Abdullah bin al-Husayn al-Azdi, Abu Hareez al-Basri

Name:

عبد الله بن الحسين الأزدى ، أبو حريز البصرى ، ( قاضى سجستان )

Abdullah bin al-Husayn al-Azdi, Abu Hareez al-Basri (The Judge of Sijistaan)

Tabaqah: 6 – From the contemporaries of Minor Taabi’een

Narrated by: Bukhaari in al-Ta’leeq form – Abu Dawood – Al-Tirmidhi – Nasaa’ee – Ibn Maajah

Teachers: Ibraaheem al-Nakha’ee, Habeeb bin Abi Thaabit, Al-Hasan al-Basri, Al-Hakam bin Utaybah, Sa’eed bin Jubayr, Shahr bin Hawshab, Aamir ash-Sha’bee, Ikrimah Mawla Ibn Abbaas, Qays bin Abi Haazim, Abu Ishaaq as-Sabi’ee, Abu Burdah bin Abi Moosa al-Ash’ari, Abu Bakr al-Makki and others.

Students: Sa’eed bin Abi Aroobah, Uthmaan bin Matr ash-Shaybaani, Affaan bin Jubayr at-Taa’ee, Al-Fudayl bin Maysarah, Qataadah, and others.

Status: Sadooq, Hasan ul-Hadeeth

Opinions of Ahl ul-Jarh wat Ta’deel:

Those who criticized him:

1-    Imaam Ahmed bin Hanbal said: “He is Munkar ul-Hadeeth”

[Al-Ilal: 1/168, 384]

Note: It is known that Imaam Ahmed would often consider a person Munkar al-Hadeeth just for narrating narrations in which he is alone. Therefore, this Jarh is not considered reliable if Imaam Ahmed uses it.

2-    Imaam Nasaa’ee said: “He is Da’eef”

[Ad-Du’afa wal Matrokeen: T. 328]

Imaam Nasaa’ee also said that: “He is not strong”

[Al-Kunaa with reference from Tahdheeb at-Tahdheeb: 5/188 & Sunan al-Kubra lil Nasaa’ee: 3/228 H. 2841]

3-    Sa’eed bin Abi Maryam said: “He is nothing in Hadeeth”

[Al-Kaamil by Ibn Adee: 5/261, Chain Saheeh]

4-    Imaam Ibn Adee said: “Normally what he narrates, no one has followed him in that”

[Al-Kaamil: 2/266]

5-    Imaam Abu Ja’far al-Ukaylee mentioned him in Ad-Du’afa

[2/240]

6-    Ibraaheem bin Ya’qoob al-Juzjaani said: “He is not praised in Hadeeth”

[Ahwaal ur-Rijaal: T. 146]

Note: This is not against his being Hasan ul-Hadeeth, wallahu a’lam

7-    Ad-Daaraqutni said: “Yu’tabar Bihi (relied upon)”

[Su’aalaat al-Barqaani: T. 268]

Note: This saying is differed upon as to whether it is a Ta’deel or Jarh!?

8-    Haafidh Abu Bakr al-Bayhaqi said: “He is not strong”

[Sunan al-Kubra lil Bayhaqi: 5/579 H. 10953]

Note: This is a very light Jarh.

9-    Haafidh Ibn al-Jawzee mentioned him in ad-Du’afa

[P. 83 with reference from Tahdheeb al-Kamaal]

Note: Ibn al-Jawzee is known for his extreme strictness with the narrators.

Those who praised him:

10-          Imaam Abu Zur’ah ar-Raazi said: “He is Thiqah”

[Al-Jarh wat Ta’deel: 5/35]

11-          Imaam Abu Haatim ar-Raazi said: “He is Hasan ul-Hadeeth, he is not Munkar ul-Hadeeth, write his narrations”

[Al-Jarh wat Ta’deel: 5/35]

12-          Imaam Ibn Khuzaymah authenticated his narrations in his Saheeh

[H. 650, 2053 etc]

13-          Imaam Ibn Hibbaan mentioned him in Ath-Thiqaat and said: “He is Sadooq”

[7/24-25]

He also narrated from him in his Saheeh.

14-          Imaam al-Haakim authenticated his hadeeth saying: “Its chain is Saheeh”

[Mustadrak al-Haakim: 4/163 H. 7234 and Dhahabi followed him]

15-          Haafidh al-Mundhiri authenticated his hadeeth, saying: “It is narrated by at-Tabaraani in al-Kabeer and al-Awsat, and the chain of al-Kabeer is Hasan”

[Al-Targheeb wal Tarheeb: 3/117 H. 3304]

Note: The chain of al-Kabeer contains Abu Hareez al-Azdi

[See, Mu’jam al-Kabeer: 11/337 H. 11932]

16-          Ibn Khalfoon mentioned him in ath-Thiqaat

[Ikmaal Tahdheeb al-Kamaal: 7/308]

17-          Imaam Zayaa al-Maqdisi authenticated his hadeeth in al-Mukhtaarah

[H. 142, under H. 143, & 144]

18-          Imaam Dhahabi said: “He is Saalih al-Hadeeth”

[Taareekh al-Islaam: 3/676, Bashshaar]

19-          Ibn Hajar al-Asqalaani said: “He is Sadooq, make mistakes”

[Taqreeb: 3276]

Contradictory Opinions:

The following sayings are contradictory, thus neutral!

1-    Imaam Yahya ibn Ma’een said: “He is Da’eef”

[Du’afa al-Kabeer by Ukaylee: 2/240, Chain Saheeh]

At another place, Ibn Ma’een said: “Basri Thiqah”

[Al-Jarh wat Ta’deel: 5/35, Chain Saheeh]

And Ibn Tahmaan narrated in his Su’aalaat that Imaam Ibn Ma’een said: “There is nothing wrong in him”

[T. 320]

Note: The Tawtheeq of Imaam Ibn Ma’een seems more correct to me, wallahu a’lam

2-    Haafidh Noor ud-Deen Al-Haythami said: “The Jumhoor A’immah have weakened him”

[Majma az-Zawaaid: 4/243]

Whereas, in another place, Al-Haythami said while grading a hadeeth: “It is narrated by at-Tabaraani in al-Kabeer and al-Awsat, and it contains Sa’d Abu Ghaylaan ash-Shaybaani and I do not know him; and the remaining narrators of this chain are Thiqaat”

[Majma az-Zawaaid: 5/197]

This chain also contains “Abu Hareez al-Azdi” who is declared “Thiqah” by al-Haythami under the saying “…and the remaining narrators are Thiqaat”.

Conclusion:

Abdullah bin al-Husayn al-Azdi is at least Hasan ul-Hadeeth, majorly because criticisms laid upon him are not explained nor are (most of them) considered reliable criticisms as compared to the clear and explained Tawtheeq.