Name:
الليث بن سعد بن عبد الرحمن الفهمى ، أبو الحارث المصرى ، مولى عبد
الرحمن بن خالد بن مسافر
Al-Layth
bin Sa’d bin Abdur Rahmaan al-Fahmi, Abu al-Haarith al-Misri, Mawla Abdur
Rahmaan bin Khaalid al-Musaafir
Tabaqah:
Birth:
Sha’baan, 94 A.H in Qarqashandah – a village twenty-two kilometers from
Fustaat, Egypt. His origin goes back to Esfehaan, Persia (nowadays Iraan)
Death: Friday
the Fifteenth of Sha’baan 174 A.H. He was buried in Cairo.
Narrated by:
Teachers: Naafi'
Mawla Ibn Umar, 'Abdullah bin 'Ubaydullah bin Abi Mulaykah, Yazeed
bin Abi Habeeb, Yahya bin Sa'eed al-Ansaari, 'Abd Rabbih bin Sa'eed
bin Qays bin 'Amr, Muhammad bin Ajlaan al-Madani, Ibn Shihaab Az-Zuhri,
Hishaam bin 'Urwah, 'Ata bin Abi Ribaah, Bukayr bin 'Abdullah bin
al-Ashaj, Haarith bin Ya’qoob bin Tha’labah, Zuhrah bin Ma'bad bin
'Abdullah, Sa'eed bin Abi Sa'eed al-Maqburi, Abu az-Zinaad Abdullah
bin Zakwaan, 'Abdur Rahmaan bin al-Qaasim, Qataadah bin Di’aamah, 'Abdullah
bin 'Umar bin Hafs bin 'Aasim, Moosa bin 'Ali bin Ribaah, Yazeed bin
'Abdullah bin Usaamah bin al-Haad, Muhammad bin Muslim bin Tadrus, Ibrahim
bin Abi Ablah, Ayyoob bin Moosa bin 'Amr bin Sa'eed, Ibrahim bin Nushayt, Ja'far
bin Rabee’ah bin Sharjeel, 'Ubaydullah bin Abi Ja'far, Hakeem bin Abdullah
bin Qays, Hunayn bin Abi Hakeem, Hasan bin Thawbaan bin 'Aamir, Khaalid
bin Yazeed, Khaalid bin Abi 'Imraan, Jabar bin Nu’aym, Sa'eed
bin Yazeed al-Humayri, Katheer bin Farqad al-Madani, Mu’aawiyah bin Saalih
bin Hudayr, Safwaan bin Sulaym al-Madani, Yahya bin Ayyoob Al-Misri, Uqayl
bin Khalid bin 'Aqeel, Yoonus bin Yazeed bin Abi al-Nijaad al-Aylee, Najeeh
bin Abdur Rahmaan Abu Ma’shar, 'Umayrah bin Abi Naajiyah, 'Abdul 'Aziz bin
'Abdullah bin Abi Salamah al-Maajishoon, Abdul Malik bin Jurayj, Abu az-Zubayr
al-Makki, and others.
Students: Shu’ayb
bin al-Layth bin Sa’d, Muhammad bin Ajlaan al-Madani, Hishaam bin
Sa'd al-Madani, (He is also from his Shuyookh), 'Abdullah bin Lahee’ah bin
'Uqbah, Hushaym bin Bushayr bin al-Qaasim, Qays bin ar-Rabee' al-'Asdi,
Ataaf bin Khaalid bin 'Abdullah al-Makhzoomi, 'Abdullah bin al-Mubarak, 'Abdullah
bin Wahb, Marwaan bin Muhammad bin Hisaan at-Taatri, Haashim bin al-Qaasim
bin Muslim al-Laythi, Al-Waleed bin Muslim, Ya’qoob bin Ibrahim bin Sa'd, Yoonus
bin Muhammad bin Muslim, Yahya bin Ishaaq, Ali bin Nasr al-Jahdami
al-Kabeer, Mansoor bin Salamah bin 'Abdul 'Azeez, Abu al-‘Alaa al-Hasan bin
Sawaar, Hujayn bin al-Muthanna, 'Abdullah bin Naafi' al-Saa'igh, 'Abdur
Rahmaan bin Ghazwaan, Abu Saalih Abdullah bin Saalih, Bishr bin as-Sari, Shabaabah
bin Sawaar, 'Abdullah bin Yahya al-Burullusi, Hajjaaj bin Muhammad
al-Masseesi, Zayd bin Yahya bin 'Ubayd, Ash-hab bin 'Abdul 'Azeez, Dawood
bin Mansoor al-Nasaa’ee, Sa'eed bin Sulemaan al-Waasiti, Adam bin Abi
Iyaas, Sa'eed bin al-Hakam bin Abi Maryam, Sa'eed bin Sharjeel al-Kindi, Sa'eed
bin Katheer bin Ufayr, 'Abdullah bin Yusuf al-Tinneesi, 'Abdullah bin
Yazeed al-Muqri, 'Ali bin 'Ayyaash, 'Amr bin Khalid al-Harraani, 'Amr
bin al-Rabi' bin Taariq, Hishaam bin 'Abdul Malik al-Tiyaalsi, Yahya
bin 'Abdullah bin Bukayr, Abdullah bin Maslamah al-Qa’nabi Qaasim bin Katheer
al-Iskandaraani, Ahmed bin 'Abdullah bin Yoonus, Qutaybah bin Sa'eed
al-Balkhi, Muhammad bin Rumh bin al-Muhaajir, Muhammad bin al-Haarith
bin Raashid, Abu al-Jahm al-‘Alaa bin Moosa, 'Eesa bin Hammaad bin Zaghbah, and
others.
Status:
Opinions of Ahl ul-Jarh wat Ta’deel:
Those who praised him:
1-
“وكان ثقة كثير الحديث صحيحه وكان قد استقل بالفتوى في زمانه بمصر
وكان سريًا من الرجال نبيلًا سخيًا له ضيافة”
“He was Thiqah, having numerous authentic ahaadeeth, he was a
permanent Mufti of Misr in his era; he was one of the generous of men, noble,
bounteous and hospitable”
[
2-
“ثِقَة صَدُوق”
“Thiqah Sadooq”
[
Abbaas
ad-Dauri asked Imaam Yahya bin Ma’een as to who among Layth bin Sa’d and Ibn
Abi Dhi’b is more Thabat in narrating from Sa’eed al-Maqburi, so he replied:
“كلاهما
ثبت”
“They both are Thabat”
[Taareekh Ibn Ma’een by Ad-Dauri (3/246)]
Imaam Ibn
Ma’een also said:
“ليث بن
سعد أثبت في يزيد بن أبي حبيب من محمد بن إسحاق”
“Layth bin Sa’d is more Thabat
in narrating from Yazeed bin Abi Habeeb than Muhammad bin Ishaaq”
[Taareekh Ibn Ma’een by Ad-Dauri (4/466)]
In another
narration, Imaam Ibn Ma’een was asked ‘Is Layth more beloved to you or Yahya
bin Ayyoob?’, he replied:
“الليث أحب
إلي ويحيى ثقة”
“Layth is more beloved to me,
and Yahya is also Thiqah”
[Taareekh Baghdaad (13/13), Chain Hasan]
In the same
narration, he was asked: “How is his hadeeth from Naafi?” he replied:
“صالح ثقة”
“Saalih Thiqah”
[Ibid]
3-
“الليث بن سعد ثبت”
“Layth bin Sa’d is Thabat”
[
4-
“أصح الناس حديثًا عن سعيد المقبري ليث بن سعد”
“The most accurate of people in narrating from Sa’eed al-Maqburi
is Layth bin Sa’d”
[
He also said:
“الليث بن
سعد، كثير العلم، صحيح الحديث”
“Layth bin Sa’d had profound
knowledge, and his hadeeth is Saheeh”
[Al-Jarh wat Ta’deel by Ibn Abi Haatim (7/179), Chain Saheeh
& Al-Ma’rifah wal Taareekh by Ya’qoob bin Sufyaan (2/139)]
Ahmed bin Sa’d
az-Zuhri asked Imaam Ahmed about Layth bin Sa’d, so he said:
“ثقة ثبت”
“He is Thiqah Thabat”
[Taareekh Baghdaad (13/12), Chain Hasan]
He also said:
“ما في
هؤلاء المصريين أثبت من الليث بن سعد لا عمرو بن الحارث ولا أحد”
“There is no one among these
people of Egypt more Thabat than Layth bin Sa’d, not even Amr bin al-Haarith or
anyone else”
[Al-Jarh wat Ta’deel (7/179), Taareekh Baghdaad (13/12),
Chain Hasan]
5-
“كان الليث بن سعد صدوقا”
“Layth bin Sa’d was Truthful”
[
6-
7-
8-
“ثقة”
“Thiqah”
[
9-
“صدوق”
“He was Sadooq”
Ibn Abi Haatim then asked: “Is
Hujjah to be taken from his Hadeeth”, Imaam Abu Zur’ah replied:
“O, By my Life (Yes)”
[
10-
“ثقة”
“Thiqah”
[
Imaam Abu
Haatim also said:
“الليث بن
سعد احب إلى من المفضل بن فضالة المصري”
“Al-Layth bin Sa’d is more
beloved to me than Al-Mufaddal bin Fadaalah al-Misri”
[
11-
“وكان ثقة سريّا سخيّا”
“He was Thiqah, generous, and bounteous”
[
12-
13-
It is said that
“ثقة”
“He is Thiqah”
[
14-
15-
“وَإِسْنَادُهُ حَسَنٌ”
“Its chain is Hasan”
[
16-
[See, H.
In one
narration, he specifically said:
“هَذَا
الْخَبَرُ خَبَرُ ثَوْبَانَ عِنْدِي صَحِيحٌ فِي هَذَا الْإِسْنَادِ”
“This report of Thawbaan is
Saheeh with regard to its chain according to us”
[H. 1984]
17-
Imaam Ibn Hibbaan
also mentioned him in ath-Thiqaat and said:
“وَكَانَ
رَحْمَة اللَّه عَلَيْهِ من سَادَات أهل زَمَانه فقها وعلما وورعا وفضلا وسخاء”
“And he – may Allaah have
mercy upon him – was from the masters of his era in Fiqh, knowledge,
righteousness, virtuousness, and bounteousness”
[
18-
“الليث وابن وهب ثقتان، متقنان، صاحبا كتاب”
“Layth and Ibn Wahb both are Thiqah Mutqin, and they both were
men of book”
[
In the same
book, he said:
“الليث
وابن وهب أحفظ من سليمان بن بلال، ومن طلحة بن يحيى”
“Layth and Ibn Wahb are bigger
Haafidh than Sulemaan bin Bilaal and Talhah bin Yahya”
[P. 354]
In another
place, he said:
“ثقة”
“He is Thiqah”
[Sunan ad-Daaraqutni (P. 305)]
At another
place, he said:
“الليث من
أثبت الناس في حديث سعيد المقبري”
“Layth is the most Thabat of
people in the hadeeth of Sa’eed al-Maqburi”
[Al-Ilal by ad-Daaraqutni (6/139)]
19-
“وَاتَّفَقَا جَمِيعًا عَلَى الِاحْتِجَاجِ بِحَدِيثِ اللَّيْثِ
بْنِ سَعْدٍ، عَنْ عَيَّاشِ بْنِ عَبَّاسٍ الْقِتْبَانِيِّ وَهَذَا إِسْنَادٌ
مِصْرِيٌّ صَحِيحٌ وَلَا يَحْفَظُ لَهُ عِلَّةٌ”
“Everyone is unanimously agreed upon taking evidence from the
hadeeth of Layth bin Sa’d from Ayyaash bin Abbaas al-Qitbaani, and this
Egyptian chain (i.e. of Layth bin Sa’d) is Saheeh, there is no defect preserved
for this chain”
[
At another
place, he said about a chain of a hadeeth that:
“«هَذَا حَدِيثٌ رُوَاتُهُ مِصْرِيُّونُ
ثِقَاتٌ»”
“The narrators of this hadeeth
are all from Egypt and are Thiqah”
[H. 767]
20-
“هو من
الحفاظ الأثبات الفقهاء”
“He was from the Thabat Huffaadh and Fuqaha”
[
21-
“وكان فقيها فاضلا ثقة جوادا، يحفظ القرآن ويعرف الحديث والعربية أوالشعر”
“He was a Faqeeh virtuous and generous person; he memorized the
Qur’aan, became well-versed with the Hadeeth and the Arabic Language or the
poetry”
[
22-
Haafidh Ibn Khalkaan (D.
681) said:
“وكان ثقة
سريا سخيا”
“He was Thiqah, noble and
bounteous”
[Wafiyaat al-A’yaan (4/127)]
23-
“الإمام الحافظ شيخ الديار المصرية وعالمها ورئيسها.... مناقب الليث
عديدة وهو إمام حجة كثيرة التصانيف”
“He is al-Imaam al-Haafidh, Shaykh of Egypt, its Scholar and its
leader…. The virtues of Layth are numerous and he is Imaam Hujjah, he has
authored several books”
[
At another
place, he said:
“وكان
إماماً ثقة حجةً رفيعاً واسع العلم سخياً جواداً محتشماً”
“He was Imaam Thiqah Hujjah,
high ranked, vastly knowledgeable, bounteous, generous, and bashful”
[Al-Abar (1/206)]
At another
place, he said:
“الإمام،
الحافظ، شيخ الإسلام، وعالم الديار المِصْرِيَّةِ”
“He is al-Imaam al-Haafidh
Shaykh ul-Islaam and the Scholar of Egypt”
[Siyar A’laam al-Nabula (7/204)]
At another
place, he said:
“أحد
الاعلام والائمة الاثبات ثقة حجة بلا نزاع”
“He was
one of the prominent figures, and one of the Thiqah Thabat A’immah, he is
Hujjah without any dispute”
[Meezaan al-I’tidaal (3/423)]
At another
place, he said:
“الإمام ،
ثبت من نظراء مالك”
“He is Imaam, Thabat – from the
peers of Maalik”
[Al-Kaashif (2/152)]
24-
“اللَّيْث بن سعد من ثِقَات أَصْحَاب الزُّهْرِيّ”
“Layth bin Sa’d is from the Thiqah companions of Zuhri”
[
25-
“ثقة ثبت فقيه إمام مشهور”
“He is Thiqah Thabat Faqeeh, famous Imaam”
[
26-
“هَذَا إِسْنَاد صَحِيح رِجَاله ثِقَات”
“This chain is Saheeh; its narrators are all Thiqah”
[
Those who criticized him:
None!
Maraseel of Imaam Layth:
The following is extracted from
the book “Al-Maraseel” of Ibn Abi Haatim.
Yahya bin Bukayr said that
Al-Layth bin Sa’d neither heard from Mishrah bin Haa’aan nor did he
narrate from him. However, Haafidh al-‘Alaa’ee said: He did narrate from Mishrah.
Imaam Abu Zur’ah ar-Raazi was
asked whether Layth bin Sa’d heard from Abdur Rahmaan al-A’raj or not?
He replied: He met him but he did not hear anything from him.
Ibn Wahb said that Al-Layth bin
Sa’d said: I did not hear from Ubaydullah bin Abi Ja’far. It was only a
Saheefah that he wrote to me.
And similarly, the scribe of
Imaam Layth, Abdullah bin Saalih said that the narration of Layth from Abdullah
al-Umri is from a book.
Imaam Salaah ud-Deen al-‘Alaa’ee
said: “Certainly writing is also one of the forms of taking narrations,
therefore, there is no Irsaal in these two places”
[Jaami at-Tahseel (1/260)]
His Knowledge and Fiqh:
1- Imaam Abdullah bin Wahb (D. 197) said:
“لولا مالك
بْن أنس، والليث بْن سعد هلكت، كنت أظن أن كل ما جَاءَ عَنِ النَّبِيّ صَلَّى
اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يفعل به”
“Were it not for Maalik bin
Anas and Layth bin Sa’d, I would have perished. I assume everything that is narrated
from the Prophet (peace be upon him) was acted upon by him”
[Taareekh Baghdaad (8/13), Chain Saheeh]
2- Imaam Ash-Shaafi’ee (D. 204) said:
«كَانَ اللَّيْثُ بْنُ سَعْدٍ أَفْقَهَ مِنْ
مَالِكِ بْنِ أَنَسٍ إِلَّا أَنَّهُ ضَيَّعَهُ أَصْحَابُهُ»
“Layth bin Sa’d was a bigger
Faqeeh than Maalik bin Anas except that his students failed to convey his
teachings”
[Tabaqaat al-Muhadditheen by Abu ash-Shaykh al-Asbahaani
(1/406), Chain Saheeh]
Imaam
ash-Shaafi’ee also said:
“مَا اشْتَدَّ
عَلَيَّ فَوْتُ أَحَدٍ مِنَ الْعُلَمَاءِ مِثْلَ فَوْتِ ابْنِ أَبِي ذِئْبٍ،
وَاللَّيْثِ بْنِ سَعْدٍ”
“No one’s death from the Scholars
has been more tough for me like the death of Ibn Abi Dhi’b, and Layth bin Sa’d”
[Aadaab ash-Shaafi’ee by Ibn Abi Haatim (1/23), Chain Saheeh]
Imaam Ibn Abi
Haatim said, I mentioned this to my Father (Abu Haatim ar-Raazi), he said:
“مَا ظَنَنْتُ
أَنَّهُ أدْرَكَهُمَا حَتَّى يَأْسَفَ عَلَيْهِمَا”
“I do not think that he (i.e.
Shaafi’ee) met both of them that is why he regrets on (not meeting) them”
[Ibid]
3- Imaam Yahya bin Abdullah bin Bukayr (D. 231) said:
“الليث
افقه من مالك ولكن كانت الحظوة لمالك”
“Layth was a bigger Faqeeh
than Maalik (bin Anas), but Maalik received (more popularity and) respect”
[Al-Jarh wat Ta’deel by Ibn Abi Haatim (7/180), Chain Saheeh]
4- Imaam Abu Ya’la al-Khaleeli said:
“إِمَامُ
وَقْتِهِ بِلَا مُدَافَعَةٍ”
“(Layth bin Sa’d) was the
Imaam of his era, no doubt”
[Al-Irshaad (1/201)]
5-
“فقيه أهل مصر”
“He is the Faqeeh of the people of Egypt”
[
6- Imaam Ibn Hibbaan said:
“وَكَانَ
رَحْمَة اللَّه عَلَيْهِ من سَادَات أهل زَمَانه فقها وعلما وورعا وفضلا وسخاء”
“And he – may Allaah have
mercy upon him – was from the masters of his era in Fiqh, knowledge,
righteousness, virtuousness, and bounteousness”
[
7- Imaam Nawawi said:
“وأجمع
العلماء على جلالته، وإمامته، وعلو مرتبته فى الفقه والحديث وهو إمام أهل مصر فى
زمانه”
“The Scholars have unanimously
agreed upon his sublimity, his Imaamah, his elevated rank in Fiqh and Hadeeth;
and he was the Imaam of the people of Egypt in his era”
[Tahdheeb al-Asmaa wal Lughaat (2/74)]
8- Allaamah Ibn Khalkaan said:
“إمام أهل
مصر في الفقه والحديث”
“He was the Imaam of the
people of Misr in Fiqh and Hadeeth”
[Wafiyaat Al-A’yaan (4/127)]
9- Haafidh Dhahabi said:
“الإمام،
الحافظ، شيخ الإسلام، وعالم الديار المِصْرِيَّةِ”
“He is al-Imaam al-Haafidh
Shaykh ul-Islaam and the Scholar of Egypt”
[Siyar A’laam al-Nabula (7/204)]
The Imaam’s sessions:
After spending long years
acquiring knowledge, Imaam Al-Layth was prominent among his contemporary
scholars as a genius jurist and a most trustworthy narrator of Prophetic
Hadeeths. He started a class in his mosque to teach people. A short period
later, he became very famous and students from everywhere came to learn from
him. Thus he ended up having four sessions every day:
1- A session for discussing the practices of the Sultan of Egypt.
Imaam Al-Layth Ibn Sa'd attained a high rank and prestigious standing in
the sight of the `Abbasid Caliphs to the extent that if the Sultan or the Judge
of Egypt committed any wrong, Al-Layth would write to the Emir of the Believers
who, in turn, would depose them.
2- A class for teaching the noble Prophetic Hadeeths
3- A class for answering people's religious questions
4- A session for fulfilling the requests of the poor and the needy.
The Imaam, may Allaah have mercy on him, never turned down any request
for help.
[Taareekh
Baghdaad (13/10)]
The Character of the Imaam:
Imaam Al-Layth Ibn Sa'd was an
authentic narrator of Prophetic Hadeeths and a talented jurist. He was known
for his piety, asceticism, and generosity. The Imaam was one of the wealthy
scholars. His son Shu'ayb and Qutaybah bin Sa’eed said that his annual income
was between twenty and twenty five thousand Deenaars (golden coins). He used to
spend all this money in the cause of Allaah. He was never liable to pay Zakaah,
simply because he would spend all his money before the year had passed.
[Taareekh Baghdaad (13/9, 13/11),
Chain Saheeh]
Imaam Al-Layth used to give
out charity to three hundred needy people every day. He never ate his food
except in the company of people.
[Taareekh Baghdaad (13/10),
Chain Saheeh]
One day, a woman came to him and
said: "O Abu Al-Haarith! My son is sick and he craves to eat honey."
Al-Layth called his servant and
said:
"Give her one hundred and
twenty pounds of honey."
Imaam Al-Layth was very generous
with scholars, to the extent that he used to send one hundred Deenaars to Imaam
Maalik Ibn Anas every year. Once Imaam Maalik wrote to him that he was in debt.
Imaam Al-Layth sent him five hundred Deenaars.
[Taareekh Baghdaad (13/8), Chain
Saheeh]
When Imaam Al-Layth went to perform Hajj and
he passed by Madeenah, Imaam Maalik sent him a plate of dates. Imaam Al-Layth
Ibn Sa'd put one thousand Deenaars on the plate and sent it back to Imaam
Maalik.
[Taareekh Baghdaad (13/10),
Chain Hasan]
When the books of Ibn Lahee’ah,
a great jurist and narrator of Prophetic Hadeeths, were burnt, Imaam Al-Layth
immediately sent one thousand Deenaars to him.
[Taareekh Baghdaad (13/11),
Chain Saheeh]
The Letters of Imaam Maalik and Imaam Layth
to each other:
Two of the Letters that Imaam
Maalik and Imaam Layth exchanged with each other have, by the grace of Allaah,
been preserved by the Muhadditheen through the excellence of chain! These
letters are authentically narrated by Imaam Ya’qoob bin Sufyaan in al-Ma’rifah
wal Taareekh, and from him Haafidh Ibn al-Jawzee mentioned them in his book
Al-I’laam.
These letters can be read from
the following link:
Some Sayings of Imaam Layth:
1-
Imaam Layth ibn Sa’d – Allaah
have mercy on him – said,
“Even if I saw a heretic (follower of bid’ah) walk on
water, I would not accept him.”
This was reported to Imaam Al-Shaafi’ee
– Allaah have mercy on him, to which he replied,
“He didn’t go far enough. Rather, if I saw one walk in
the air, I would not accept him.”
[Al-Lalkaa’ee
in Sharh Usool ‘I’tiqaad Ahl Al-Sunnah (1/164); Ibn Battah in Al-Ibaanah
Al-Kubra 2/175; Ibn Al-Jawzee in Talbees Iblees p. 14 – with slightly variant
wordings, Chain Hasan]
2-
Marwaan bin Muhammad
al-Taatri said: I saw in Ramadan that, Imam Layth bin Sa’d went to
sleep after ‘Asr, so I asked him: "O
Abul Haarith! Why do you sleep after ‘Asr while Ibn Lahee’ah has narrated to us
from the route of Ukayl, from Makhool, that the prophet (peace be upon him)
said: “Whoever sleeps after ‘Asr and loses his mind, let him blame no one
but himself.”
To this, Imam Layth replied:
“What is beneficial for me, I cannot leave it for the
narration of Ibn Lahee’ah from Aqeel.”
[Al-Kaamil
by Ibn Adee Vol. 4, Pg. 1463]
Note: This narration
clearly proves that Imaam Layth bin Sa’d did not consider Weak narrations to be
acceptable in Fadhaail & Targheeb also.
Conclusion:
Imaam Layth bin Sa’d is
unanimously agreed upon to be a Faqeeh and Muhaddith of High caliber. There is
no dispute of anyone on his knowledge, virtuous, Fiqh, and Hadeeth etc.
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