-Quddūs] said: ‘It means to make an opening in a wall [thus letting] a breeze enter [by accident]’.’ [He changed the original Ḥadīth, switching ‘Rūḥ’ meaning ‘soul’ to ‘Rawḥ’ or ‘breeze’, and he switched ‘Gharaḍān’ meaning ‘as a target’ to ‘Arḍān’ or ‘accidentally’. All simply by changing a few letters in the words] Muslim said, I heard Ubayd Allah bin Umar al-Qawārīrī saying, I heard Hammād bin Zayd saying to a man after he sat with Mahdī bin Hilāl for days: ‘What is this salty well [i.e. useless or harmful] which has sprung up in your direction?’ He said: ‘Yes, oh Abā Ismā’īl [in agreement]’.

84. Sahih Muslim i075In al-Bukhari or Muslim

    مَا بَلَغَنِي عَنِ الْحَسَنِ حَدِيثٌ إِلاَّ أَتَيْتُ بِهِ أَبَانَ بْنَ أَبِي عَيَّاشٍ فَقَرَأَهُ عَلَىَّ

    ‘A Ḥadīth did not reach me on authority of al-Hasan except I presented it to Abān bin Abī Ayyāsh, then he read it to me ’.

85. Sahih Muslim i076In al-Bukhari or Muslim

    سَمِعْتُ أَنَا وَحَمْزَةُ الزَّيَّاتُ مِنْ أَبَانَ بْنِ أَبِي عَيَّاشٍ نَحْوًا مِنْ أَلْفِ حَدِيثٍ قَالَ عَلِيٌّ فَلَقِيتُ حَمْزَةَ فَأَخْبَرَنِي أَنَّهُ رَأَى النَّبِيَّ ﷺ فِي الْمَنَامِ فَعَرَضَ عَلَيْهِ مَا سَمِعَ مِنْ أَبَانَ فَمَا عَرَفَ مِنْهَا إِلاَّ شَيْئًا يَسِيرًا خَمْسَةً أَوْ سِتَّةً

    ‘Hamzah az-Zayyāt and I heard from Abān bin Abī Ayyāsh something like one thousand Ḥadīth’. Alī said: ‘So I met Hamzah then he informed me that he saw the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah upon him, [in a dream], and he produced for him what he heard from Abān. However he [the Prophet] didn’t recognize any except a small amount [like] five or six [Ḥadīth]’.

86. Sahih Muslim i077In al-Bukhari or Muslim

    قَالَ لِي أَبُو إِسْحَاقَ الْفَزَارِيُّ اكْتُبْ عَنْ بَقِيَّةَ مَا رَوَى عَنِ الْمَعْرُوفِينَ وَلاَ تَكْتُبْ عَنْهُ مَا رَوَى عَنْ غَيْرِ الْمَعْرُوفِينَ وَلاَ تَكْتُبْ عَنْ إِسْمَاعِيلَ بْنِ عَيَّاشٍ مَا رَوَى عَنِ الْمَعْرُوفِينَ وَلاَ عَنْ غَيْرِهِمْ

    ‘Write from Baqiyyah what he transmits on authority of those who are well-known, and do not write from him what he transmits on authority of those who are not; do not write from Ismā’īl bin Ayyāsh what he transmits on authority of those who are well-known or otherwise ’.

87. Sahih Muslim i078In al-Bukhari or Muslim

    سَمِعْتُ بَعْضَ أَصْحَابِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ قَالَ ابْنُ الْمُبَارَكِ نِعْمَ الرَّجُلُ بَقِيَّةُ لَوْلاَ أَنَّهُ كَانَ يَكْنِي الأَسَامِيَ وَيُسَمِّي الْكُنَى كَانَ دَهْرًا يُحَدِّثُنَا عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْوُحَاظِيِّ فَنَظَرْنَا فَإِذَا هُوَ عَبْدُ الْقُدُّوسِ

    ‘What an excellent man is Baqiyyah, if it were not for the fact that he would provide a nickname for [those who were better-known by] the birth name, and he would provide the birth name for [those who were better-known by] a nickname. For a long time he would narrated to us on authority of Abī Sa’īd al-Wuhāthī, then when we investigated [we were surprised that] he was Abd ul-Quddūs ’.

88. Sahih Muslim i079In al-Bukhari or Muslim

    مَا رَأَيْتُ ابْنَ الْمُبَارَكِ يُفْصِحُ بِقَوْلِهِ كَذَّابٌ إِلاَّ لِعَبْدِ الْقُدُّوسِ فَإِنِّي سَمِعْتُهُ يَقُولُ لَهُ كَذَّابٌ

    ‘I did not see Ibn al-Mubārak express so plainly the charge of ‘lying’ except towards Abd ul-Quddūs; for indeed I heard him saying to him ‘[You are] a liar’.’

89. Sahih Muslim i080In al-Bukhari or Muslim

    وَذَكَرَ الْمُعَلَّى بْنَ عُرْفَانَ فَقَالَ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو وَائِلٍ قَالَ خَرَجَ عَلَيْنَا ابْنُ مَسْعُودٍ بِصِفِّينَ فَقَالَ أَبُو نُعَيْمٍ أَتُرَاهُ بُعِثَ بَعْدَ الْمَوْتِ

    ‘I heard Abū Nu’aym and he mentioned al-Mu’allā bin Urfān, so [Abū Nu’aym] said, [al-Mu’allā] said: ‘Abū Wā’il narrated to us, he said ‘Ibn Mas’ūd attacked us on the day of Siffīn’. So Abū Nu’aym said: ‘Do you think he was raised after death? [Ibn Mas’ūd passed away in 32 or 33H, several years before the day in question]

90. Sahih Muslim i081In al-Bukhari or Muslim

    كُنَّا عِنْدَ إِسْمَاعِيلَ ابْنِ عُلَيَّةَ فَحَدَّثَ رَجُلٌ عَنْ رَجُلٍ فَقُلْتُ إِنَّ هَذَا لَيْسَ بِثَبْتٍ قَالَ فَقَالَ الرَّجُلُ اغْتَبْتَهُ قَالَ إِسْمَاعِيلُ مَا اغْتَابَهُ وَلَكِنَّهُ حَكَمَ أَنَّهُ لَيْسَ بِثَبْتٍ

    ‘We were near Ismā’īl bin Ulayyah, and a man narrated on authority of another man, so I said: ‘Indeed this is not reliable (Thabt)’. So the man said: ‘Are you backbiting him?’ Ismā’īl said: ‘He is not backbiting him; rather he is judging him unreliable’.

91. Sahih Muslim i082In al-Bukhari or Muslim

    لَيْسُوا بِثِقَةٍ فِي حَدِيثِهِمْ وَسَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ رَجُلٍ آخَرَ نَسِيتُ اسْمَهُ فَقَالَ هَلْ رَأَيْتَهُ فِي كُتُبِي قُلْتُ لاَ قَالَ لَوْ كَانَ ثِقَةً لَرَأَيْتَهُ فِي كُتُبِي

    ‘I asked Mālik bin Anas about Muhammad bin Abd ar-Rahman who transmits on authority of Sa’īd bin al-Musayyib, so he said: ‘He is not trustworthy ‘. I asked him about Sālih, a freed slave of at-Taw’amah, then he said: ‘He is not trustworthy’. I asked him about Abūl-Huwayrith, and he said: ‘He is not trustworthy’. I asked him about Shu’bah on whose authority Ibn Abī Dhi’b transmitted, and he said: ‘He is not trustworthy’. I asked him about Harām bin Uthmān, and he said ‘He is not trustworthy’. I asked Mālik about these five and he said: ‘They are not trustworthy in terms of their Ḥadīth’. I asked him about another man whose name I forget just now, and he said: ‘Did you see him in my book?’ I said: ‘No’. [Then] he said: ‘If he was trustworthy you would see him in my book’.

92. Sahih Muslim i083In al-Bukhari or Muslim

    عَنْ شُرَحْبِيلَ بْنِ سَعْدٍ وَكَانَ مُتَّهَمًا

    ‘Yahyā bin Ma’īn narrated to me, Hajjāj narrated to us, Ibn Abī Dhi’b narrated to us on authority of Shurahbīl bin Sa’d, and he was imputed [with lying regarding Ḥadīth near the end of his life]’.

93. Sahih Muslim i084In al-Bukhari or Muslim

    أَنْ أَلْقَاهُ ثُمَّ أَدْخُلَ الْجَنَّةَ فَلَمَّا رَأَيْتُهُ كَانَتْ بَعْرَةٌ أَحَبَّ إِلَىَّ مِنْهُ

    ‘If I had to choose between entering Paradise and meeting Abd Allah bin Muharrar, I would have chosen to meet him, then enter Paradise. Then when I saw him, dung was more preferred to me than him’.

94. Sahih Muslim i085In al-Bukhari or Muslim

    لاَ تَأْخُذُوا عَنْ أَخِي

    ‘Do not take [Ḥadīth] from my brother ’.

95. Sahih Muslim i086In al-Bukhari or Muslim

    كَانَ يَحْيَى بْنُ أَبِي أُنَيْسَةَ كَذَّابًا

    ‘Yahyā bin Abī Unaysah was a liar’.

96. Sahih Muslim i087In al-Bukhari or Muslim

    ذُكِرَ فَرْقَدٌ عِنْدَ أَيُّوبَ فَقَالَ إِنَّ فَرْقَدًا لَيْسَ صَاحِبَ حَدِيثٍ

    ‘Indeed Farqad is not a companion of Ḥadīth’.

97. Sahih Muslim i088In al-Bukhari or Muslim

    ذُكِرَ عِنْدَهُ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُبَيْدِ بْنِ عُمَيْرٍ اللَّيْثِيُّ فَضَعَّفَهُ جِدًّا فَقِيلَ لِيَحْيَى أَضْعَفُ مِنْ يَعْقُوبَ بْنِ عَطَاءٍ قَالَ نَعَمْ ثُمَّ قَالَ مَا كُنْتُ أُرَى أَنَّ أَحَدًا يَرْوِي عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُبَيْدِ بْنِ عُمَيْرٍ

    ‘More weak than Ya’qūb bin Atā ’?’ He said: ‘Yes’. Then he said: ‘I did not see anyone transmitting on authority of Muhammad bin Abd Allah bin Ubayd bin Umayr’.

98. Sahih Muslim i089In al-Bukhari or Muslim

    ضَعَّفَ حَكِيمَ بْنَ جُبَيْرٍ وَعَبْدَ الأَعْلَى وَضَعَّفَ يَحْيَى مُوسَى بْنَ دِينَارٍ قَالَ حَدِيثُهُ رِيحٌ وَضَعَّفَ مُوسَى بْنَ دِهْقَانَ وَعِيسَى بْنَ أَبِي عِيسَى الْمَدَنِيَّ قَالَ وَسَمِعْتُ الْحَسَنَ بْنَ عِيسَى يَقُولُ قَالَ لِيَ ابْنُ الْمُبَارَكِ إِذَا قَدِمْتَ عَلَى جَرِيرٍ فَاكْتُبْ عِلْمَهُ كُلَّهُ إِلاَّ حَدِيثَ ثَلاَثَةٍ لاَ تَكْتُبْ حَدِيثَ عُبَيْدَةَ بْنِ مُعَتِّبٍ وَالسَّرِيِّ بْنِ إِسْمَاعِيلَ وَمُحَمَّدِ بْنِ سَالِمٍ

    ‘His Ḥadīth are rīḥ or ‘wind’ [i.e., not established and weak]. [Yahyā] weakened Mūsā bin Dihqān and Īsā bin Abī Īsā al-Madanī. [Muslim] said, ‘I heard al-Hasan bin Īsā saying ‘Ibn al-Mubārak said to me: ‘When you go to Jarīr then write down all of his knowledge except the Ḥadīth of 3 [people] - do not write the Ḥadīth of Ubaydah bin Mu’attib, as-Sarī bin Ismā’īl, or Muhammad bin Sālim’.’

99. Sahih Muslim ir3In al-Bukhari or Muslim

    وأشْباهُ ما ذَكَرْنا مِن كَلامِ أهْلِ العِلْمِ فِي مُتَّهَمِي رُواةِ الحَدِيثِ وإخْبارِهِمْ عَنْ مَعايِبِهِمْ كَثِيرٌ يَطُولُ الكِتابُ بِذِكْرِهِ عَلى اسْتِقْصائِهِ وفِيما ذَكَرْنا كِفايَةٌ لِمَن تَفَهَّمَ وعَقَلَ مَذْهَبَ القَوْمِ فِيما قالُوا مِن ذَلِكَ وبَيَّنُوا۔ وإنَّما ألْزَمُوا أنْفُسَهُمُ الكَشْفَ عَنْ مَعايِبِ رُواةِ الحَدِيثِ وناقِلِي الأخْبارِ وأفْتَوْا بِذَلِكَ حِينَ سُئِلُوا لِما فِيهِ مِن عَظِيمِ الخَطَرِ إذِ الأخْبارُ فِي أمْرِ الدِّينِ إنَّما تَأْتِي بِتَحْلِيلٍ أوْ تَحْرِيمٍ أوْ أمْرٍ أوْ نَهْيٍ أوْ تَرْغِيبٍ أوْ تَرْهِيبٍ۔ فَإذا كانَ الرّاوِي لَها لَيْسَ بِمَعْدِنٍ لِلصِّدْقِ والأمانَةِ ثُمَّ أقْدَمَ عَلى الرِّوايَةِ عَنْهُ مَن قَدْ عَرَفَهُ ولَمْ يُبَيِّنْ ما فِيهِ لِغَيْرِهِ مِمَّنْ جَهِلَ مَعْرِفَتَهُ كانَ آثِمًا بِفِعْلِهِ ذَلِكَ غاشًّا لِعَوامِّ المُسْلِمِينَ إذْ لا يُؤْمَنُ عَلى بَعْضِ مَن سَمِعَ تِلْكَ الأخْبارَ أنْ يَسْتَعْمِلَها أوْ يَسْتَعْمِلَ بَعْضَها ولَعَلَّها أوْ أكْثَرَها أكاذِيبُ لا أصْلَ لَها مَعَ أنَّ الأخْبارَ الصِّحاحَ مِن رِوايَةِ الثِّقاتِ وأهْلِ القَناعَةِ أكْثَرُ مِن أنْ يُضْطَرَّ إلى نَقْلِ مَن لَيْسَ بِثِقَةٍ ولا مَقْنَعٍ۔ ولا أحْسِبُ كَثِيرًا مِمَّنْ يُعَرِّجُ مِنَ النّاسِ عَلى ما وصَفْنا مِن هَذِهِ الأحادِيثِ الضِّعافِ والأسانِيدِ المَجْهُولَةِ ويَعْتَدُّ بِرِوايَتِها بَعْدَ مَعْرِفَتِهِ بِما فِيها مِنَ التَّوَهُّنِ والضَّعْفِ إلّا أنَّ الَّذِي يَحْمِلُهُ عَلى رِوايَتِها والِاعْتِدادِ بِها إرادَةُ التَّكَثُّرِ بِذَلِكَ عِنْدَ العَوامِّ ولِأنْ يُقالَ ما أكْثَرَ ما جَمَعَ فُلانٌ مِنَ الحَدِيثِ وألَّفَ مِنَ العَدَدِ ومَن ذَهَبَ فِي العِلْمِ هَذا المَذْهَبَ وسَلَكَ هَذا الطَّرِيقَ فَلا نَصِيبَ لَهُ فِيهِ وكانَ بِأنْ يُسَمّى جاهِلًا أوْلى مِن أنْ يُنْسَبَ إلى عِلْمٍ

    Muslim said: Similar instances to what we mentioned from the words of Ahl ul-Ilm regarding those transmitters who are imputed in Ḥadīth, and reports about their defects, are great in number, it would lengthen this book to mention its investigation, and what we [already] mentioned should be sufficient for whoever reflects upon and understands the way of the people [Muhaddithīn] in terms of what they said and clarified of all of that. Indeed [the Muhaddithīn] concerned themselves with the unveiling of the defects of transmitters of Ḥadīth and narrators of reports; they delivered verdicts in that at the time they were asked when there was a great danger involved considering that the reports are regarding affairs of the Dīn; whether [the transmissions] present a permission or proscription, a command or prohibition, encouragement or admonition. If the transmitter for it is not a source of truthfulness or reliability, then those who know [his condition], who risk transmitting on his authority, and not declaring [his condition] to others whom are ignorant of his [state], are sinning through doing that, and deceiving the common Muslims, since he should not feel secure in that some of those who heard these reports will act upon them, or act upon some of them, and perhaps they are lies which have no basis, or a majority of them; this along with the fact that authentic reports from the trustworthy chains and the people who are satisfactory [to the majority of Ahl ul-Ilm] are in too great a number to compel relating from those who are not trustworthy and who are not satisfactory. I do not think highly of those who would permit from the people what we described of these weak narrations and unknown chains, and who judge by these transmissions after knowing what is in them of those who are imputed and weak unless he, through his conveyance and judgment by them, desires to accumulate [status] through that among the commoners, or that it can be said, ‘How great is the number of Ḥadīth that so-and-so has gathered and compiled!’. Those who held this ideology regarding knowledge and traversed this path have no share in it and that they were designated as being ignorant is more deserving than for them to be attributed to knowledge.

100. Sahih Muslim ir4In al-Bukhari or Muslim

     وقَدْ تَكَلَّمَ بَعْضُ مُنْتَحِلِي الحَدِيثِ مِن أهْلِ عَصْرِنا فِي تَصْحِيحِ الأسانِيدِ وتَسْقِيمِها بِقَوْلٍ لَوْ ضَرَبْنا عَنْ حِكايَتِهِ وذِكْرِ فَسادِهِ صَفْحًا لَكانَ رَأْيًا مَتِينًا ومَذْهَبًا صَحِيحًا إذِ الإعْراضُ عَنِ القَوْلِ المُطَّرَحِ أحْرى لِإماتَتِهِ وإخْمالِ ذِكْرِ قائِلِهِ وأجْدَرُ أنْ لا يَكُونَ ذَلِكَ تَنْبِيهًا لِلْجُهّالِ عَلَيْهِ۔ غَيْرَ أنّا لَمّا تَخَوَّفْنا مِن شُرُورِ العَواقِبِ واغْتِرارِ الجَهَلَةِ بِمُحْدَثاتِ الأُمُورِ وإسْراعِهِمْ إلى اعْتِقادِ خَطَأِ المُخْطِئِينَ والأقْوالِ السّاقِطَةِ عِنْدَ العُلَماءِ رَأيْنا الكَشْفَ عَنْ فَسادِ قَوْلِهِ ورَدَّ مَقالَتِهِ بِقَدْرِ ما يَلِيقُ بِها مِنَ الرَّدِّ أجْدى عَلى الأنامِ وأحْمَدَ لِلْعاقِبَةِ إنْ شاءَ اللهُ۔ وزَعَمَ القائِلُ الَّذِي افْتَتَحْنا الكَلامَ عَلى الحِكايَةِ عَنْ قَوْلِهِ والإخْبارِ عَنْ سُوءِ رَوِيَّتِهِ أنَّ كُلَّ إسْنادٍ لِحَدِيثٍ فِيهِ فُلانٌ عَنْ فُلانٍ وقَدِ اَحاطَ العِلْمُ بِأنَّهُما قَدْ كانا فِي عَصْرٍ واحِدٍ وجائِزٌ أنْ يَكُونَ الحَدِيثُ الَّذِي رَوى الرّاوِي عَمَّنْ رَوى عَنْهُ قَدْ سَمِعَهُ مِنهُ وشافَهَهُ بِهِ غَيْرَ أنَّهُ لا نَعْلَمُ لَهُ مِنهُ سَماعًا ولَمْ نَجِدْ فِي شَيْءٍ مِنَ الرِّواياتِ أنَّهُما التَقَيا قَطُّ أوْ تَشافَها بِحَدِيثٍ أنَّ الحُجَّةَ لا تَقُومُ عِنْدَهُ بِكُلِّ خَبَرٍ جاءَ هَذا المَجِيءَ حَتّى يَكُونَ عِنْدَهُ العِلْمُ بِأنَّهُما قَدِ اجْتَمَعا مِن دَهْرِهِما مَرَّةً فَصاعِدًا أوْ تَشافَها بِالحَدِيثِ بَيْنَهُما أوْ يَرِدَ خَبَرٌ فِيهِ بَيانُ اجْتِماعِهِما وتَلاقِيهِما مَرَّةً مِن دَهْرِهِما فَما فَوْقَها فَإنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ عِنْدَهُ عِلْمُ ذَلِكَ ولَمْ تَأْتِ رِوايَةٌ تُخْبِرُ أنَّ هَذا الرّاوِيَ عَنْ صاحِبِهِ قَدْ لَقِيَهُ مَرَّةً وسَمِعَ مِنهُ شَيْئًا لَمْ يَكُنْ فِي نَقْلِهِ الخَبَرَ عَمَّنْ رَوى عَنْهُ ذَلِكَ۔ والأمْرُ كَما وصَفْنا حُجَّةٌ وكانَ الخَبَرُ عِنْدَهُ مَوْقُوفًا حَتّى يَرِدَ عَلَيْهِ سَماعُهُ مِنهُ لِشَيْءٍ مِنَ الحَدِيثِ قَلَّ أوْ كَثُرَ فِي رِوايَةٍ مِثْلِ ما ورَدَ۔

     Some pretender to knowledge of Ḥadīth from the people of our time made a statement regarding authentication and weakening of chains; a statement that if we were to disregard relating it and disregard mentioning its evil, truly it would be a strong opinion and sound approach, since turning away from the renounced view and dropping any mention of its speaker are most appropriate for putting it to rest; and better suited so as to not draw the attention of the ignorant to it. Other than for what we fear from the evil results and dangers of the ignorant in innovated matters and their hastening towards believing in the mistakes of those who err and the rejected statements according to the scholars, we think the unveiling of the evil of his statement and refutation of its speaker with the amount which is deserved from refutation is more beneficial upon the creation and more praiseworthy ultimately, if Allah wills. The speaker who we introduced by way of speaking on the account of his opinion and the reports of the evil of his thinking, alleged that every chain for Ḥadīth which has in it ‘so-and-so narrated on authority of so-and-so’ [Mu’an’an], and he has knowledge that they were contemporaries, and the probability that the Ḥadīth which the narrator transmitted from whom he transmitted, had heard it from him, and spoke face to face with him; without our knowing [for certain] that the narrator heard from the one who transmitted to him, and without finding in any of the transmissions that they ever met and spoke face to face for the purpose of Ḥadīth- that the proof is not established according to him in any report which comes in this manner until he has knowledge of both transmitters meeting in their era one or more times and speaking face to face for the purpose of narration, or he wants a report in which their meeting is clarified, their having met once in their era, or more than that; then if he does not have knowledge of that and there does not come to him an authentic transmission reporting that this transmitter [who relates] on authority of his companion met him once AND heard from him something- [there] will be no [proof] of his relating the report from whom he transmitted on authority of. The matter just as we described is a proof [transmitters being contemporaries and the possibility of having met existing] and the report according to him is unresolved until there arrives [the transmitters] hearing from him something from Ḥadīth, a little or a lot, in a transmission [clarifying the ‘hearing’] equal to what he narrated [with Mu’an’an].

101. Sahih Muslim ir5In al-Bukhari or Muslim

     وهَذا القَوْلُ يَرْحَمُكَ اللهُ فِي الطَّعْنِ فِي الأسانِيدِ قَوْلٌ مُخْتَرَعٌ مُسْتَحْدَثٌ غَيْرُ مَسْبُوقٍ صاحِبِهِ إلَيْهِ ولا مُساعِدَ لَهُ مِن أهْلِ العِلْمِ عَلَيْهِ وذَلِكَ أنَّ القَوْلَ الشّائِعَ المُتَّفَقَ عَلَيْهِ بَيْنَ أهْلِ العِلْمِ بِالأخْبارِ والرِّواياتِ قَدِيمًا وحَدِيثًا أنَّ كُلَّ رَجُلٍ ثِقَةٍ رَوى عَنْ مِثْلِهِ حَدِيثًا وجائِزٌ مُمْكِنٌ لَهُ لِقاؤُهُ والسَّماعُ [٣٠] مِنهُ لِكَوْنِهِما جَمِيعًا كانا فِي عَصْرٍ واحِدٍ وإنْ لَمْ يَأْتِ فِي خَبَرٍ قَطُّ أنَّهُما اجْتَمَعا ولا تَشافَها بِكَلامٍ فالرِّوايَةُ ثابِتَةٌ والحُجَّةُ بِها لازِمَةٌ إلّا أنَّ يَكُونَ هُناكَ دَلالَةٌ بَيِّنَةٌ أنَّ هَذا الرّاوِي لَمْ يَلْقَ مَن رَوى عَنْهُ أوْ لَمْ يَسْمَعْ مِنهُ شَيْئًا۔ فَأمّا والأمْرُ مُبْهَمٌ عَلى الإمْكانِ الَّذِي فَسَّرْنا فالرِّوايَةُ عَلى السَّماعِ أبَدًا حَتّى تَكُونَ الدَّلالَةُ الَّتِي بَيَّنّا فَيُقالُ لِمُخْتَرِعِ هَذا القَوْلِ الَّذِي وصَفْنا مَقالَتَهُ أوْ لِلذّابِّ عَنْهُ قَدْ أعْطَيْتَ فِي جُمْلَةِ قَوْلِكَ أنَّ خَبَرَ الواحِدِ الثِّقَةِ عَنِ الواحِدِ الثِّقَةِ حُجَّةٌ يَلْزَمُ بِهِ العَمَلُ ثُمَّ أدْخَلْتَ فِيهِ الشَّرْطَ بَعْدُ فَقُلْتَ حَتّى نَعْلَمَ أنَّهُما قَدْ كانا التَقَيا مَرَّةً فَصاعِدًا أوْ سَمِعَ مِنهُ شَيْئًا فَهَلْ تَجِدُ هَذا الشَّرْطَ الَّذِي اشْتَرَطْتَهُ عَنْ أحَدٍ يَلْزَمُ قَوْلُهُ؟ وإلّا فَهَلُمَّ دَلِيلًا عَلى ما زَعَمْتَ فَإنِ ادَّعى قَوْلَ أحَدٍ مِن عُلَماءِ السَّلَفِ بِما زَعَمَ مِن إدْخالِ الشَّرِيطَةِ فِي تَثْبِيتِ الخَبَرِ طُولِبَ بِهِ ولَنْ يَجِدَ هُوَ ولا غَيْرُهُ إلى إيجادِهِ سَبِيلًا وإنْ هُوَ ادَّعى فِيما زَعَمَ دَلِيلًا يَحْتَجُّ بِهِ قِيلَ وما ذاكَ الدَّلِيلُ؟ فَإنْ قالَ قُلْتُهُ لِأنِّي وجَدْتُ رُواةَ الأخْبارِ قَدِيمًا وحَدِيثًا يَرْوِي أحَدُهُمْ عَنِ الآخَرِ الحَدِيثَ ولَمّا يُعايِنْهُ ولا سَمِعَ مِنهُ شَيْئًا قَطُّ فَلَمّا رَأيْتُهُمْ اسْتَجازُوا رِوايَةَ الحَدِيثِ بَيْنَهُمْ هَكَذا عَلى الإرْسالِ مِن غَيْرِ سَماعٍ والمُرْسَلُ مِنَ الرِّواياتِ فِي أصْلِ قَوْلِنا وقَوْلِ أهْلِ العِلْمِ بِالأخْبارِ لَيْسَ بِحُجَّةٍ احْتَجْتُ لِما وصَفْتُ مِنَ العِلَّةِ إلى البَحْثِ عَنْ سَماعِ راوِي كُلِّ خَبَرٍ عَنْ راوِيهِ فَإذا أنا هَجَمْتُ عَلى سَماعِهِ مِنهُ لِأدْنى شَيْءٍ ثَبَتَ عِنْدِي بِذَلِكَ جَمِيعُ ما يَرْوِي عَنْهُ بَعْدُ فَإنْ عَزَبَ عَنِّي مَعْرِفَةُ ذَلِكَ أوْقَفْتُ الخَبَرَ ولَمْ يَكُنْ عِنْدِي مَوْضِعَ حُجَّةٍ لِإمْكانِ الإرْسالِ فِيهِ فَيُقالُ لَهُ فَإنْ كانَتِ العِلَّةُ فِي تَضْعِيفِكَ الخَبَرَ وتَرْكِكَ الِاحْتِجاجَ بِهِ إمْكانَ الإرْسالِ فِيهِ۔ لَزِمَكَ أنْ لا تُثْبِتَ إسْنادًا مُعَنْعَنًا حَتّى تَرى فِيهِ السَّماعَ مِن أوَّلِهِ إلى آخِرِهِ۔ وذَلِكَ أنَّ الحَدِيثَ الوارِدَ عَلَيْنا بِإسْنادِ هِشامِ بْنِ عُرْوَةَ عَنْ أبِيهِ عَنْ عائِشَةَ فَبِيَقِينٍ نَعْلَمُ أنَّ هِشامًا قَدْ سَمِعَ مِن أبِيهِ وأنَّ أباهُ قَدْ سَمِعَ مِن عائِشَةَ كَما نَعْلَمُ أنَّ عائِشَةَ قَدْ سَمِعَتْ مِنَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ وقَدْ يَجُوزُ إذا لَمْ يَقُلْ هِشامٌ فِي رِوايَةٍ يَرْوِيها عَنْ أبِيهِ سَمِعْتُ أوْ أخْبَرَنِي أنْ يَكُونَ بَيْنَهُ وبَيْنَ أبِيهِ فِي تِلْكَ الرِّوايَةِ إنْسانٌ آخَرُ أخْبَرَهُ بِها عَنْ أبِيهِ ولَمْ يَسْمَعْها هُوَ مِن أبِيهِ لَمّا أحَبَّ أنَّ يَرْوِيها مُرْسَلًا ولا يُسْنِدَها إلى مَن سَمِعَها مِنهُ۔ وكَما يُمْكِنُ ذَلِكَ فِي هِشامٍ عَنْ أبِيهِ فَهُوَ أيْضًا مُمْكِنٌ فِي أبِيهِ عَنْ عائِشَةَ وكَذَلِكَ كُلُّ إسْنادٍ لِحَدِيثٍ لَيْسَ فِيهِ ذِكْرُ سَماعِ بَعْضِهِمْ مِن بَعْضٍ وإنْ كانَ قَدْ عُرِفَ فِي الجُمْلَةِ أنَّ كُلَّ واحِدٍ مِنهُمْ قَدْ سَمِعَ مِن صاحِبِهِ سَماعًا كَثِيرًا فَجائِزٌ لِكُلِّ واحِدٍ مِنهُمْ أنَّ يَنْزِلَ فِي بَعْضِ الرِّوايَةِ فَيَسْمَعَ مِن غَيْرِهِ عَنْهُ بَعْضَ أحادِيثِهِ ثُمَّ يُرْسِلَهُ عَنْهُ أحْيانًا ولا يُسَمِّيَ مَن سَمِعَ مِنهُ ويَنْشَطَ أحْيانًا فَيُسَمِّيَ الَّذِي حَمَلَ عَنْهُ الحَدِيثَ ويَتْرُكَ الإرْسالَ وما قُلْنا مِن هَذا مَوْجُودٌ فِي الحَدِيثِ مُسْتَفِيضٌ مِن فِعْلِ ثِقاتِ المُحَدِّثِينَ وأئِمَّةِ أهْلِ العِلْمِ وسَنَذْكُرُ مِن رِواياتِهِمْ عَلى الجِهَةِ الَّتِي ذَكَرْنا عَدَدًا يُسْتَدَلُّ بِها عَلى أكْثَرَ مِنها إنْ شاءَ اللهُ تَعالى فَمِن ذَلِكَ۔ أنَّ أيُّوبَ السَّخْتِيانِيَّ وابْنَ المُبارَكِ ووَكِيعًا وابْنَ نُمَيْرٍ وجَماعَةً غَيْرَهُمْ رَوَوْا عَنْ هِشامِ بْنِ عُرْوَةَ عَنْ أبِيهِ عَنْ عائِشَةَ قالَتْ «كُنْتُ أُطَيِّبُ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ لِحِلِّهِ ولِحِرْمِهِ بِأطْيَبِ ما أجِدُ۔ فَرَوَى هَذِهِ الرِّوَايَةَ بِعَيْنِهَا اللَّيْثُ بْنُ سَعْدٍ، وَدَاوُدُ الْعَطَّارُ، وَحُمَيْدُ بْنُ الْأَسْوَدِ، وَوُهَيْبُ بْنُ خَالِدٍ، وَأَبُو أُسَامَةَ، عَنْ هِشَامٍ قَالَ: أَخْبَرَنِي عُثْمَانُ بْنُ عُرْوَةَ، عَنْ عُرْوَةَ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ، وَرَوَى هِشَامٌ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ قَالَتْ: كَانَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ إِذَا اعْتَكَفَ يُدْنِي إِلَيَّ رَأْسَهُ، فَأُرَجِّلُهُ وَأَنَا حَائِضٌ، فَرَوَاهَا بِعَيْنِهَا مَالِكُ بْنُ أَنَسٍ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، عَنْ عُرْوَةَ، عَنْ عَمْرَةَ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ. وَرَوَى الزُّهْرِيُّ، وَصَالِحُ بْنُ أَبِي حَسَّانَ، عَنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، كَانَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ يُقَبِّلُ وَهُوَ صَائِمٌ، فَقَالَ يَحْيَى بْنُ أَبِي كَثِيرٍ فِي هَذَا الْخَبَرِ فِي الْقُبْلَةِ: أَخْبَرَنِي أَبُو سَلَمَةَ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ أَنَّ عُمَرَ بْنَ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ أَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّ عُرْوَةَ أَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّ عَائِشَةَ أَخْبَرَتْهُ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ كَانَ يُقَبِّلُهَا وَهُوَ صَائِمٌ. وَرَوَى ابْنُ عُيَيْنَةَ وَغَيْرُهُ عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ دِينَارٍ، عَنْ جَابِرٍ قَالَ: أَطْعَمَنَا رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ لُحُومَ الْخَيْلِ، وَنَهَانَا عَنْ لُحُومِ الْحُمُرِ، فَرَوَاهُ حَمَّادُ بْنُ زَيْدٍ، عَنْ عَمْرٍو، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ، عَنْ جَابِرٍ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ. وَهَذَا النَّحْوُ فِي الرِّوَايَاتِ كَثِيرٌ يَكْثُرُ تَعْدَادُهُ، وَفِيمَا ذَكَرْنَا مِنْهَا كِفَايَةٌ لِذَوِي الْفَهْمِ۔ فَإِذَا كَانَتِ الْعِلَّةُ عِنْدَ مَنْ وَصَفْنَا قَوْلَهُ مِنْ قَبْلُ فِي فَسَادِ الْحَدِيثِ وَتَوْهِينِهِ إِذَا لَمْ يُعْلَمْ أَنَّ الرَّاوِيَ قَدْ سَمِعَ مِمَّنْ رَوَى عَنْهُ شَيْئًا إِمْكَانَ الْإِرْسَالِ فِيهِ لَزِمَهُ تَرْكُ الِاحْتِجَاجِ فِي قِيَادِ قَوْلِهِ بِرِوَايَةِ مَنْ يُعْلَمُ أَنَّهُ قَدْ سَمِعَ مِمَّنْ رَوَى عَنْهُ، إِلَّا فِي نَفْسِ الْخَبَرِ الَّذِي فِيهِ ذِكْرُ السَّمَاعِ لِمَا بَيَّنَّا مِنْ قَبْلُ عَنِ الْأَئِمَّةِ الَّذِينَ نَقَلُوا الْأَخْبَارَ أَنَّهُمْ كَانَتْ لَهُمْ تَارَاتٌ يُرْسِلُونَ فِيهَا الْحَدِيثَ إِرْسَالًا، وَلَا يَذْكُرُونَ مَنْ سَمِعُوهُ مِنْهُ، وَتَارَاتٌ يَنْشَطُونَ فِيهَا، فَيُسْنِدُونَ الْخَبَرَ عَلَى هَيْئَةِ مَا سَمِعُوا، فَيُخْبِرُونَ بِالنُّزُولِ فِيهِ إِنْ نَزَلُوا، وَبِالصُّعُودِ إِنْ صَعِدُوا، كَمَا شَرَحْنَا ذَلِكَ عَنْهُمْ، وَمَا عَلِمْنَا أَحَدًا مِنْ أَئِمَّةِ السَّلَفِ مِمَّنْ يَسْتَعْمِلُ الْأَخْبَارَ وَيَتَفَقَّدُ صِحَّةَ الْأَسَانِيدِ وَسَقَمَهَا مِثْلَ أَيُّوبَ السَّخْتِيَانِيِّ، وَابْنِ عَوْنٍ، وَمَالِكِ بْنِ أَنَسٍ، وَشُعْبَةَ بْنِ الْحَجَّاجِ، وَيَحْيَى بْنِ سَعِيدٍ الْقَطَّانِ، وَعَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ مَهْدِيٍّ وَمَنْ بَعْدَهُمْ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْحَدِيثِ فَتَّشُوا عَنْ مَوْضِعِ السَّمَاعِ فِي الْأَسَانِيدِ كَمَا ادَّعَاهُ الَّذِي وَصَفْنَا قَوْلَهُ مِنْ قَبْلُ، وَإِنَّمَا كَانَ تَفَقُّدُ مَنْ تَفَقَّدَ مِنْهُمْ سَمَاعَ رُوَاةِ الْحَدِيثِ مِمَّنْ رَوَى عَنْهُمْ إِذَا كَانَ الرَّاوِي مِمَّنْ عُرِفَ بِالتَّدْلِيسِ فِي الْحَدِيثِ وَشُهِرَ بِهِ، فَحِينَئِذٍ يَبْحَثُونَ عَنْ سَمَاعِهِ فِي رِوَايَتِهِ، وَيَتَفَقَّدُونَ ذَلِكَ مِنْهُ كَيْ تَنْزَاحَ عَنْهُمْ عِلَّةُ التَّدْلِيسِ، فَمَنِ ابْتَغَى ذَلِكَ مِنْ غَيْرِ مُدَلِّسٍ عَلَى الْوَجْهِ الَّذِي زَعَمَ مَنْ حَكَيْنَا قَوْلَهُ، فَمَا سَمِعْنَا ذَلِكَ عَنْ أَحَدٍ مِمَّنْ سَمَّيْنَا وَلَمْ نُسَمِّ مِنَ الْأَئِمَّةِ۔ فَمِنْ ذَلِكَ أَنَّ عَبْدَ اللهِ بْنَ يَزِيدَ الْأَنْصَارِيَّ وَقَدْ رَأَى النَّبِيَّ ﷺ قَدْ رَوَى عَنْ حُذَيْفَةَ، وَعَنْ أَبِي مَسْعُودٍ الْأَنْصَارِيِّ، وَعَنْ كُلِّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْهُمَا حَدِيثًا يُسْنِدُهُ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ، وَلَيْسَ فِي رِوَايَتِهِ عَنْهُمَا ذِكْرُ السَّمَاعِ مِنْهُمَا، وَلَا حَفِظْنَا فِي شَيْءٍ مِنَ الرِّوَايَاتِ أَنَّ عَبْدَ اللهِ بْنَ يَزِيدَ شَافَهَ حُذَيْفَةَ، وَأَبَا مَسْعُودٍ بِحَدِيثٍ قَطُّ، وَلَا وَجَدْنَا ذِكْرَ رُؤْيَتِهِ إِيَّاهُمَا فِي رِوَايَةٍ بِعَيْنِهَا، وَلَمْ نَسْمَعْ عَنْ أَحَدٍ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ مِمَّنْ مَضَى وَلَا مِمَّنْ أَدْرَكْنَا أَنَّهُ طَعَنَ فِي هَذَيْنِ الْخَبَرَيْنِ اللَّذَيْنِ رَوَاهُمَا عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ يَزِيدَ، عَنْ حُذَيْفَةَ، وَأَبِي مَسْعُودٍ بِضَعْفٍ فِيهِمَا، بَلْ هُمَا وَمَا أَشْبَهَهُمَا عِنْدَ مَنْ لَاقَيْنَا مِنْ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ بِالْحَدِيثِ مِنْ صِحَاحِ الْأَسَانِيدِ وَقَوِيِّهَا يَرَوْنَ اسْتِعْمَالَ مَا نُقِلَ بِهَا وَالِاحْتِجَاجَ بِمَا أَتَتْ مِنْ سُنَنٍ وَآثَارٍ، وَهِيَ فِي زَعْمِ مَنْ حَكَيْنَا قَوْلَهُ مِنْ قَبْلُ وَاهِيَةٌ مُهْمَلَةٌ حَتَّى يُصِيبَ سَمَاعَ الرَّاوِي عَمَّنْ رَوَى، وَلَوْ ذَهَبْنَا نُعَدِّدُ الْأَخْبَارَ الصِّحَاحَ عِنْدَ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ مِمَّنْ يَهِنُ بِزَعْمِ هَذَا الْقَائِلِ وَنُحْصِيهَا لَعَجَزْنَا عَنْ تَقَصِّي ذِكْرِهَا وَإِحْصَائِهَا كُلِّهَا، وَلَكِنَّا أَحْبَبْنَا أَنْ نَنْصِبَ مِنْهَا عَدَدًا يَكُونُ سِمَةً لِمَا سَكَتْنَا عَنْهُ مِنْهَا۔ وَهَذَا أَبُو عُثْمَانَ النَّهْدِيُّ، وَأَبُو رَافِعٍ الصَّائِغُ، وَهُمَا مِمَّنْ أَدْرَكَ الْجَاهِلِيَّةَ وَصَحِبَا أَصْحَابَ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ مِنَ الْبَدْرِيِّينَ هَلُمَّ جَرًّا، وَنَقَلَا عَنْهُمُ الْأَخْبَارَ حَتَّى نَزَلَا إِلَى مِثْلِ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، وَابْنِ عُمَرَ وَذَوِيهِمَا. قَدْ أَسْنَدَ كُلُّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْهُمَا عَنْ أُبَيِّ بْنِ كَعْبٍ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ حَدِيثًا، وَلَمْ نَسْمَعْ فِي رِوَايَةٍ بِعَيْنِهَا أَنَّهُمَا عَايَنَا أُبَيًّا أَوْ سَمِعَا مِنْهُ شَيْئًا، وَأَسْنَدَ أَبُو عَمْرٍو الشَّيْبَانِيُّ وَهُوَ مِمَّنْ أَدْرَكَ الْجَاهِلِيَّةَ، وَكَانَ فِي زَمَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ رَجُلًا، وَأَبُو مَعْمَرٍ عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ سَخْبَرَةَ، كُلُّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْهُمَا عَنْ أَبِي مَسْعُودٍ الْأَنْصَارِيِّ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ خَبَرَيْنِ، وَأَسْنَدَ عُبَيْدُ بْنُ عُمَيْرٍ، عَنْ أُمِّ سَلَمَةَ زَوْجِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ حَدِيثًا، وَعُبَيْدُ بْنُ عُمَيْرٍ وُلِدَ فِي زَمَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ، وَأَسْنَدَ قَيْسُ بْنُ أَبِي حَازِمٍ، وَقَدْ أَدْرَكَ زَمَنَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ، عَنْ أَبِي مَسْعُودٍ الْأَنْصَارِيِّ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ ثَلَاثَةَ أَخْبَارٍ، وَأَسْنَدَ عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ أَبِي لَيْلَى، وَقَدْ حَفِظَ عَنْ عُمَرَ بْنِ الْخَطَّابِ، وَصَحِبَ عَلِيًّا، عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ حَدِيثًا، وَأَسْنَدَ رِبْعِيُّ بْنُ حِرَاشٍ، عَنْ عِمْرَانَ بْنِ حُصَيْنٍ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ حَدِيثَيْنِ، وَعَنْ أَبِي بَكْرَةَ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ حَدِيثًا، وَقَدْ سَمِعَ رِبْعِيٌّ مِنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي طَالِبٍ، وَرَوَى عَنْهُ. وَأَسْنَدَ نَافِعُ بْنُ جُبَيْرِ بْنِ مُطْعِمٍ، عَنْ أَبِي شُرَيْحٍ الْخُزَاعِيِّ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ حَدِيثًا، وَأَسْنَدَ النُّعْمَانُ بْنُ أَبِي عَيَّاشٍ، عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ ثَلَاثَةَ أَحَادِيثَ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ، وَأَسْنَدَ عَطَاءُ بْنُ يَزِيدَ اللَّيْثِيُّ، عَنْ تَمِيمٍ الدَّارِيِّ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ حَدِيثًا، وَأَسْنَدَ سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ يَسَارٍ، عَنْ رَافِعِ بْنِ خَدِيجٍ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ حَدِيثًا، وَأَسْنَدَ حُمَيْدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ الْحِمْيَرِيُّ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ أَحَادِيثَ، فَكُلُّ هَؤُلَاءِ التَّابِعِينَ الَّذِينَ نَصَبْنَا رِوَايَتَهُمْ عَنِ الصَّحَابَةِ الَّذِينَ سَمَّيْنَاهُمْ لَمْ يُحْفَظْ عَنْهُمْ سَمَاعٌ عَلِمْنَاهُ مِنْهُمْ فِي رِوَايَةٍ بِعَيْنِهَا، وَلَا أَنَّهُمْ لَقُوهُمْ فِي نَفْسِ خَبَرٍ بِعَيْنِهِ، وَهِيَ أَسَانِيدُ عِنْدَ ذَوِي الْمَعْرِفَةِ بِالْأَخْبَارِ وَالرِّوَايَاتِ مِنْ صِحَاحِ الْأَسَانِيدِ لَا نَعْلَمُهُمْ وَهَّنُوا مِنْهَا شَيْئًا قَطُّ، وَلَا الْتَمَسُوا فِيهَا سَمَاعَ بَعْضِهِمْ مِنْ بَعْضٍ إِذِ السَّمَاعُ لِكُلِّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْهُمْ مُمْكِنٌ مِنْ صَاحِبِهِ غَيْرُ مُسْتَنْكَرٍ لِكَوْنِهِمْ جَمِيعًا كَانُوا فِي الْعَصْرِ الَّذِي اتَّفَقُوا فِيهِ، وَكَانَ هَذَا الْقَوْلُ الَّذِي أَحْدَثَهُ الْقَائِلُ الَّذِي حَكَيْنَاهُ فِي تَوْهِينِ الْحَدِيثِ بِالْعِلَّةِ الَّتِي وَصَفَ أَقَلَّ مِنْ أَنْ يُعَرَّجَ عَلَيْهِ، وَيُثَارَ ذِكْرُهُ إِذْ كَانَ قَوْلًا مُحْدَثًا وَكَلَامًا خَلْفًا لَمْ يَقُلْهُ أَحَدٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ سَلَفَ، وَيَسْتَنْكِرُهُ مَنْ بَعْدَهُمْ خَلَفَ، فَلَا حَاجَةَ بِنَا فِي رَدِّهِ بِأَكْثَرَ مِمَّا شَرَحْنَا، إِذْ كَانَ قَدْرُ الْمَقَالَةِ وَقَائِلِهَا الْقَدْرَ الَّذِي وَصَفْنَاهُ، وَاللهُ الْمُسْتَعَانُ عَلَى دَفْعِ مَا خَالَفَ مَذْهَبَ الْعُلَمَاءِ، وَعَلَيْهِ التُّكْلَانُ۔

     This statement, may Allah have mercy on you, of accusation regarding the [Mu’an’an] chains is an invented one, produced without precedent, and there is no one who supports him from Ahl ul-Ilm in that. The widespread opinion, which is agreed upon between Ahl ul-Ilm, with reports and transmissions early and recent, is that each trustworthy narrator who transmits a Ḥadīth from his equal, with the feasible probability for [the transmitter] to meet [who he transmits from] and hear from him due to their being together in the same era, even if there never came a report that they met or spoke face to face, then the transmission is affirmed, and [using it as a] proof is appropriate, unless there is clear evidence that this transmitter did not meet who he transmits from or that he did not hear anything from him. Then as for when the matter is ambiguous regarding the possibility which we explained previously, then the transmission is always [accepted ]as coming by way of ‘hearing’ until there is evidence [otherwise] which we pointed out. Thus it is said to the inventor of this opinion whose speaker is as we have described, or to his defender- you have provided in the sum total of your statement that the report of the single trustworthy narrator on authority of the single trustworthy narrator is a proof which is required to act upon, then you introduced into it the condition afterwards, and you said ‘until we know that [the transmitter] had met once or more and heard something from [the one he transmits from]’. So have you found this condition which you stipulated from anyone [of Ahl ul-Ilm] who also required it? And if not then bring me evidence of what you allege. Thus if he claims there is a statement from one of the scholars of the Salaf for what he alleged in introducing the condition in affirming reports, [then] confirm it; [however] neither he, nor others, will ever find a way to produce it, even though he claims about what he alleges there is evidence to rely on. It is said ‘What is that evidence?’ Thus if he said: ‘I said it since I found transmitters of reports, early and recent, transmitting Ḥadīth from each other, and [the transmitter] did not ever see or hear anything from [from the one he transmits from]. Thus when I saw them permitting the transmission of Ḥadīth between them like this, Irsāl, without hearing [between transmitters], while the Mursal from the transmissions, in the foundation of our view and that of Ahl ul-Ilm in reports, is that it is not a proof; on account of what I described from the weakness, I rely on researching the hearing of the transmitter in each report on authority of [who he transmits from]. Thus when I unexpectedly come upon his hearing from [the one he transmits from] due to the low amount of a thing [i.e. transmissions on his authority], all of what he transmits on his authority becomes fixed to me thereafter. And if knowledge of [his actually hearing from whom he transmits from] is too distant from me, I withhold from the report and according to me it does not have a position of proof due to the possibility of Irsāl in it.’ Thus it is said to him: Then if the reason for your weakening the [Mu’an’an] report and your abandoning relying on it is due to the possibility of Irsāl in it, it obligates you to not affirm a chain of Mu’an’an until you see it has hearing [Simā’] from its first [transmitter] to its last. And according to us it is possible that the Ḥadīth [you described] which has come to us on authority of Hishām bin Urwah, on authority of his father, on authority of Ā’ishah- we know with certainty that Hishām heard from his father and that his father heard from Ā’ishah, just as we know that Ā’ishah heard from the Prophet, peace and blessings upon him- it is possible that when Hishām does not say in the transmission that he transmits on authority of his father the words ‘I heard’ or ‘He informed me’, that there could be between him and his father another person who informed [Hishām] of it on authority of his father in this transmission, and he did not hear it from his father when he preferred transmitting it Mursal, and it is not attributed to who he really heard it from. Just as that is possible from Hishām, on authority of his father, then it is also possible for his father on authority of Ā’ishah, and like that all chains for Ḥadīth in which the ‘hearing’ [of each transmitter] from the other is not mentioned. And if it was known in some transmissions that every single one of them did hear from his companion a great deal, then it is still possible for each one of them to drop in some of the transmissions, such that he hears from someone else some of his Ḥadīth, then expedites on authority [of his most famous companion] occasionally, while not designating who he [actually] heard from. And at times he is afraid and designates who he [actually] related the Ḥadīth from and abandons Irsāl. What we mention from this is found in Ḥadīth, from the actions of trustworthy Muhaddithīn and A’immah of Ahl ul-Ilm; and we will mention several of their transmissions upon the pathway which we mentioned demonstrating through them the great amount of [the above], if Allah, exalted is He, wills. Thus from that [are the following]: That Ayyūb as-Sakhtiyānī, Ibn al-Mubārak, Wakī’, Ibn Numayr, and a group of others transmitted on authority of Hishām bin Urwah, on authority of his father, on authority of Ā’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, she said: ‘I applied scent to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings upon him, at the time of entering and leaving Ihrām, with the most pleasant [scent] I found’. Thus Layth bin Sa’d, Dāwud al-Attār, Humayd bin al-Aswad, Wuhayb bin Khālid, and Abū Usāmah transmitted this transmission on authority of none other than Hishām, he said, Uthmān bin Urwah informed me, on authority of Urwah, on authority of Ā’ishah, on authority of the Prophet, peace and blessings upon him; and Hishām transmitted, on authority of his father, on authority of Ā’ishah, she said: ‘The Prophet, peace and blessings upon him, when he was in ‘Itikaf lowered his head towards me, then I combed [his hair] and I was menstruating’. Then Mālik bin Anas transmitted the exact narration, on authority of az-Zuhrī, on authority of Urwah, on authority of Amrah, on authority of Ā’ishah, on authority of the Prophet, peace and blessings upon him. Az-Zuhrī and Sālih bin Abī Hassān transmitted on authority of Abī Salamah, on authority of Ā’ishah: ‘The Prophet, peace and blessings upon him, would kiss while fasting’. Thus Yahyā bin Abī Kathīr said about this report regarding ‘kissing’, Abū Salamah bin Abd ar-Rahman informed me that Umar bin Abd al-Azīz informed him that Urwah informed him that Ā’ishah informed him that: ‘The Prophet, peace and blessings upon him, would kiss her while fasting’. Ibn Uyaynah and others transmitted on authority of Amr bin Dīnār, on authority of Jābir, he said ‘The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings upon him, [allowed us] to eat horse meat and prohibited us from donkey meat’. And Hammād bin Zayd transmitted it, on authority of Amr, on authority of Muhammad bin Alī, on authority of Jābir, on authority of the Prophet, peace and blessings upon him. And this manner of transmitting narrations is abundant, its enumeration being much, and what we mentioned is sufficient for those who possess understanding. Thus when the reason [for weakening these types of transmissions]- according to the one whose opinion we described before in terms of the invalidation of Ḥadīth and weakening them when it is not known that the transmitter heard anything through the one he transmits from- is that Irsāl is possible in them, his opinion leads to his being obligated to abandon relying on transmissions of those who are known to have heard through who they transmit from unless there is mention of ‘hearing’ in the report itself, due to what we clarified before of the A’immah who related reports that at times they would expedite the Ḥadīth as Irsāl, and not mention who they heard it from, and at times they would be so inclined, so they would provide the chain for the report in the form that they heard it- they would report [a narration] through ‘descent’ [from a peer or someone below them in age or status] if it was descended and with ‘elevation’ [with less narrators between them and the Prophet, peace and blessings upon him] if it was elevated, just as we explained about them. We are not aware of anyone from the A’immah of the Salaf who when he sought to act upon reports and investigate the soundness or weakness of the chains of transmission like [those of] Ayyūb as-Sakhtiyānī, Ibn Awn, Mālik bin Anas, Shu’bah bin al-Hajjāj, Yahyā bin Sa’īd al-Qattān, Abd ar-Rahman bin Mahdī and those after them from the people of Ḥadīth, he examined the situation regarding [the manner of] ‘hearing’ in the chains, like what is claimed in the opinion of the one we described previously. Those who investigated among [the scholars of Ḥadīth] would only investigate the ‘hearing’ of the transmitters of Ḥadīth they transmitted from when the transmitter was among those who were known for Tadlīs in Ḥadīth and famous for it. Thus when they investigated [a transmitter’s manner of] ‘hearing’ in his transmissions and they would research that about him in order to distance themselves from the defect of Tadlīs. Thus to research that about the non-Mudallis, from the perspective of the one who alleged what he did in the opinion we related, then we have not heard of that from anyone we designated and do not designate from the A’immah. Thus from that is Abd Allah bin Yazīd al-Ansārī, who saw the Prophet, peace and blessings upon him; he transmitted a Ḥadīth on authority of Hudhayfah and Abī Mas’ūd al-Ansārī attributing it to the Prophet, peace and blessings upon him, and there is no mention of ‘hearing’ in his transmission from either of them. Also, we have not preserved in any of the transmissions that Abd Allah bin Yazīd ever met Hudhayfah or Abū Mas’ūd face to face for Ḥadīth. We have not found mention in an actual transmission his seeing either of them and we have not heard from any of Ahl ul-Ilm who have passed or who we have met who charged with weakness these two reports who Abd Allah bin Yazīd transmitted on authority of Hudhayfah and Abū Mas’ūd. Rather according to those we met from Ahl ul-Ilm in Ḥadīth those two [reports] and whatever is similar to them are among the authentic and strong chains; they held the view of acting by what was related by them, and relied upon what came from the Sunan and Āthār [in that manner]. And it is weak and abandoned in the allegation of the one whose view we related before, until ‘hearing’ of the transmitter is obtained from whoever transmits [them]. And even if we took to enumerating the authentic reports according to Ahl ul-Ilm whereof they are weak in the allegation of this speaker and we counted them, truly we would not be able to fully examine its mention and enumerate all of them; rather we prefer to place several as a symbol for what we remain silent on. Abū Uthmān an-Nahdī and Abū Rāfi’ as-Sā’igh both were from among those who witnessed the age of Jahiliyyah [the time before Islam in the Arabian Peninsula] and were among the Companions of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings upon him, who witnessed the battle of Badr, and so on and so forth. They both related reports on authority of [the Companions] until they [related Ḥadīth from younger Companions] the likes of Abū Hurayrah and Ibn Umar. Each of these two transmitted a single Ḥadīth on authority of Ubayy bin K’ab, on authority of the Prophet, peace and blessings upon him, and we did not hear in an actual transmission that they had seen Ubayy with their own eyes, or heard anything from him. Abū Amr ash-Shaybānī witnessed al-Jahiliyyah and was an adult during the time of the Prophet, peace and blessings upon him, and Abū Ma’mar Abd Allah bin Sakhbarah each transmitted two reports on authority of Abū Mas’ūd al-Ansārī, on authority of the Prophet, peace and blessings upon him. Ubayd bin Umayr transmitted a Ḥadīth on authority of Umm Salamah, wife of the Prophet, peace and blessings upon him, on authority of the Prophet, peace and blessings upon him, and Ubayd bin Umayr was born in the time of the Prophet, peace and blessings upon him. Qays bin Abī Hāzim transmitted three reports on authority of Abū Mas’ūd al-Ansārī, on authority of the Prophet, peace and blessings upon him and he witnessed the time of the Prophet, peace and blessings upon him. Abd ar-Rahman bin Abī Laylā transmitted a Ḥadīth on authority of Anas bin Mālik, on authority of the Prophet, peace and blessings upon him, and he heard from Umar bin al-Khattāb and accompanied Alī. Rib’ī bin Hirāsh transmitted two Ḥadīth on authority of Imrān bin Husayn, on authority of the Prophet, peace and blessings upon him; and a Ḥadīth on authority of Abū Bakrah, on authority of the Prophet, peace and blessings upon him. Rib’ī heard from Alī bin Abī Tālib and transmitted on his authority. Nāfi’ bin Jubayr bin Mut’im transmitted a Ḥadīth on authority of Abī Shurayh al-Khuzā’ī, on authority of the Prophet, peace and blessings upon him. An-Nu’mān bin Abī Ayyāsh transmitted three Ahādīth on authority of Abū Sa’īd al-Khudrī, on authority of the Prophet, peace and blessings upon him. Atā’ bin Yazīd al-Laythī transmitted a Ḥadīth on authority of Tamīm ad-Dārī, on authority of the Prophet, peace and blessings upon him. Sulaymān bin Yasār transmitted a Ḥadīth on authority of Rāfi’ bin Khadīj, on authority of the Prophet, peace and blessings upon him. Humayd bin Abd ar-Rahman al-Himyarī transmitted narrations on authority of Abū Hurayrah, on authority of the Prophet, peace and blessings upon him. Thus all of these Tabi’īn we named, whose transmissions are on authority of Companions, are not recorded in separate transmissions to have heard directly from them, to our knowledge, and are not recorded to have met them in the course of the actual report. They are sound chains of transmission according to those who possess knowledge of reports and transmissions; we do not know of them ever weakening anything of them or asking about whether they heard from each other, since the ‘hearing’ of each one of them from his companion is possible, without anyone rejecting [that], due to them all being together in the same time period. This opinion that the speaker invented, which we related, regarding weakening the Ḥadīth, for the reason which he described, is too inferior to be relied upon or [too inferior] for its mention to be stirred up since it was an invented opinion and a backward discussion which no one from Ahl ul-Ilm stated before and those who came after them denounced it. Thus there is no need to for us to refute it with more than what we have already explained since the standing of the speech and its speaker is that which we described, and Allah is the one with whom aid is sought in repelling what differs from the school of the scholars and in Him alone complete trust is placed.

102. Sahih Muslim ir0In al-Bukhari or Muslim

     بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِ. الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ وَالْعَاقِبَةُ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ وَصَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ خَاتَمِ النَّبِيِّينَ وَعَلَى جَمِيعِ الأَنْبِيَاءِ وَالْمُرْسَلِينَ۔ أَمَّا بَعْدُ فَإِنَّكَ يَرْحَمُكَ اللَّهُ بِتَوْفِيقِ خَالِقِكَ ذَكَرْتَ أَنَّكَ هَمَمْتَ بِالْفَحْصِ عَنْ تَعَرُّفِ جُمْلَةِ الأَخْبَارِ الْمَأْثُورَةِ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فِي سُنَنِ الدِّينِ وَأَحْكَامِهِ وَمَا كَانَ مِنْهَا فِي الثَّوَابِ وَالْعِقَابِ وَالتَّرْغِيبِ وَالتَّرْهِيبِ وَغَيْرِ ذَلِكَ مِنْ صُنُوفِ الأَشْيَاءِ بِالأَسَانِيدِ الَّتِي بِهَا نُقِلَتْ وَتَدَاوَلَهَا أَهْلُ الْعِلْمِ فِيمَا بَيْنَهُمْ فَأَرَدْتَ- أَرْشَدَكَ اللَّهُ- أَنْ تُوَقَّفَ عَلَى جُمْلَتِهَا مُؤَلَّفَةً مُحْصَاةً وَسَأَلْتَنِي أَنْ أُلَخِّصَهَا لَكَ فِي التَّأْلِيفِ بِلاَ تَكْرَارٍ يَكْثُرُ فَإِنَّ ذَلِكَ- زَعَمْتَ- مِمَّا يَشْغَلُكَ عَمَّا لَهُ قَصَدْتَ مِنَ التَّفَهُّمِ فِيهَا وَالاِسْتِنْبَاطِ مِنْهَا. وَلِلَّذِي سَأَلْتَ- أَكْرَمَكَ اللَّهُ- حِينَ رَجَعْتُ إِلَى تَدَبُّرِهِ وَمَا تَؤُولُ بِهِ الْحَالُ إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ عَاقِبَةٌ مَحْمُودَةٌ وَمَنْفَعَةٌ مَوْجُودَةٌ وَظَنَنْتُ- حِينَ سَأَلْتَنِي تَجَشُّمَ ذَلِكَ- أَنْ لَوْ عُزِمَ لِي عَلَيْهِ وَقُضِيَ لِي تَمَامُهُ كَانَ أَوَّلُ مَنْ يُصِيبُهُ نَفْعُ ذَلِكَ إِيَّايَ خَاصَّةً قَبْلَ غَيْرِي مِنَ النَّاسِ لأَسْبَابٍ كَثِيرَةٍ يَطُولُ بِذِكْرِهَا الْوَصْفُ إِلاَّ أَنَّ جُمْلَةَ ذَلِكَ أَنَّ ضَبْطَ الْقَلِيلِ مِنْ هَذَا الشَّانِ وَإِتْقَانَهُ أَيْسَرُ عَلَى الْمَرْءِ مِنْ مُعَالَجَةِ الْكَثِيرِ مِنْهُ. ولاسيما عِنْدَ مَنْ لاَ تَمْيِيزَ عِنْدَهُ مِنَ الْعَوَامِّ إِلاَّ بِأَنْ يُوَقِّفَهُ عَلَى التَّمْيِيزِ غَيْرُهُ. فَإِذَا كَانَ الأَمْرُ فِي هَذَا كَمَا وَصَفْنَا فَالْقَصْدُ مِنْهُ إِلَى الصَّحِيحِ الْقَلِيلِ أَوْلَى بِهِمْ مِنَ ازْدِيَادِ السَّقِيمِ وَإِنَّمَا يُرْجَى بَعْضُ الْمَنْفَعَةِ فِي الاِسْتِكْثَارِ مِنْ هَذَا الشَّانِ وَجَمْعِ الْمُكَرَّرَاتِ مِنْهُ لِخَاصَّةٍ مِنَ النَّاسِ مِمَّنْ رُزِقَ فِيهِ بَعْضَ التَّيَقُّظِ وَالْمَعْرِفَةِ بِأَسْبَابِهِ وَعِلَلِهِ فَذَلِكَ إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ يَهْجُمُ بِمَا أُوتِيَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ عَلَى الْفَائِدَةِ فِي الاِسْتِكْثَارِ مِنْ جَمْعِهِ. فَأَمَّا عَوَامُّ النَّاسِ الَّذِينَ هُمْ بِخِلاَفِ مَعَانِي الْخَاصِّ مِنْ أَهْلِ التَّيَقُّظِ وَالْمَعْرِفَةِ فَلاَ مَعْنَى لَهُمْ فِي طَلَبِ الْكَثِيرِ وَقَدْ عَجَزُوا عَنْ مَعْرِفَةِ الْقَلِيلِ. ثُمَّ إِنَّا إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ مُبْتَدِئُونَ فِي تَخْرِيجِ مَا سَأَلْتَ وَتَأْلِيفِهِ عَلَى شَرِيطَةٍ سَوْفَ أَذْكُرُهَا لَكَ وَهُوَ إِنَّا نَعْمِدُ إِلَى جُمْلَةِ مَا أُسْنِدَ مِنَ الأَخْبَارِ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَنَقْسِمُهَا عَلَى ثَلاَثَةِ أَقْسَامٍ وَثَلاَثِ طَبَقَاتٍ مِنَ النَّاسِ عَلَى غَيْرِ تَكْرَارٍ. إِلاَّ أَنْ يَأْتِيَ مَوْضِعٌ لاَ يُسْتَغْنَى فِيهِ عَنْ تَرْدَادِ حَدِيثٍ فِيهِ زِيَادَةُ مَعْنًى أَوْ إِسْنَادٌ يَقَعُ إِلَى جَنْبِ إِسْنَادٍ لِعِلَّةٍ تَكُونُ هُنَاكَ لأَنَّ الْمَعْنَى الزَّائِدَ فِي الْحَدِيثِ الْمُحْتَاجَ إِلَيْهِ يَقُومُ مَقَامَ حَدِيثٍ تَامٍّ فلابد مِنْ إِعَادَةِ الْحَدِيثِ الَّذِي فِيهِ مَا وَصَفْنَا مِنَ الزِّيَادَةِ أَوْ أَنْ يُفَصَّلَ ذَلِكَ الْمَعْنَى مِنْ جُمْلَةِ الْحَدِيثِ عَلَى اخْتِصَارِهِ إِذَا أَمْكَنَ. وَلَكِنْ تَفْصِيلُهُ رُبَّمَا عَسُرَ مِنْ جُمْلَتِهِ فَإِعَادَتُهُ بِهَيْئَتِهِ إِذَا ضَاقَ ذَلِكَ أَسْلَمُ فَأَمَّا مَا وَجَدْنَا بُدًّا مِنْ إِعَادَتِهِ بِجُمْلَتِهِ مِنْ غَيْرِ حَاجَةٍ مِنَّا إِلَيْهِ فَلاَ نَتَوَلَّى فِعْلَهُ إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى. فَأَمَّا الْقِسْمُ الأَوَّلُ فَإِنَّا نَتَوَخَّى أَنْ نُقَدِّمَ الأَخْبَارَ الَّتِي هِيَ أَسْلَمُ مِنَ الْعُيُوبِ مِنْ غَيْرِهَا وَأَنْقَى مِنْ أَنْ يَكُونَ نَاقِلُوهَا أَهْلَ اسْتِقَامَةٍ فِي الْحَدِيثِ وَإِتْقَانٍ لِمَا نَقَلُوا لَمْ يُوجَدْ فِي رِوَايَتِهِمِ اخْتِلاَفٌ شَدِيدٌ وَلاَ تَخْلِيطٌ فَاحِشٌ كَمَا قَدْ عُثِرَ فِيهِ عَلَى كَثِيرٍ مِنَ الْمُحَدِّثِينَ وَبَانَ ذَلِكَ فِي حَدِيثِهِمْ. فَإِذَا نَحْنُ تَقَصَّيْنَا أَخْبَارَ هَذَا الصِّنْفِ مِنَ النَّاسِ أَتْبَعْنَاهَا أَخْبَارًا يَقَعُ فِي أَسَانِيدِهَا بَعْضُ مَنْ لَيْسَ بِالْمَوْصُوفِ بِالْحِفْظِ وَالإِتْقَانِ كَالصِّنْفِ الْمُقَدَّمِ قَبْلَهُمْ عَلَى أَنَّهُمْ وَإِنْ كَانُوا فِيمَا وَصَفْنَا دُونَهُمْ فَإِنَّ اسْمَ السِّتْرِ وَالصِّدْقِ وَتَعَاطِي الْعِلْمِ يَشْمَلُهُمْ كَعَطَاءِ بْنِ السَّائِبِ وَيَزِيدَ بْنِ أَبِي زِيَادٍ وَلَيْثِ بْنِ أَبِي سُلَيْمٍ وَأَضْرَابِهِمْ مِنْ حُمَّالِ الآثَارِ وَنُقَّالِ الأَخْبَارِ. فَهُمْ وَإِنْ كَانُوا بِمَا وَصَفْنَا مِنَ الْعِلْمِ وَالسِّتْرِ عِنْدَ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ مَعْرُوفِينَ فَغَيْرُهُمْ مِنْ أَقْرَانِهِمْ مِمَّنْ عِنْدَهُمْ مَا ذَكَرْنَا مِنَ الإِتْقَانِ وَالاِسْتِقَامَةِ فِي الرِّوَايَةِ يَفْضُلُونَهُمْ فِي الْحَالِ وَالْمَرْتَبَةِ لأَنَّ هَذَا عِنْدَ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ دَرَجَةٌ رَفِيعَةٌ وَخَصْلَةٌ سَنِيَّةٌ. أَلاَ تَرَى أَنَّكَ إِذَا وَازَنْتَ هَؤُلاَءِ الثَّلاَثَةَ الَّذِينَ سَمَّيْنَاهُمْ عَطَاءً وَيَزِيدَ وَلَيْثًا بِمَنْصُورِ بْنِ الْمُعْتَمِرِ وَسُلَيْمَانَ الأَعْمَشِ وَإِسْمَاعِيلَ بْنِ أَبِي خَالِدٍ فِي إِتْقَانِ الْحَدِيثِ وَالاِسْتِقَامَةِ فِيهِ وَجَدْتَهُمْ مُبَايِنِينَ لَهُمْ لاَ يُدَانُونَهُمْ لاَ شَكَّ عِنْدَ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ بِالْحَدِيثِ فِي ذَلِكَ لِلَّذِي اسْتَفَاضَ عِنْدَهُمْ مِنْ صِحَّةِ حِفْظِ مَنْصُورٍ وَالأَعْمَشِ وَإِسْمَاعِيلَ وَإِتْقَانِهِمْ لِحَدِيثِهِمْ وَأَنَّهُمْ لَمْ يَعْرِفُوا مِثْلَ ذَلِكَ مِنْ عَطَاءٍ وَيَزِيدَ وَلَيْثٍ. وَفِي مِثْلِ مَجْرَى هَؤُلاَءِ إِذَا وَازَنْتَ بَيْنَ الأَقْرَانِ كَابْنِ عَوْنٍ وَأَيُّوبَ السَّخْتِيَانِيِّ مَعَ عَوْفِ بْنِ أَبِي جَمِيلَةَ وَأَشْعَثَ الْحُمْرَانِيِّ وَهُمَا صَاحِبَا الْحَسَنِ وَابْنِ سِيرِينَ كَمَا أَنَّ ابْنَ عَوْنٍ وَأَيُّوبَ صَاحِبَاهُمَا إِلاَّ أَنَّ الْبَوْنَ بَيْنَهُمَا وَبَيْنَ هَذَيْنِ بَعِيدٌ فِي كَمَالِ الْفَضْلِ وَصِحَّةِ النَّقْلِ وَإِنْ كَانَ عَوْفٌ وَأَشْعَثُ غَيْرَ مَدْفُوعَيْنِ عَنْ صِدْقٍ وَأَمَانَةٍ عِنْدَ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ وَلَكِنَّ الْحَالَ مَا وَصَفْنَا مِنَ الْمَنْزِلَةِ عِنْدَ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ. وَإِنَّمَا مَثَّلْنَا هَؤُلاَءِ فِي التَّسْمِيَةِ لِيَكُونَ تَمْثِيلُهُمْ سِمَةً يَصْدُرُ عَنْ فَهْمِهَا مَنْ غَبِيَ عَلَيْهِ طَرِيقُ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ فِي تَرْتِيبِ أَهْلِهِ فِيهِ فَلاَ يُقَصَّرُ بِالرَّجُلِ الْعَالِي الْقَدْرِ عَنْ دَرَجَتِهِ وَلاَ يُرْفَعُ مُتَّضِعُ الْقَدْرِ فِي الْعِلْمِ فَوْقَ مَنْزِلَتِهِ وَيُعْطَى كُلُّ ذِي حَقٍّ فِيهِ حَقَّهُ وَيُنَزَّلُ مَنْزِلَتَهُ. وَقَدْ ذُكِرَ عَنْ عَائِشَةَ ؓ أَنَّهَا قَالَتْ أَمَرَنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَنْ نُنَزِّلَ النَّاسَ مَنَازِلَهُمْ. مَعَ مَا نَطَقَ بِهِ الْقُرْآنُ مِنْ قَوْلِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى: {وَفَوْقَ كُلِّ ذِي عِلْمٍ عَلِيمٌ}. فَعَلَى نَحْوِ مَا ذَكَرْنَا مِنَ الْوُجُوهِ نُؤَلِّفُ مَا سَأَلْتَ مِنَ الأَخْبَارِ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ. فَأَمَّا مَا كَانَ مِنْهَا عَنْ قَوْمٍ هُمْ عِنْدَ أَهْلِ الْحَدِيثِ مُتَّهَمُونَ أَوْ عِنْدَ الأَكْثَرِ مِنْهُمْ فَلَسْنَا نَتَشَاغَلُ بِتَخْرِيجِ حَدِيثِهِمْ كَعَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مِسْوَرٍ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ الْمَدَائِنِيِّ وَعَمْرِو بْنِ خَالِدٍ وَعَبْدِ الْقُدُّوسِ الشَّامِيِّ وَمُحَمَّدِ بْنِ سَعِيدٍ الْمَصْلُوبِ وَغِيَاثِ بْنِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَسُلَيْمَانَ بْنِ عَمْرٍو أَبِي دَاوُدَ النَّخَعِيِّ وَأَشْبَاهِهِمْ مِمَّنِ اتُّهِمَ بِوَضْعِ الأَحَادِيثِ وَتَوْلِيدِ الأَخْبَارِ. وَكَذَلِكَ مَنِ الْغَالِبُ عَلَى حَدِيثِهِ الْمُنْكَرُ أَوِ الْغَلَطُ أَمْسَكْنَا أَيْضًا عَنْ حَدِيثِهِمْ. وَعَلاَمَةُ الْمُنْكَرِ فِي حَدِيثِ الْمُحَدِّثِ إِذَا مَا عُرِضَتْ رِوَايَتُهُ لِلْحَدِيثِ عَلَى رِوَايَةِ غَيْرِهِ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْحِفْظِ وَالرِّضَا خَالَفَتْ رِوَايَتُهُ رِوَايَتَهُمْ أَوْ لَمْ تَكَدْ تُوَافِقُهَا فَإِذَا كَانَ الأَغْلَبُ مِنْ حَدِيثِهِ كَذَلِكَ كَانَ مَهْجُورَ الْحَدِيثِ غَيْرَ مَقْبُولِهِ وَلاَ مُسْتَعْمَلِهِ. فَمِنْ هَذَا الضَّرْبِ مِنَ الْمُحَدِّثِينَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُحَرَّرٍ وَيَحْيَى بْنُ أَبِي أُنَيْسَةَ وَالْجَرَّاحُ بْنُ الْمِنْهَالِ أَبُو الْعَطُوفِ وَعَبَّادُ بْنُ كَثِيرٍ وَحُسَيْنُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ ضُمَيْرَةَ وَعُمَرُ بْنُ صُهْبَانَ وَمَنْ نَحَا نَحْوَهُمْ فِي رِوَايَةِ الْمُنْكَرِ مِنَ الْحَدِيثِ. فَلَسْنَا نُعَرِّجُ عَلَى حَدِيثِهِمْ وَلاَ نَتَشَاغَلُ بِهِ. لأَنَّ حُكْمَ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ وَالَّذِي نَعْرِفُ مِنْ مَذْهَبِهِمْ فِي قَبُولِ مَا يَتَفَرَّدُ بِهِ الْمُحَدِّثُ مِنَ الْحَدِيثِ أَنْ يَكُونَ قَدْ شَارَكَ الثِّقَاتِ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ وَالْحِفْظِ فِي بَعْضِ مَا رَوَوْا وَأَمْعَنَ فِي ذَلِكَ عَلَى الْمُوَافَقَةِ لَهُمْ فَإِذَا وُجِدَ كَذَلِكَ ثُمَّ زَادَ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ شَيْئًا لَيْسَ عِنْدَ أَصْحَابِهِ قُبِلَتْ زِيَادَتُهُ. فَأَمَّا مَنْ تَرَاهُ يَعْمِدُ لِمِثْلِ الزُّهْرِيِّ فِي جَلاَلَتِهِ وَكَثْرَةِ أَصْحَابِهِ الْحُفَّاظِ الْمُتْقِنِينَ لِحَدِيثِهِ وَحَدِيثِ غَيْرِهِ أَوْ لِمِثْلِ هِشَامِ بْنِ عُرْوَةَ وَحَدِيثُهُمَا عِنْدَ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ مَبْسُوطٌ مُشْتَرَكٌ قَدْ نَقَلَ أَصْحَابُهُمَا عَنْهُمَا حَدِيثَهُمَا عَلَى الاِتِّفَاقِ مِنْهُمْ فِي أَكْثَرِهِ فَيَرْوِي عَنْهُمَا أَوْ عَنْ أَحَدِهِمَا الْعَدَدَ مِنَ الْحَدِيثِ مِمَّا لاَ يَعْرِفُهُ أَحَدٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِهِمَا وَلَيْسَ مِمَّنْ قَدْ شَارَكَهُمْ فِي الصَّحِيحِ مِمَّا عِنْدَهُمْ فَغَيْرُ جَائِزٍ قَبُولُ حَدِيثِ هَذَا الضَّرْبِ مِنَ النَّاسِ وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ. قَدْ شَرَحْنَا مِنْ مَذْهَبِ الْحَدِيثِ وَأَهْلِهِ بَعْضَ مَا يَتَوَجَّهُ بِهِ مَنْ أَرَادَ سَبِيلَ الْقَوْمِ وَوُفِّقَ لَهَا وَسَنَزِيدُ- إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى- شَرْحًا وَإِيضَاحًا فِي مَوَاضِعَ مِنَ الْكِتَابِ عِنْدَ ذِكْرِ الأَخْبَارِ الْمُعَلَّلَةِ إِذَا أَتَيْنَا عَلَيْهَا فِي الأَمَاكِنِ الَّتِي يَلِيقُ بِهَا الشَّرْحُ وَالإِيضَاحُ إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى. وَبَعْدُ- يَرْحَمُكَ اللَّهُ- فَلَوْلاَ الَّذِي رَأَيْنَا مِنْ سُوءِ صَنِيعِ كَثِيرٍ مِمَّنْ نَصَبَ نَفْسَهُ مُحَدِّثًا فِيمَا يَلْزَمُهُمْ مِنْ طَرْحِ الأَحَادِيثِ الضَّعِيفَةِ وَالرِّوَايَاتِ الْمُنْكَرَةِ وَتَرْكِهِمْ الاِقْتِصَارَ عَلَى الأَحَادِيثِ الصَّحِيحَةِ الْمَشْهُورَةِ مِمَّا نَقَلَهُ الثِّقَاتُ الْمَعْرُوفُونَ بِالصِّدْقِ وَالأَمَانَةِ بَعْدَ مَعْرِفَتِهِمْ وَإِقْرَارِهِمْ بِأَلْسِنَتِهِمْ أَنَّ كَثِيرًا مِمَّا يَقْذِفُونَ بِهِ إِلَى الأَغْبِيَاءِ مِنَ النَّاسِ هُوَ مُسْتَنْكَرٌ وَمَنْقُولٌ عَنْ قَوْمٍ غَيْرِ مَرْضِيِّينَ مِمَّنْ ذَمَّ الرِّوَايَةَ عَنْهُمْ أَئِمَّةُ أَهْلِ الْحَدِيثِ مِثْلُ مَالِكِ بْنِ أَنَسٍ وَشُعْبَةَ بْنِ الْحَجَّاجِ وَسُفْيَانَ بْنِ عُيَيْنَةَ وَيَحْيَى بْنِ سَعِيدٍ الْقَطَّانِ وَعَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ مَهْدِيٍّ وَغَيْرِهِمْ مِنَ الأَئِمَّةِ- لَمَا سَهُلَ عَلَيْنَا الاِنْتِصَابُ لِمَا سَأَلْتَ مِنَ التَّمْيِيزِ وَالتَّحْصِيلِ. وَلَكِنْ مِنْ أَجْلِ مَا أَعْلَمْنَاكَ مِنْ نَشْرِ الْقَوْمِ الأَخْبَارَ الْمُنْكَرَةَ بِالأَسَانِيدِ الضِّعَافِ الْمَجْهُولَةِ وَقَذْفِهِمْ بِهَا إِلَى الْعَوَامِّ الَّذِينَ لاَ يَعْرِفُونَ عُيُوبَهَا خَفَّ عَلَى قُلُوبِنَا إِجَابَتُكَ إِلَى مَا سَأَلْتَ.

     In the Name of Allah, the Merciful, the Beneficent - All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and the [praiseworthy] end is for those who fear Him; and may Allah send blessings upon Muhammad, seal of the Prophets, and upon all the Prophets and Messengers. As to what follows: Indeed you mentioned, may Allah have mercy on you, by the guidance of your Creator, that you were interested in an examination of what is known of all the transmitted reports on authority of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ regarding traditions of the Dīn, its rulings, and everything from it regarding rewards, punishments, motivations, admonishments, and other descriptive topics through chains of narration which were related by and circulated between Ahl ul-Ilm. Thus you wished, may Allah guide you aright, to be informed about all of [the transmitted reports] in the form of a calculated composition and you asked me to abridge [it] for you in writing without a great amount of repetition. You allege that [much repetition] would distract you from what you intended in terms of understanding and deriving rulings from [the reports]. And because of that which you have asked, may Allah be generous with you, when I am attributed to its successful management and whatever condition can be construed by it, if Allah wills, (it will lead to) a praiseworthy ending and obtainable benefit. I thought at the time you asked me to undertake that [task]- if it was determined for me to do so, and preordained for me to complete it- that the first to benefit from that would be me specifically before anyone else and this is due to a great number of reasons which are too lengthy to describe except [to say] that in summary, having precision regarding a select few [narrations], and accuracy in them, is easier for a person than to undertake of a great number of them, and especially for one who is indistinguishable in it from the common people [in this matter] unless someone else informs him of the distinction. If the matter is just as we described, then focusing on the few authentic narrations is worthier for them than seeking an abundance of weak narrations. Although indeed it is hoped for that some benefit is attained by seeking after a large number [of Ḥadīth] of this type, and gathering the repetitions for them, but only for the elite who are endowed with some awareness and knowledge in their means [of ascertaining authenticity] and defects. Thus that, if Allah wills, will happen through whatever will be brought to bear of that [awareness, distinction, knowledge of the means, and defects] on the advantage in seeking large numbers of [the various categories of Ḥadīth]. And as for the common people who are different from the elite in terms of awareness and knowledge, then it is senseless for them to seek large numbers [of various categories of Ḥadīth], while they are unaware of the few [Sahīh]. Then we, if Allah wills, will begin to extract and compose what you have asked upon conditions which we shall mention to you. We set ourselves upon the entirety of what is transmitted from the reports on authority of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ Then we divided it up into three sections and three levels of people without repetition except: 1) When coming to a point where it was essential to repeat a narration in which there is an addition that clarifies the meaning of the first one; or 2) When there is a second chain that supports the first one in some hidden defect present since the additional significance in the second Ḥadīth assumes the position of a complete Ḥadīth. Repeating narrations which have the kind of ‘addition’ we described is inevitable [since it eliminates the perceived hidden defect of the first narration]; or that significance [of the addition] is separated from the entire narration by abbreviating it when it is possible [to understand the significance from a small part of the narration], however separating the relevant part of the narration from the rest might make it difficult to understand the link between them, so repeating it in its original form when that proves difficult is safest. Thus when we find that it is avoidable to repeat the narrations in their entirety we take care not to do so, if Allah wills. As for the first category, we aspired to advance the report which is safer from defects than any others, and is purified due to being related by people of integrity in Ḥadīth, and certitude for what they relate; there are no strong disputes found [compared to the reports of other Thiqāt] regarding their transmissions, and no excessive inconsistencies [in their own reports] - just as is the case regarding a great number of Muhaddithīn and which appears in their narrations. Thus when we examined reports of this description from the people, we also came across reports in whose chains there fell some of those who are not described with memorization and precision, like those of the previous description before them. Although they fell below what we described [from the first group], they still have the designation of protection [from ill-repute] and truthfulness; and they acquired knowledge, included among them are the likes of Atā’ bin is-Sā’ib, and Yazīd bin Abī Ziyād, and Layth bin Abī Sulaym, from among the carriers of Āthār and the relaters of Akhbār. So even though they possessed what we described of knowledge, protection and being known as scholars among Ahl ul-Ilm, their contemporaries who we mentioned as precise and sound in transmission were above them in status and rank because this [the first category] is a high rank and sublime characteristic according to Ahl ul-Ilm. Do you not see that when you weigh these three people we mentioned- Atā’, Yazīd, and Layth- with Mansūr bin il-Mu’tamir, Sulaymān al-A’mash and Ismā’īl bin Abī Khālid in regards to precision in Ḥadīth and soundness in it, you will find them distinct from others and not near them [in rank?]- there is no doubt regarding that among the people knowledgeable in Ḥadīth since the soundness of the memorization of Mansūr, al-A’mash, and Ismā’īl, and their precision in Ḥadīth was well-known among [the people knowledgeable in Ḥadīth] and they were not aware of examples of that from Atā’, Yazīd, and Layth. Upon the same course as the above, when you weigh between the two levels like Ibn Awn and Ayyūb as-Sakhtiyānī with Awf ibn Abī Jamīlah and Ash’ath al-Humrānī- and all 4 are companions of al-Hasan and Ibn Sīrīn- there is disparity between the two groups. Between these two groups is a distance in terms of perfection of virtue and soundness of reporting even though Awf and Ash’ath are not repelled from [the status] of truthfulness and honesty according to Ahl ul-Ilm, rather the situation is as we described regarding their position. We only mentioned these examples by way of naming them specifically so that their examples might be an indication for whoever is ignorant of the path to return to understanding of Ahl ul-Ilm regarding the ranking of its people. Thus there is no shortchanging the men of elevated rank any amount of what is due his level, and there is no elevation of those who are lower any amount of knowledge above his position- and each who possesses the right is given his right and is settled in his rank. It has been mentioned on authority of Ā’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, that she said: ‘The Messenger of Allah ﷺ ordered us to afford people their (rightful) positions according to what the Qur’ān states: {And above all who possess knowledge is another who is knowledgeable} [Yūsuf: 76]. Thus based on the example of what we mentioned [regarding the narrators of Hifẓ and Itqān, and narrations which lack excessive inconsistency or strong contradiction], we compiled what you asked for of [those kind] of reports on authority of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ As for anything of that wherein the people were charged [with some criticism] by the people of Ḥadīth, or by the majority of [the people of Ḥadīth], then we did not preoccupy ourselves with bringing forward their narrations, such as Abd Allah ibn Miswar Abī Ja’far il-Madā’inī, Amr bin Khālid, Abd il-Quddūs ash-Shāmī, Muhammad ibn Sa’īd il-Maslūb, Ghiyāth ibn Ibrāhīm, Sulaymān bin Amr Abī Dāwud an-Nakha’ī, and those like them whereof they were accused of fabricating narrations and manufacturing reports; and like that are those whose narrations are dominated with Munkar, or mistakes- we withheld from their narrations as well. An indication of Munkar in the narration of a Muhaddith is when his transmission differs with the transmission of a Muhaddith from the people of memorization and acceptance, or does not agree with it when the two are compared. When the majority of a person’s narrations are like that, he is abandoned [Mahjūr] in Ḥadīth, and not accepted in it, and his narrations are not acted upon. The following are those Muhaddithīn who are among this group: Abd Allah ibn Muharrar, Yahyā bin Abī Unaysah, Al-Jarrāh bin ul-Minhāl Abūl-Atūf, Abbād bin Kathīr, Husayn bin Abd Illah ibn Ḍumayrah, Umar bin Suhbān, and those of the same type in terms of transmission of Munkar Ḥadīth. We did not pause upon their narrations or preoccupy ourselves with them due to the ruling of Ahl ul-Ilm. That which we are aware of from their school of thought in accepting what is singularly reported by a Muhaddith from the narrations is that (the Muhaddith) took part along with the trustworthy narrators from Ahl ul-Ilm wal-Hifẓ in transmitting some of what they transmitted, and [the Muhaddith] is predominantly in agreement with them; when one is found like that, then if he adds to [the transmission] anything not found with his companions, then his addition is accepted. As for those who you see resorting to the likes of az-Zuhrī due to his greatness, and due to the great number of his companions being among the precise Huffāẓ, [resorting to] his Ḥadīth and the Ḥadīth of those like him, or to the likes of Hishām ibn Urwah, then their Ḥadīth are extensively shared among Ahl ul-Ilm. The greater majority of their companions related their Ḥadīth in agreement with one another [with few having contradictions]. Thus to transmit from [Urwah and az-Zuhrī], or one of them, from among the multitude of Ḥadīth, what is not known among any of their companions, and [the Rāwī] is not of those who share in the Sahīh narrations [found] among them, then it is not allowed to accept the narrations of this category of people, and Allah knows best. We have explained from the school of Ḥadīth and its people some of what those who wish to traverse the path of [the Muhaddithīn] should aim for, and be guided towards. We will, if Allah wills, add to the explanation and clarification in another place in this book upon the mention of defective reports [Mu’allalah] when we come to it, in the places where explanation and clarification are appropriate, if Allah wills. And what follows: May Allah have mercy on you, if not for that which we saw of an evil act, largely from those who claim to be Muhaddithīn, in what they were supposed to adhere to when putting forward weak narrations and abominable transmissions and their neglect for the investigation of famous Sahīh narrations related by the trustworthy narrators, well-known for their truthfulness and honesty, after knowledge of them and affirmation with their tongues, that a great many of [weak and abominable narrations] which were cast towards heedless people are denounced and spoken of as not acceptable whereof the A’immah of the people of Ḥadīth criticized their transmissions- A’immah like Mālik ibn Anas, Shu’bat bin al-Hajjāj, Sufyān bin Uyaynah, Yahyā bin Sa’īd al-Qattān, Abd ir-Rahman ibn Mahdī, and other A’immah- then the establishment of what you asked for of distinction [between the types of Ḥadīth] and collection [of those which were Sahīh] would be easy for us. However on account of what we informed you of regarding the people’s circulation of abominable reports with weak, unknown chains, and their casting them towards the common people who are not aware of their defects, responding to what you asked became lighter upon our hearts.