Ayyoob bin Suwayd, Abu Mas’ood al-Himayree

Name:

أَيوب بْن سُوَيد، أَبو مَسعُود، الحِميَرِيّ، السَّيبانِيّ

Ayyoob bin Suwayd, Abu Mas’ood, Al-Himayree as-Saybaani

Tabaqah: 9 - From the minor Taba Taabi'een

Death: Imaam Bukhaari has narrated with a weak chain that he drowned in the sea in 193 H [Taareekh al-Kabeer (1/417)]. But Imaam Ibn Abi Aasim said that he died in 202 H [Taareekh al-Islaam (5/37)]. Imaam Dhahabi has favored the second opinion and this seems more accurate, wallahu a’lam.

Narrated by: Abu Dawood – Tirmidhi – Ibn Maajah

Teachers: Idrees bin Yazeed al-Awdi, Usaamah bin Zayd al-Laythi, Sufyaan ath-Thawree, Abdur Rahmaan bin Amr al-Awzaa’ee, Abdur Rahmaan bin Yazeed bin Jaabir, Abdul Malik bin Jurayj, Maalik bin Anas, Yoonus bin Yazeed al-Aylee, Abu Bakr al-Hudhali and others.

Students: Ibraaheem bin Muhammad bin Yoosuf al-Faryaabi,Baqiyyah bin al-Waleed (and he was elder than him), Ar-Rabee’ bin Sulemaan al-Muraadi, Abdur Rahmaan bin Ibraaheem Duhaym ad-Dimashqi, Muhammad bin Idrees ash-Shaafi’ee, Yoonus bin Abdul A’la as-Sadfi, Mu’ammal bin Ihaab, and others.

Status: Da’eef

Opinions of Ahl ul-Jarh wat Ta’deel:

Those who criticized him:

1-    Wahb bin Zama’ah narrated that Imaam Abdullah bin al-Mubaarak (D. 181) abandoned the hadeeth of Ayyoob bin Suwayd.

[ Al-Kaamil by Ibn Adee (2/24), Chain Hasan]

2-    Imaam Yahya bin Ma’een (D. 233) said:

“ليس بشيء، كان حدثهم بالرملة بأحاديث عن عبد الله بن المبارك، ثم جعلها بعد عن نفسه عن رجال ابن المبارك”

“He is nothing, he used to narrate to them in Ramlah with Ahadeeth which he narrated from Abdullah bin al-Mubaarak. Then later he started narrating it from himself from the men of Ibn al-Mubaarak”

[ Su'alaat Ibn al-Junayd (1/407) & Taareekh Ibn Ma’een by Ad-Dauri (4/451)]

At another place, he said:

“لَيْسَ بِشَيْءٍ كَانَ يَسْرِقُ الْأَحَادِيثَ”

“He is nothing; he used to steal the ahaadeeth”

[Ad-Du’afa al-Kabeer lil Ukaylee (1/113)]

3-    Imaam Muhammad bin Ismaa’eel al-Bukhaari (D. 256) said:

“يتكلمون فِيهِ”

“They have spoken (negatively) of him”

[ Taareekh al-Kabeer by al-Bukhaari (1/417)]

At another place, Imaam Bukhaari said:

“أما أيوب فلَيْسَ بقوي”

“As for Ayyoob, then is not strong”

[Taareekh al-Kabeer lil Bukhaari (2/349)]

4-    Imaam Ibraaheem bin Ya’qoob al-Juzjaani (D. 259) said:

“واهي الحديث”

“He is wasted in hadeeth”

[Ahwaal ur-Rijaal (1/266)]

5-    Imaam Abu Abdur Rahmaan an-Nasaa’ee (D. 303) said:

“لَيْسَ بِثِقَة”

“He is not Thiqah”

[Ad-Du’afa wal Matrokeen by Nasaa’ee (1/16)]

6-    Imaam Abu Haatim ar-Raazi (D. 275) said:

“هو لين الحديث”

“He is soft (weak) in hadeeth”

[Al-Jarh wat Ta’deel by Ibn Abi Haatim (2/250)]

7-    Imaam Abu al-Hasan ad-Daaraqutni (D. 385) said:

“يعتبر به”

“He is relied upon (in Mutaabi’aat)”

[ Su'aalaat al-Barqaani li'd-Daaraqutni (1/58)]

Note: This is a phrase of Jarh and it means that the narrator is weak but is reliable only in Mutaabi’at.

8-    Imaam Abu Ja’far al-Ukaylee (D. 322) mentioned him in Kitaab ad-Du’afa (1/113 T. 131).

9-    Imaam Zakariyyah bin Yahya as-Saaji (D. 307) said:

“ضعيف إرم به”

“He is Da’eef, throw him away”

[Tahdheeb at-Tahdheeb (1/406)]

10-          Imaam Abu Ahmed bin Adee al-Jarjaani (D. 365) said:

“يُكْتَبُ حَدِيثُهُ فِي جُمْلَةِ الضُّعَفَاءِ”

“His narrations are written down among the Weak narrators”

[ Al-Kaamil by Ibn Adee (2/28)]

11-          Imaam Abu Bakr al-Ismaa’eeli (D. 371) said about him in his Mustakhraj under Kitaab al-Buyoo’ that:

“فيه نظر”

“There is something wrong in him”

[Ikmaal Tahdheeb al-Kamaal (2/235) & Tahdheeb at-Tahdheeb (1/406)]

12-          Imaam Abu Abdullah al-Haakim al-Neesaaboori (D. 405) said:

“أَيُّوبُ مِمَّنْ لَمْ يَحْتَجَّا إِلَّا أَنَّهُ مِنْ أَجِلَّةِ مَشَائِخِ الشَّامِ”

“Ayyoob is among those who are not taken evidence from except that he is among the great Mashaaikh of Shaam”

[ Al-Mustadrak Ala as-Saheehayn by al-Haakim (H. 1677)]

On the contrary, Imaam Haakim has also authenticated the chains of his other narrations. But his explicit comments concerning him are superior to his implicit authentication as he was Mutasaahil in grading.

13-          Imaam Abu Bakr al-Bayhaqi (D. 458) said:

“ضعيف”

“Da’eef”

[ Sunan al-Kubra lil Bayhaqi (10/271)]

14-          Imaam Abu Ya’la al-Khaleeli (D. 446) said:

“صَالِحُ الْحَدِيثِ, قَدِيمُ الْمَوْتِ, رَوَى عَنْهُ الْكِبَارُ, لَمْ يَرْضَوْا حِفْظَهُ, غَيْرُ مُتَّفَقٌ عَلَيْهِ”

“He is Saalih al-Hadeeth, died a long later, the Kibaar (A’immah) have narrated from him, they were not pleased by his memory, and they were not agreed upon him”

[ Al-Irshaad fi Ma'rifah Ulama al-Hadeeth by al-Khaleeli (1/418)]

15-          Haafidh Ibn al-Jawzee (D. 597) mentioned him in Ad-Du’afa wal Matrokeen (1/130).

16-          Imaam Shams ud-Deen adh-Dhahabi (D. 748) said:

“كَانَ سَيِّئَ الحِفْظِ لَيِّناً”

“He had weak memory, and he was Layyin (weak)”

[ Siyar A'laam al-Nabula by Dhahabi (8/142)]

17-          Haafidh Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali (D. 795) said:

“وَأَيُّوبُ فِيهِ ضَعْفٌ”

“And there is weakness in Ayyoob”

[Jaami al-Uloom al-Hikam (1/107)]

18-          Haafidh Ibn al-Mulaqqin (D. 804) said:

“فِي إِسْنَاده أَيُّوب بن سُوَيْد، وَهُوَ ضَعِيف”

“Its chain contains Ayyoob bin Suwayd, and he is Da’eef”

[ Al-Badar al-Muneer by Ibn al-Mulaqqin (7/303)]

19-          Haafidh Noor ud-Deen al-Haythami (D. 807) said about his narration:

“فيه أيوب بن سويد، وهو ضعيف لا يُحتجَّ به”

“It contains Ayyoob bin Suwayd, and he is Da’eef, evidence is not taken from him.”

[ Majma az-Zawaaid by Al-Haythami (1/87)]

In another place, he said:

“وَلَكِنْ ضَعَّفَهُ الْجُمْهُورُ”

“However, he is weakened by Jumhoor”

[Majma az-Zawaaid (5/130)]

At another place, he said:

“هُوَ يَسْرِقُ الْحَدِيثَ”

“He is a stealer of Hadeeth”

[Majma az-Zawaaid (1/132)]

At another place, he said:

“هُوَ مَتْرُوكٌ”

“He is Matrook”

[Majma (6/253)]

20-          Allaamah Shihaab ud-Deen al-Busayri (D. 840) said:

“أَيُّوب بن سُوَيْد مُتَّفق على تَضْعِيفه”

“Ayyoob bin Suwayd is (unanimously) agreed upon to be weak”

[ Misbaah uz-Zajaajah (2/14)]

Those who praised him:

1-    Imaam Ibn Khuzaymah (D. 311) has narrated from him in his Saheeh as per the claim of Mughaltaai al-Hanafi, wallahu a’lam.

[ Ikmaal (2/235)]

2-    Imaam Ibn Hibbaan (D. 354) mentioned him in Ath-Thiqaat (8/125) and said:

“وَكَانَ رَدِيء الْحِفْظ يتقى حَدِيثه من رِوَايَة ابْنه مُحَمَّد بن أَيُّوب عَنهُ لِأَن أخباره إِذا سيرت من غير رِوَايَة ابْنه عَنهُ وجد أَكْثَرهَا مُسْتَقِيمَة”

“He had weak memory, his narrations from his son Muhammad bin Ayyoob are to be abstained from because when his reports come from him through other than his son, many of them are found to be Mustaqeem (straight)”

[ Ath-Thiqaat by Ibn Hibbaan (8/125)]

Contradictory Opinions:

1-    Haafidh Ibn Hajar al-Asqalaani (D. 852) said:

“أَيُّوبُ بْنُ سُوَيْدٍ ضَعِيفٌ”

“Ayyoob bin Suwayd is Da’eef”

[Fath ul-Baari (9/385)]

While in another place, he said:

“صدوق يخطىء”

“He is Truthful, makes (less) mistakes”

[Taqreeb (615)]

This phrase is used for “Hasan ul-Hadeeth” which is contradictory to his other opinion, and thus both his sayings are neutral.

Conclusion:

Ayyoob bin Suwayd is Da’eef according to the Jumhoor.