Name:
شهر بن حوشب الأشعرى الشامى الحمصى و يقال الدمشقى أبو سعيد و يقال أبو
عبد الله و يقال أبو عبد الرحمن مولى أسماء بنت يزيد
Shahr bin Hawshab al-Ash’ari
ash-Shaami al-Himsi, and it is said ad-Dimashqi, Abu Sa’eed; and it is said Abu
Abdullah; and it is said Abu Abdur Rahmaan; the client of Asmaa bint Yazeed
Tabaqah: 3
– From the Middle Level of Taabi’een
Death: 112
H
Narrated by:
Al-Bukhaari in al-Adab al-Mufrad – Muslim – Abu Dawood – Tirmidhi – Nasaa’ee –
Ibn Maajah
Teachers:
Bilaal al-Mu’adhdhin, Tameem ad-Daari, Thawbaan the servant of Allaah’s
Messenger (peace be upon him), Jaabir bin Abdullah al-Ansaari, Jundub bin
Abdullah al-Bajali, Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri, Salmaan al-Faarsi, Abdullah bin
Abbaas, Abdullah bin Umar bin al-Khattaab, Abdullah bin Amr bin al-Aas, Anbasah
bin Abi Sufyaan, Abu Dhar al-Ghifaari, Abu Ubayd the servant of the Prophet
(peace be upon him), Abu Maalik al-Ash’ari, Abu Hurayrah, Umm Salamah, Aa’ishah
Umm ul-Mu’mineen, Umm Habeebah bint Abi Sufyaan the wife of the Prophet (peace
be upon him), Umm ad-Darda, Umm Salamah the wife of the Prophet, and others.
Students:
Abaan bin Saalih, Thaabit al-Bunaani, Habeeb bin Abi Thaabit, Al-Hakam bin
Utaybah, Dawood bin Abi Hind, Simaak bin Harb, Ataa bin Abi Ribaah, Qataadah
bin Di’aamah, Layth bin Abi Sulaym, Hishaam bin Urwah, and others.
Status:
Thiqah, Hasan ul-Hadeeth
Opinions of Ahl ul-Jarh wat Ta’deel:
Those who criticized him:
1- An-Nasaa’ee said: “He is not Strong”
[Kitaab
ad-Du’afa wal Matrokeen: P. 194 T. 194]
2- Ad-Daaraqutni said: “He is not Strong”
[Sunan
ad-Daaraqutni: 1/102 H. 353]
Also see, the
same article under the heading: “Abdul Humayd bin Bahraam from Shahr bin
Hawshab, Point # 1”
3- Moosa bin Haaroon said: “He is Da’eef”
[Sunan
ad-Daaraqutni: 1/104 H. 357, Chain Saheeh]
4- Ibn Adee said: “Shahr is not strong in hadeeth”
[Al-Kaamil by
Ibn Adee: 5/64]
He also said: “He
is Da’eef Jiddan”
[Same: 5/1958]
5- Ibn al-Jawzee: mentioned him in Kitaab ad-Du’afa wal
Matrokeen
[2/43]
6- Al-Ukaylee: mentioned him in Kitaab ad-Du’afa al-Kabeer
[2/91]
7- Ibn Hibbaan said: “He is among those who narrate Mu’addal
& Maqloob narrations from Thiqah & Thabat people”
[Kitaab
al-Majroheen: 1/361]
Mu’addal:
means to drop two or more narrators from a chain.
Maqloob: means
to change a word with another either in the chain or text.
8- Al-Bayhaqi said: “And he is not Hujjah according to those who
have knowledge about hadeeth”
[Kitaab
al-Asmaa as-Sifaat: P. 467]
9- Ibn Hazm said: “Saaqit (flunked)”
[Al-Muhalla:
7/484]
He also said: “He
is Da’eef”
[Same: 10/83]
10-
Shu’bah bin al-Hajjaaj
&
11-
Mu’aadh al-Anbari
Mu’aadh bin
Mu’aadh al-Anbari said: “What would you do with the hadeeth of Shahr? For
verily Shu’bah has abandoned the hadeeth of Shahr bin Hawshab”
[Al-Jarh wat
Ta’deel: 4/383, Chain Saheeh]
12-
Yahya bin Sa’eed
al-Qattaan: Did not narrate from him
[Al-Jarh wat
Ta’deel: 4/383, Chain Saheeh]
Also see, the
same article: Heading “Abdul Humayd bin Bahraam from Shahr bin Hawshab, Point #
2”
13-
Abdullah bin Awn said: “
Certainly they have criticized him, certainly they have criticized him (i.e.
Shahr)”
[Muqaddimah
Saheeh Muslim Ma’ Sharh al-Nawawi: 1/92 H. 36, Chain Saheeh]
14-
Ibn al-Mulaqqin said
that the Muhadditheen have abandoned him, i.e. they criticized him.
[See, al-Badar
al-Muneer: 3/611, 4/182, 7/264]
15-
Ibn Qutaybah
ad-Dayanawari said: “He is Da’eef in
hadeeth”
[Al-Ma’aarif
by Ibn Qutaybah: 1/154]
16-
Abu Haatim ar-Raazi
said: “Shahr bin Hawshab is more beloved to me than Abi Haaroon al-Abdi
& Bishr bin Harb, and he is no less than Abu az-Zubayr, evidence is not
taken from his hadeeth”
[Al-Jarh wat
Ta’deel: 4/383]
Also see this
article: Heading “Abdul Humayd from Shahr bin Hawshab, Point # 3”
17-
Haafidh al-Iraaqi said:
“And Shahr is weakened by the Jumhoor”
[Al-Taqiyeed
wal Aydhaah: P. 51]
18-
Al-Juzjaani said: “His
hadeeth does not resemble the hadeeth of people”
[Ahwaal
ur-Rijaal: 141]
He also said: “His
hadeeth indicates that one must not be deluded by him and his hadeeth”
[Same: 141]
19-
Ibn al-Qattaan
al-Faasi: The summary of Ibn al-Qattaan’s tahqeeq is that Shahr bin Hawshab is
Da’eef according to him
[See, Bayaan
al-Wahem wal Ayhaam: 3/591, 321]
20-
Sadaqah bin al-Fadl:
Abbaas bin Abdul Adheem al-Anbari (Thiqah, Haafidh) said: “Sadaqah bin
al-Fadl (Thiqah) came to us, and he would not write (narrations) from Shahr bin
Hawshab”
[Taareekh
Dimashq by Ibn Asaakir: 25/159, Chain Hasan]
21-
Ibn al-Qayyim said: “The
weakness of Shahr bin Hawshab is famous”
[See, Haadi
al-Arwaah: P. 194]
22-
Ibraaheem bin Moosa,
Burhaan ud-Deen al-Abnaasi said: “Shahr is weakened by Jumhoor”
[A-Shadh
al-Fiyaah min Uloom Ibn as-Salaah: 1/114]
23-
Abu Abdullah
al-Jurqaani said: “Ismaa’eel (bin Ayyaash), Layth (bin Abi Sulaym) and Shahr
(bin Hawshab), all three of them are abandoned because of their weakness and
leniency”
[Kitaab
al-Abaateel: 2/86]
Note: The reason why
people criticized him is as explained by Imaam An-Nadr bin Shumayl that: “They
only criticized him because he worked for the Sultaan”
[Sunan at-Tirmidhi: 5/58]
Those who praised him:
After these sayings of weakness,
the tawtheeq of Shahr bin Hawshab is proven from the following Scholars:
1- Abu Zur’ah ar-Raazi said: “There is nothing wrong in him”
[Al-Jarh wat
Ta’deel: 4/383]
2- Al-Bukhaari said: “Shahr is Hasan ul-Hadeeth”
[Sunan
at-Tirmidhi under H. 2697]
3- At-Tirmidhi: declared his hadeeth to be Hasan
[Sunan
at-Tirmidhi: 2539]
And he also: declared
his hadeeth to be Saheeh
[Sunan
at-Tirmidhi: 2121]
4- Haafidh Dhahabi: besides the biography of Shahr bin Hawshab in
Meezaan al-I’tidaal (2/284), Dhahabi wrote the sign of “Sahha”, and
said: “A group has taken evidence from him”
Benefit:
The narrator beside whom, Haafidh Dhahabi writes the sign of “Sahha”, it means
that the Tawtheeq of that narrator is Raajih according to Imaam Dhahabi.
See, Lisaan
al-Meezaan [2/159 T. Haarith bin Muhammad bin Abi Usaamah]
And Dhahabi
also said: “He is a Scholar, Katheer ur-Riwaayah, Hasan ul-Hadeeth”
[Al-‘Abar fi
Khabar min Ghabar: 1/90]
Also see,
Ma’rifat ur-Ruwaat al-Mutakallim Feehi bima La Yojab al-Radd by Dhahabi (158)
& Dhikr Asmaa man Takallam Feehi Wahuwa Mawthaq (161), and Talkhees
al-Mustadrak [3/387 H. 5467]
5- Yahya ibn Ma’een said: “And he is Thiqah”
[Taareekh Ibn
Ma’een, narrated by ad-Dauri: 2/170 T. 4031]
He also said: “He
is Thabat”
[Same: 2/335
T. 5159]
6- Al-Busayri graded his hadeeth saying. “Its chain is Hasan”
[Zawaaid Ibn
Maajah: H 25, 538, 578, 368 etc; Itthaaf al-Khayrah: 1/76 H. 56]
7- Ya’qoob bin Sufyaan said: “Shahr bin Hawshab; Although
(Abdullah) bin Awn said that Shahr has been abandoned, (but) he is (still)
Thiqah”
[Kitaab
al-Ma’rifah wal Taareekh: 2/426]
8- An-Nawawi said: “Certainly Shahr is not Matrook, rather he is
declared Thiqah by Majority or many people from the Kibaar Aimmah al-Salaf”
[Shahr al-Nawawi
Ala Muslim: 1/93]
And he also
said: “Its chain contains Shahr bin Hawshab, and a group has criticized him,
but he is declared Thiqah by numerous people, and they (i.e. Muhadditheen) have
clarified that the Jarh drawn on him is not Jaarih (i.e. not reliable), wallahu
A’lam”
[Al-Majmoo
Shahr al-Muhadhdhab: 1/370]
9- Muslim: narrated from him in his Saheeh in Mutaabi’aat
[See, Saheeh
Muslim: H. 49, 20]
10-
Ibn Katheer
authenticated his hadeeth saying, “This chain is Hasan”
[Musnad
al-Faarooq by Ibn Katheer: 1/228]
And he also
said: “He (i.e. Shahr) is a Scholar, a worshipper, an ascetic”
[Al-Bidaayah
wal Nihaayah: 9/316]
11-
Al-Baghawi: declared
his hadeeth to be Hasan
[Shahr
us-Sunnah: 11/333 H. 2898]
12-
Al-Khateeb al-Baghdaadi
graded a hadeeth of Shahr, saying: “This hadeeth has a connected chain and
Saalih narrators”
[Mawdah Awhaam
wal Tafreeq: 1/363]
13-
Ahmed bin Hanbal: Harb
bin Ismaa’eel said, I asked (Imaam) Ahmed bin Hanbal about Shahr bin Hawshab,
so he replied, “His hadeeth is the best” (Harb bin Ismaa’eel) said: “And
he declared him Thiqah, and he was a Shaami from the people of Hims”
[Al-Jarh wat
Ta’deel: 4/383, Chain Hasan]
14-
Zaya ud-Deen
al-Maqdisi: narrated his hadeeth in al-Mukhtaarah
[Al-Mukhtaarah:
8/324 H. 391, 392]
This proves
that Shahr bin Hawshab was Saheeh ul-Hadeeth according to Haafidh Zaya ud-Deen
al-Maqdisi
15-
Ibn Khuzaymah: narrated
from him in his Saheeh
[Saheeh Ibn
Khuzaymah: 4/293 H. 2913]
Note: The
Jarh of Imaam Ibn Khuzaymah on Shahr is not proven. The narrations of Taareekh
Dimashq (25/159) contain Abu at-Tayyab in one of them and Abu Bakr Muhammad bin
Ja’far in the other, the tawtheeq and biography of both these is not proven.
16-
Abu Awaanah: narrated
from him in his Saheeh
[Al-Mustakhraj
Ala Saheeh Muslim: 3/339 H. 5263; 4/61 H. 5865; 4/252 H. 6747]
17-
Abdul Hayy Ibn
al-Ammaad al-Hanbali said: “He is Katheer ur-Riwaayah, Hasan ul-Hadeeth, he
recited Qur’aan over (Abdullah) ibn Abbaas (radiallah anhu), and he was a Major
Scholar”
[Shadhraat
adh-Dhahab: 1/119]
18-
Al-Yaafi’ee said: “He
is Katheer ur-Riwaayah, Hasan ul-Hadeeth”
[Mir’aat
al-Janaan: 1/95]
19-
Ibn Shaaheen: mentioned
him in Taareekh Asmaa ath-Thiqaat
[Ath-Thiqaat:
536]
20-
Al-Mu’ammal bin Ahmed
said about his hadeeth that: “This hadeeth is of highest level, Hasan
ul-Isnaad”
[Fawaaid al-Mu’ammal:
46]
21-
Ya’qoob bin Shaybah
said: “He is Thiqah even though some people have criticized Shahr”
[Taareekh
Dimashq by Ibn Asaakir: 25/153, Chain Strong]
22-
Al-Mundhiri: declared
his hadeeth to be Hasan
[Al-Targheeb
wal Tarheeb: 1/556 H. 1142]
23-
Ali ibn al-Madeeni
&
24-
Abdur Rahmaan bin Mahdi
Ali ibn
al-Madeeni was asked: “Do you like the hadeeth of Shahr bin Hawshab?” so
he replied: “I take his ahaadeeth, and I do not abandon taking (ahaadeeth)
from anyone except if Yahya (bin Sa’eed al-Qattaan) and Abdur Rahmaan (bin
Mahdi) gather upon (his weakness)”
[Taareekh
Dimashq: 25/152, Chain Saheeh]
25-
Imaam Ibn Taymiyyah
said: “The narrations of Shahr are Hasan”
[Sharh Umdat
ul-Fiqh: 1/264]
26-
Mughaltaai bin Qaleej
al-Misri al-Hanafi said about one of the hadeeth of Shahr that: “The chain
of this hadeeth is Jayyid”
[Shahr Ibn
Maajah: 1/282]
27-
Haafidh Ibn Hajar said:
“He is Sadooq, Katheer ul-Irsaal wal Awhaam”
[Taqreeb
at-Tahdheeb: 2830]
While at
another place, he said: “Shahr is Hasan ul-Hadeeth even though there is some
weakness in him”
[Fath
ul-Baari: 3/65 H. 1190]
At another
place, he said: “He is Maqbool according to the Jumhoor”
[Al-Amaali
al-Mutlaqah: 1/75]
It seems as if
by his saying in Taqreeb, he meant that he makes mistakes but his mistakes do
not drop him from the level of Hasan. Otherwise, both his sayings will be
rejected because of being contradictory.
Contradictory and Un-Proven
Testimonies
Some Scholars have contradicted
in Jarh and Ta’deel of Shahr bin Hawshab, whereas, the sayings of some
Muhadditheen are not proven from an authentic chain, and some criticizers are
themselves criticized. The details are as follows:
1- Muhammad bin Umar al-Waaqidi said: “He is Da’eef in Hadeeth”
[Tabaqaat Ibn
Sa’d: 7/449]
This Waaqidi
himself has been declared a Liar and Matrook. Imaam Shaafi’ee said: “The
books of Waaqidi are Lie”
[Al-Jarh wat
Ta’deel: 8/21, Chain Saheeh]
2- Al-Haythami said: “He is Da’eef”
[Majma
az-Zawaaid: 5/339]
While he also
said: “There is criticism on him, and he is Thiqah in-shaa-Allaah”
[Same: 2/130]
At another
place, he said: “His hadeeth is Hasan”
[Same: 4/217]
Both the
sayings of Haafidh al-Haythami are rejected because of being contradictory.
3- As-Suyooti said: “Abu Bakr is Da’eef as is Shahr”
[Al-Ashbaah
wal Nadhaair: P. 144]
While at
another place, he graded one of his hadeeth saying, “Chain is Hasan”
[Al-Haawi lil
Fataawa: 1/356]
Therefore,
both the sayings of Suyooti are Saaqit.
Note: The weakness of Abu
Ahmed al-Kaamil and as-Saaji was not found anywhere with an authentic chain,
wallahu a’lam
The Accusation of Stealing
on Shahr bin Hawshab
Some Scholars have also narrated
the Jarh of stealing on Shahr bin Hawshab. Those who made this Jarh are as
follows:
1- Abbaad bin Mansoor – See, al-Kaamil by Ibn Adee [5/59]; Kitaab
al-Majroheen [1/361]
Abbaad bin
Mansoor himself is Da’eef according to the Jumhoor. Imaam Nasaa’ee, Haafidh
Dhahabi, Abu Haatim ar-Raazi, and other declared him Da’eef; Yahya ibn Ma’een
said he is nothing; and Abu Zur’ah ar-Raazi declared him Layyin. For details,
see: Tahdheeb al-Kamaal fi Asmaa ur-Rijaal and Kitaab al-Jarh wat Ta’deel etc.
Imaam
an-Nawawi said about this Jarh of stealing that: “It is not accepted
according to the Muhaqqiqeen; in fact they refused it, wallahu a’lam”
[Sharh
al-Nawawi ala Muslim: 1/93]
2- Shu’bah bin al-Hajjaaj – Haafidh al-Bayhaqi said: Abu Abdur
Rahmaan as-Sulami informed us, Abu Sa’eed al-Khallaal narrated to us, Abu
al-Qaasim al-Baghawi narrated to us, Mahmood bin Ghaylaan narrated to us,
Shubaabah narrated to us, he said I heard Shu’bah saying…. [See, al-Sunan
al-Kubra lil Bayhaqi: 1/66]
This Jarh is
Baatil due to two reasons:
First:
The central narrator of this chain, Abu Abdur Rahmaan Muhammad bin Husayn
as-Sulami is severely weak.
Muhammad bin
Yoosuf al-Qattaan al-Neesaaboori said: “Abu Abdur Rahmaan as-Sulami is not
reliable….. He used to fabricate ahaadeeth for the Soofiyah”
[Taareekh
Baghdaad: 2/248]
Second:
I did not find the tawtheeq of Abu Sa’eed al-Khallaal. His tarjumah is
mentioned in Taareekh Jarjaan (173) without any Jarh or Ta’deel.
3- Abdullah bin Awn – Ibn Adee said: “I think Abdaan al-Ahwadhi or
someone other than him narrated to us from Bandaar from Mu’aadh bin Mu’aadh
from Ibn Awn, he said…”
[See,
al-Kaamil: 4/1355]
In its chain,
the teacher of Ibn Adee is not clarified. Therefore, he is unknown.
4- Abu Bukayr – Ibn Adee said: “Muhammad bin Amr bin al-Alaa
narrated to us, Amr ibn Ali narrated to us, Yahya bin Abi Bukayr narrated to
us, my Father mentioned…”
[See,
al-Kaamil: 5/59; Kitaab al-Ma’rifah wal Taareekh: 2/98; Siyar A’laam al-Nabula:
4/375]
This narration
is Mardood due to two reasons:
First:
The conditions of Abu Bukayr are unknown.
Second:
There is a disconnection in this chain as said by Adh-Dhahabi in Siyar A’laam
al-Nabula [4/375]
5- Abu Bakr al-Hudhali – Muhammad bin Jareer at-Tabari said: “Ahmed
bin Ali narrated to me, he said: Abu Bakr al-Hudhali said…”
[See, Taareekh
at-Tabari: 6/538; Taareekh Dimashq: 25/156]
Abu Bakr
al-Hudhali himself is Severely Weak and Matrook ul-Hadeeth person. Imaam Yahya
ibn Ma’een, Abu Zur’ah, Abu Haatim, An-Nasaa’ee, Al-Bukhaari, ad-Daaraqutni and
other have criticized him.
Haafidh Ibn
Hajar said: “Matrook ul-Hadeeth”
[Taqreeb: 8002]
Therefore, the
Jarh of Abu Bakr al-Hudhali is Mardood.
6- Ahmed bin Muhammad – Ibn Adee narrated from as-Saaji who
narrated from Ahmed bin Muhammad….
[See,
al-Kaamil: 4/1355]
I did not find
the conditions of Ahmed bin Muhammad among the Shaykh of Zakariyyah as-Saaji,
wallahu a’lam.
Conclusion of the
Tahqeeq:
The Jarh of stealing on Shahr
bin Hawshab by Abbaad bin Mansoor, Shu’bah bin al-Hajjaaj, Abdullah bin Awn,
Abu Bukayr, Abu Bakr al-Hudhali and Ahmed bin Muhammad is not proven
Even if it was proven, Haafidh
Ibn Katheer said about Shahr bin Hawshab that: “A group of Muta’khireen has
declared him Thiqah, and they have praised his worship, deen, and Ijtihaad; and
they said that that it is not of any harm for his narration that he took from
Bayt ul-Maal (without permission) if this act is authentically proven form him.
He was the guardian (of Bayt ul-Maal) and had full right of spending form it”
[Al-Bidaayah wal Nihaayah: 9/316]
The narration of Abdul
Humayd bin Bahraam from Shahr bin Hawshab
If Abdul Humayd bin Bahraam
narrates from Shahr bin Hawshab then that narration becomes stronger and more
reliable. The details are as follows:
1- Ad-Daaraqutni said: “The Takhreej of the hadeeth of Shahr bin
Hawshab is done in whatever Abdul Humayd bin Bahraam narrates from him”
[Su’aalaat
al-Barqaani li’d-Daaraqutni: 222]
2- Yahya bin Sa’eed al-Qattaan said: “Whoever intends (to take)
the hadeeth of Shahr then it is necessary for him to hold firm to Abdul Humayd
bin Bahraam”
[Al-Jarh wat
Ta’deel: 6/43, Chain Saheeh]
3- Abu Haatim ar-Raazi said about Abdul Humayd bin Bahraam that: “Abdul
Humayd bin Bahraam narrating from Shahr bin Hawshab is similar to Layth bin Sa’d
narrating from Sa’eed al-Maqburi… his ahaadeeth from Shahr are Saheeh, I do not
know if anyone narrated better narrations from Shahr bin Hawshab than him”
[Al-Jarh wat
Ta’deel: 6/9]
After this Abu
Haatim ar-Raazi narrated Jarh on both Abdul Humayd bin Bahraam and Shahr bin
Hawshab which is Marjooh because of being against the Jumhoor.
4- Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali said about Shahr bin Hawshab that: “His
matter is differed upon, however the narration of Abdul Humayd bin Bahraam from
him is more authentic than the narration of others from his companions”
[Shahr Ilal
at-Tirmidhi: 2/777]
Conclusion:
The conclusion of the whole
tahqeeq mentioned above is that Shahr bin Hawshab is Thiqah according to the
Jumhoor and Hasan ul-Hadeeth; and most of the criticisms narrated on him are
un-explained and Mild, as compared to the explained Ta’deel; and if Abdul
Humayd bin Bahraam narrates from him then his narration becomes even stronger and more
authentic.
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