‘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  

‘Amr bin Ubayd would lie regarding Ḥadīth’.  

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  

‘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 ’.  

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  

‘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 ’.  

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  

‘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’.’  

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

‘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]  

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

‘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’.  

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  

‘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’.  

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

‘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]’.  

عَنْ شُرَحْبِيلَ بْنِ سَعْدٍ وَكَانَ مُتَّهَمًا  

‘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’.  

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

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

لاَ تَأْخُذُوا عَنْ أَخِي  

‘Yahyā bin Abī Unaysah was a liar’.  

كَانَ يَحْيَى بْنُ أَبِي أُنَيْسَةَ كَذَّابًا  

‘Indeed Farqad is not a companion of Ḥadīth’.  

ذُكِرَ فَرْقَدٌ عِنْدَ أَيُّوبَ فَقَالَ إِنَّ فَرْقَدًا لَيْسَ صَاحِبَ حَدِيثٍ  

‘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’.  

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  

‘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’.’  

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  

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.  

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  

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].  

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۔