0. Introduction (1/3)
٠۔ المقدمة ص ١
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]’.
عَلى رُءُوسِ النّاسِ: «دَعُوا حَدِيثَ عَمْرِو بْنِ ثابِتٍ فَإنَّهُ كانَ يَسُبَّ السَّلَفَ»
‘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’.
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
‘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.
أَخْبَرُونِي عَنْ أَبِي عَقِيلٍ صَاحِبِ بُهَيَّةَ 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
‘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’.’
سَأَلْتُ سُفْيَانَ الثَّوْرِيَّ وَشُعْبَةَ وَمَالِكًا وَابْنَ عُيَيْنَةَ عَنِ الرَّجُلِ لاَ يَكُونُ ثَبْتًا فِي الْحَدِيثِ فَيَأْتِينِي الرَّجُلُ فَيَسْأَلُنِي عَنْهُ قَالُوا أَخْبِرْ عَنْهُ أَنَّهُ لَيْسَ بِثَبْتٍ
‘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’.’
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
Shuʿbah said, "I had met Shahr then abandoned transmitting from him."
وَقَدْ لَقِيتُ شَهْرًا فَلَمْ أَعْتَدَّ بِهِ
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.’
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۔
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.’
كُنْتُ عَلَى بَابِهِ وَسُفْيَانُ عِنْدَهُ فَلَمَّا خَرَجَ سَأَلْتُهُ عَنْهُ فَأَخْبَرَنِي أَنَّهُ كَذَّابٌ
on authority of his father, he said: ‘We do not see the righteous more false in anything than they are regarding Ḥadīth’.
لَمْ نَرَ الصَّالِحِينَ 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.’
لَمْ تَرَ أَهْلَ الْخَيْرِ فِي شَىْءٍ أَكْذَبَ مِنْهُمْ فِي الْحَدِيثِ
Muslim said: ‘He was saying that falsehood flows upon their tongues although they do not intend to lie’.
يَجْرِي الْكَذِبُ عَلَى لِسَانِهِمْ وَلاَ يَتَعَمَّدُونَ الْكَذِبَ
‘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]’.’
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
‘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.’
قُلْتُ لِعَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ الْمُبَارَكِ مَنْ هَذَا الرَّجُلُ الَّذِي رَوَيْتَ عَنْهُ حَدِيثَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو يَوْمُ الْفِطْرِ يَوْمُ الْجَوَائِزِ قَالَ سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ الْحَجَّاجِ انْظُرْ مَا وَضَعْتَ فِي يَدِكَ مِنْهُ قَالَ ابْنُ قُهْزَاذَ وَسَمِعْتُ وَهْبَ بْنَ زَمْعَةَ يَذْكُرُ عَنْ سُفْيَانَ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْمَلِكِ قَالَ قَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ يَعْنِي ابْنَ الْمُبَارَكِ رَأَيْتُ رَوْحَ بْنَ غُطَيْفٍ صَاحِبَ الدَّمِ قَدْرِ الدِّرْهَمِ وَجَلَسْتُ إِلَيْهِ مَجْلِسًا فَجَعَلْتُ أَسْتَحْيِي مِنْ أَصْحَابِي أَنْ يَرَوْنِي جَالِسًا مَعَهُ كُرْهَ حَدِيثِهِ
‘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]’.
بَقِيَّةُ صَدُوقُ اللِّسَانِ وَلَكِنَّهُ يَأْخُذُ عَمَّنْ أَقْبَلَ وَأَدْبَرَ
‘al-Hārith al-A’war ul-Hamdānī narrated to me, and he is a liar’.
حَدَّثَنِي الْحَارِثُ الأَعْوَرُ الْهَمْدَانِيُّ وَكَانَ كَذَّابًا
‘al-Hārith al-A’war narrated to me,’ and he [ash-Sha’bī] was testifying that he was one of the liars’.
حَدَّثَنِي الْحَارِثُ الأَعْوَرُ وَهُوَ يَشْهَدُ أَنَّهُ أَحَدُ الْكَاذِبِينَ
‘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 ’.
عَلْقَمَةُ قَرَأْتُ الْقُرْآنَ فِي سَنَتَيْنِ فَقَالَ الْحَارِثُ الْقُرْآنُ هَيِّنٌ الْوَحْىُ أَشَدُّ
‘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 ’.
أَنَّ الْحَارِثَ قَالَ تَعَلَّمْتُ الْقُرْآنَ فِي ثَلاَثِ سِنِينَ وَالْوَحْىَ فِي سَنَتَيْنِ أَوْ قَالَ الْوَحْىَ فِي ثَلاَثِ سِنِينَ وَالْقُرْآنَ فِي سَنَتَيْنِ
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.
أَنَّ الْحَارِثَ اتُّهِمَ
‘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’.
سَمِعَ مُرَّةُ الْهَمْدَانِيُّ مِنَ الْحَارِثِ شَيْئًا فَقَالَ لَهُ اقْعُدْ بِالْبَابِ قَالَ فَدَخَلَ مُرَّةُ وَأَخَذَ سَيْفَهُ قَالَ وَأَحَسَّ الْحَارِثُ بِالشَّرِّ فَذَهَبَ
‘Beware of al-Mughīrah bin Sa’īd and Abū Abd ar-Rahīm for they are both liars’.
قَالَ لَنَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ إِيَّاكُمْ وَالْمُغِيرَةَ بْنَ سَعِيدٍ وَأَبَا عَبْدِ الرَّحِيمِ فَإِنَّهُمَا كَذَّابَانِ
‘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]’.
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
‘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].
لَقِيتُ جَابِرَ بْنَ يَزِيدَ الْجُعْفِيَّ فَلَمْ أَكْتُبْ عَنْهُ كَانَ يُؤْمِنُ بِالرَّجْعَةِ
‘Jābir bin Yazīd narrated to us before there took place what happened [i.e. before his false beliefs] ’.
حَدَّثَنَا جَابِرُ بْنُ يَزِيدَ قَبْلَ أَنْ يُحْدِثَ مَا أَحْدَثَ
‘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’.
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
‘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’.
عِنْدِي سَبْعُونَ أَلْفَ حَدِيثٍ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ كُلُّهَا
‘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’.
إِنَّ عِنْدِي لَخَمْسِينَ أَلْفَ حَدِيثٍ مَا حَدَّثْتُ مِنْهَا بِشَىْءٍ قَالَ ثُمَّ حَدَّثَ يَوْمًا بِحَدِيثٍ فَقَالَ هَذَا مِنَ الْخَمْسِينَ أَلْفًا
‘I have fifty thousand Ḥadīth on authority of the Prophet, peace and blessings upon him’.
عِنْدِي خَمْسُونَ أَلْفَ حَدِيثٍ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ 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’.
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
‘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.’
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
‘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]’.
ذَكَرَ أَيُّوبُ رَجُلاً يَوْمًا فَقَالَ لَمْ يَكُنْ بِمُسْتَقِيمِ اللِّسَانِ وَذَكَرَ آخَرَ فَقَالَ هُوَ يَزِيدُ فِي الرَّقْمِ
‘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’.
قَالَ أَيُّوبُ إِنَّ لِي جَارًا ثُمَّ ذَكَرَ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ وَلَوْ شَهِدَ عِنْدِي عَلَى تَمْرَتَيْنِ مَا رَأَيْتُ شَهَادَتَهُ جَائِزَةً
‘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].’
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
‘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].
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
‘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’.
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
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.’
أَنَّ أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ الْهَاشِمِيَّ الْمَدَنِيَّ كَانَ يَضَعُ أَحَادِيثَ كَلاَمَ حَقٍّ وَلَيْسَتْ مِنْ أَحَادِيثِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ وَكَانَ يَرْوِيهَا عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ
كَانَ عَمْرُو بْنُ عُبَيْدٍ يَكْذِبُ فِي الْحَدِيثِ
‘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.’
أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ مَنْ حَمَلَ عَلَيْنَا السِّلاَحَ فَلَيْسَ مِنَّا قَالَ كَذَبَ وَاللَّهِ عَمْرٌو وَلَكِنَّهُ أَرَادَ أَنْ يَحُوزَهَا إِلَى قَوْلِهِ الْخَبِيثِ
‘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]’.
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
‘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’.’
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
‘Have you seen a man whose Dīn you do not trust- how do you trust him regarding Ḥadīth?’
بَلَغَ أَيُّوبَ أَنِّي آتِي عَمْرًا فَأَقْبَلَ عَلَىَّ يَوْمًا فَقَالَ أَرَأَيْتَ رَجُلاً لاَ تَأْمَنُهُ عَلَى دِينِهِ كَيْفَ تَأْمَنُهُ عَلَى الْحَدِيثِ
‘Amr bin Ubayd narrated to us before what happened’ [i.e. before he became Mu’tazilī].
حَدَّثَنَا عَمْرُو بْنُ عُبَيْدٍ قَبْلَ أَنْ يُحْدِثَ
‘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]’.
كَتَبْتُ إِلَى شُعْبَةَ أَسْأَلُهُ عَنْ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ قَاضِي وَاسِطٍ فَكَتَبَ إِلَىَّ لاَ تَكْتُبْ عَنْهُ شَيْئًا وَمَزِّقْ كِتَابِي
‘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’.
حَدَّثْتُ حَمَّادَ بْنَ سَلَمَةَ عَنْ صَالِحٍ الْمُرِّيِّ بِحَدِيثٍ عَنْ ثَابِتٍ فَقَالَ كَذَبَ وَحَدَّثْتُ هَمَّامًا عَنْ صَالِحٍ الْمُرِّيِّ بِحَدِيثٍ فَقَالَ كَذَبَ
‘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.
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
‘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’.
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
‘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 ’.
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
‘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]’.
كَانَ عَبْدُ الْقُدُّوسِ يُحَدِّثُنَا فَيَقُولُ سُوَيْدُ بْنُ عَقَلَةَ قَالَ شَبَابَةُ وَسَمِعْتُ عَبْدَ الْقُدُّوسِ يَقُولُ نَهَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَنَّ يُتَّخَذَ الرَّوْحُ عَرْضًا قَالَ فَقِيلَ لَهُ أَىُّ شَىْءٍ هَذَا قَالَ يَعْنِي تُتَّخَذُ كُوَّةٌ فِي حَائِطٍ لِيَدْخُلَ عَلَيْهِ الرَّوْحُ قَالَ مُسْلِمٌ وَسَمِعْتُ عُبَيْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ عُمَرَ الْقَوَارِيرِيَّ يَقُولُ سَمِعْتُ حَمَّادَ بْنَ زَيْدٍ يَقُولُ لِرَجُلٍ بَعْدَ مَا جَلَسَ مَهْدِيُّ بْنُ هِلاَلٍ بِأَيَّامٍ مَا هَذِهِ الْعَيْنُ الْمَالِحَةُ الَّتِي نَبَعَتْ قِبَلَكُمْ قَالَ نَعَمْ يَا أَبَا إِسْمَاعِيلَ
‘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 ’.
مَا بَلَغَنِي عَنِ الْحَسَنِ حَدِيثٌ إِلاَّ أَتَيْتُ بِهِ أَبَانَ بْنَ أَبِي عَيَّاشٍ فَقَرَأَهُ عَلَىَّ
‘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]’.
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