Introduction

حدثنا أبو جعفر محمد بن الصباح، حدثنا إسماعيل بن زكرياء، عن عاصم الأحول، عن ابن سيرين، قال: " لم يكونوا يسألون عن الإسناد، فلما وقعت الفتنة، قالوا: سموا لنا رجالكم، فينظر إلى أهل السنة فيؤخذ حديثهم، وينظر إلى أهل البدع فلا يؤخذ حديثهم "

Abū Ja’far Muhammad bin us-Sabbāh narrated to us, Ismā’īl bin Zakariyyā’ narrated to us, on authority of Āsim il-Ahwal, on authority of Ibn Sīrīn that he said: ‘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’.

Ishāq bin Ibrāhīm al-Hanthalī narrated to us, Īsā, and he is Ibn Yūnus, informed us, al-Awzā’ī narrated to us, on authority of Sulyamān bin Mūsā, he said: ‘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.’

وحدثنا عبد الله بن عبد الرحمن الدارمي، أخبرنا مروان يعني ابن محمد الدمشقي، حدثنا سعيد بن عبد العزيز، عن سليمان بن موسى قال: قلت لطاوس: إن فلانا

Abd Allah bin Abd ir-Rahman ad-Dārimī narrated to us, Marwān, meaning Ibn Muhammad ad-Dimashqī informed us, Sa’īd bin Abd il-Azīz narrated to us, on authority of Sulaymān bin Mūsā, he said, I said to Tāwus: ‘So-and-so narrated to me like this-and-that’. He said: ‘If your companion is trustworthy, then take from him.’

حدثنا نصر بن علي الجهضمي، حدثنا الأصمعي، عن ابن أبي الزناد، عن أبيه قال: " أدركت بالمدينة مائة، كلهم مأمون، ما يؤخذ عنهم الحديث، يقال: ليس من أهله "

Nasr bin Alī al-Jahdhamī narrated to us, al-Asma’ī narrated to us, on authority of Ibn Abī-Zinād, on authority of his father, he said: ‘I met one hundred 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’.’

حدثنا محمد بن أبي عمر المكي، حدثنا سفيان، وحدثني أبو بكر بن خلاد الباهلي - واللفظ له - قال: سمعت سفيان بن عيينة، عن مسعر قال: سمعت سعد بن إبراهيم يقول: لا يحدث عن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم إلا الثقات

Muhammad bin Abī Umar al-Makkī narrated to us, Sufyān narrated to us; and Abū Bakr bin Khallād al-Bāhilī narrated to us – and the wording is his, he said, I heard Sufyān bin Uyaynah, on authority of Mis’ar, he said, I heard Sa’d bin Ibrāhīm saying: ‘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)’.

Muhammad bin Abd Allah bin Quhzādh from the people of Marw narrated to us, he said I heard Abdān bin Uthmān saying, I heard Abd Allah bin al-Mubārak saying: ‘The chain of narration is from the Dīn, and were it not for the chain of narration whoever wished could say what he wanted’. Muhammad bin Abd Allah said, al-Abbās bin Abī Rizmah narrated to me, he said I heard Abd Allah saying: ‘Between us and the people are ‘the legs’ (meaning the chain of narration, i.e. if a Ḥadīth was like a creature)’. Muhammad said, I heard Abā Ishāq Ibrāhīm bin Īsā at-Tālqānī say, 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 ’. Muhammad said, 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 ’.

Abū Bakr ibn in-Naḍr bin Abīn-Naḍr narrated to me, he said Abūn-Naḍr Hāshim bin ul-Qāsim narrated to me, Abū Aqīl, companion of Buhayyah, narrated to us, he said: ‘I was sitting near al-Qāsim bin Ubayd Allah and Yahyā bin Sa’īd was quiet and did not respond to him’.

وحدثني بشر بن الحكم العبدي، قال: سمعت سفيان بن عيينة، يقول: أخبروني عن أبي عقيل صاحب بهية، أن أبناء لعبد الله بن عمر، سألوه عن شيء لم يكن عنده فيه علم، فقال له يحيى بن سعيد: والله إني لأعظم أن يكون مثلك، وأنت ابن إمامي الهدى - يعني عمر، وابن عمر - تسأل عن أمر ليس عندك فيه علم، فقال: أعظم من ذلك والله عند الله، وعند من عقل عن الله، أن أقول بغير علم، أو أخبر عن غير ثقة قال: وشهدهما أبو عقيل يحيى بن المتوكل حين قالا ذلك.

Bishr bin ul-Hakam al-Abdī narrated to me, he said, I heard Sufyān bin Uyaynah saying, they informed me on authority of Abī Aqīl, companion of Buhayyah, that a descendent of Abd Allah bin Umar was asked about something that he did not have knowledge about, so Yahyā bin Sa’īd said to him: ‘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 said that Abū Aqīl Yahyā bin al-Mutawakkil witnessed them both when they said that.

وحدثنا عمرو بن علي أبو حفص، قال: سمعت يحيى بن سعيد، قال: سألت سفيان الثوري، وشعبة، ومالكا، وابن عيينة، عن الرجل لا يكون ثبتا في الحديث، فيأتيني الرجل، فيسألني عنه، قالوا: أخبر عنه أنه ليس بثبت

Amr bin Alī Abū Hafs narrated to us, he said I heard Yahyā bin Sa’īd, he said: ‘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 against him that he is not reliable’.’

Ubayd Allah bin Sa’īd narrated to us, he said, I heard an-Naḍr saying: ‘Ibn Awn was asked about the Ḥadīth of Shahr and he was standing at the threshold of the door, so 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’.’

Hajjāj bin ush-Shā’ir narrated to me, Shabābah narrated to us, he said, Shu’bah said: ‘I had met Shahr then abandoned transmitting from him’.

Muhammad bin Abd Allah bin Quhzādh, from the people of Marw, narrated to me, he said Alī bin Husayn bin Wāqid informed me, he said 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 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.’

وحدثني الفضل بن سهل، قال: سألت معلى الرازي، عن محمد بن سعيد، الذي روى عنه عباد، فأخبرني عن عيسى بن يونس، قال: كنت على بابه، وسفيان عنده، فلما خرج سألته عنه، فأخبرني أنه كذاب

Al-Faḍl bin Sahl narrated to me, he said, I asked Mu’allā ar-Rāzī about Muhammad bin Sa’īd whom Abbād transmitted from, so he informed me about what Īsā bin Yūnus said: ‘I was at his door and Sufyān was with about him. So he informed me that he was a liar.’

وحدثني محمد بن أبي عتاب، قال: حدثني عفان، عن محمد بن يحيى بن سعيد القطان، عن أبيه، قال: لم نر الصالحين في شيء أكذب منهم في الحديث قال ابن أبي عتاب: فلقيت أنا محمد بن يحيى بن سعيد القطان، فسألته عنه، فقال: عن أبيه، لم تر أهل الخير في شيء أكذب منهم في الحديث . قال مسلم: " يقول: يجري الكذب على لسانهم، ولا يتعمدون الكذب "

Muhammad bin Abī Attāb narrated to me, he said Affān narrated to me, on authority of Muhammad bin Yahyā bin Sa’īd al-Qattān, on authority of his father, he said: ‘We do not see the righteous more false in anything than they are regarding Ḥadīth’. 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.’ Muslim said: ‘He was saying that falsehood flows upon their tongues although they do not intend to lie’.

Al-Faḍl bin Sahl narrated to me, he said Yazīd bin Hārūn narrated to us, he said Khalīfah bin Mūsā informed me, he said: ‘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 ’. 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. ’.’

حدثني محمد بن عبد الله بن قهزاذ، قال: سمعت عبد الله بن عثمان بن جبلة، يقول: قلت لعبد الله بن المبارك: من هذا الرجل الذي رويت عنه حديث عبد الله بن عمرو يوم الفطر يوم الجوائز؟ قال: سليمان بن الحجاج انظر ما وضعت في يدك منه قال ابن قهزاذ: وسمعت وهب بن زمعة، يذكر عن سفيان بن عبد الملك، قال: قال عبد الله يعني ابن المبارك: رأيت روح بن غطيف صاحب الدم قدر الدرهم، وجلست إليه مجلسا، فجعلت أستحيي من أصحابي أن يروني جالسا معه كره حديثه

Muhammad bin Abd Allah bin Quhzādh narrated to me, he said I heard Abd Allah bin Uthmān bin Jabalah saying, I said to Abd Allah bin al-Mubārak: ‘Who is this man from whom you transmit the Ḥadīth of Abd Allah bin Amr, ‘The day of Fitr is the day of prizes…’?’ 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.’

Ibn Quhzādh narrated to me, he said, I heard Wahb , on authority of Ibn al-Mubārak, he said: ‘Baqiyyah ’.

حدثنا قتيبة بن سعيد، حدثنا جرير، عن مغيرة، عن الشعبي، قال: حدثني الحارث الأعور الهمداني، وكان كذابا.

Qutaybah bin Sa’īd narrated to us, Jarīr narrated to us, on authority of Mughīrah, on authority of ash-Sha’bī, he said: ‘al-Hārith al-A’war ul-Hamdānī narrated to me, and he is a liar’.

Abū Āmir Abd Allah bin Barrād al-Ash’arī narrated to us, Abū Usāmah narrated to us, on authority of Mufaḍḍal, on authority of Mughīrah, he said I heard ash-Sha’bī saying: ‘al-Hārith al-A’war narrated to me,’ and he was testifying that he was one of the liars’.

حدثنا قتيبة بن سعيد، حدثنا جرير، عن مغيرة، عن إبراهيم، قال: قال علقمة: قرأت القرآن في سنتين فقال الحارث: القرآن هين الوحي أشد

Qutaybah bin Sa’īd narrated to us, Jarīr narrated to us, on authority of Mughīrah, on authority of Ibrāhīm , he said, Alqamah said: ‘I memorized the Qur’ān in two years’. Al-Hārith said: ‘The Qur’ān is easy; the revelation is more difficult ’.

وحدثني حجاج بن الشاعر، حدثنا أحمد يعني ابن يونس، حدثنا زائدة، عن الأعمش، عن إبراهيم، أن الحارث، قال: تعلمت القرآن في ثلاث سنين، والوحي في سنتين أو قال الوحي في ثلاث سنين، والقرآن في سنتين

Hajjāj bin ash-Shā’ir narrated to me, Ahmad- meaning Ibn Yūnus- narrated to us, Zā’idah narrated to us, on authority of al-A’mash, on authority of Ibrāhīm that al-Hārith said: ‘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 ’.

وحدثني حجاج، قال: حدثني أحمد وهو ابن يونس، حدثنا زائدة، عن منصور، والمغيرة، عن إبراهيم، أن الحارث اتهم

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.

وحدثنا قتيبة بن سعيد، حدثنا جرير، عن حمزة الزيات، قال: سمع مرة الهمداني، من الحارث شيئا، فقال له: اقعد بالباب ، قال: فدخل مرة، وأخذ سيفه، قال: وأحس الحارث بالشر، فذهب

Qutaybah bin Sa’īd narrated to us, Jarīr narrated to us, on authority of Hamzah az-Zayyāt, he said: ‘Murrah al-Hamdānī heard something from al-Hārith and said to him: ‘sit by the door’. said: ‘So Murrah went inside and took his sword and al-Hārith sensed evil and left’.

وحدثني عبيد الله بن سعيد، حدثنا عبد الرحمن يعني ابن مهدي، حدثنا حماد بن زيد، عن ابن عون، قال: قال لنا إبراهيم: إياكم والمغيرة بن سعيد، وأبا عبد الرحيم، فإنهما كذابان

Ubayd Allah bin Sa’īd narrated to me, Abd ur-Rahman- meaning Ibn Mahdī- narrated to us, Hammād bin Zayd narrated to us, on authority of Ibn Awn, he said, Ibrāhīm said to us: ‘Beware of al-Mughīrah bin Sa’īd and Abū Abd ar-Rahīm for they are both liars’.

Abū Kāmil al-Jahdarī narrated to us, Hammād- and he is Ibn Zayd- narrated to us, he said Āsim narrated to us, he said: ‘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 ’.