Amr bin Yahya bin Amr bin Salamah bin al-Haarith al-Hamdaani

Name:

عَمرو بن يَحيَى بن عَمرو بن سَلمة بن الحارث، الهَمدَاني

Amr bin Yahya bin Amr bin Salamah bin al-Haarith, al-Hamdaani

Tabaqah: 7 - From the Major Taba Taabi'een

Teachers: His father Yahya bin Amr bin Salamah

Students: Abu Bakr bin Abi Shaybah, Ibn Numayr, Abdullah bin Umar, Ibraaheem bin Moosa, Abdullah bin Sa’eed al-Ashaj, al-Hakam bin Mubaarak etc.

Status: Thiqah, Hasan ul-Hadeeth

Opinions of Ahl ul-Jarh wat Ta’deel:

Those who praised him:

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

“ثِقَةٌ”

“Thiqah”

[ Al-Jarh wat Ta’deel by Ibn Abi Haatim (6/269), Chain Saheeh]

On the contrary it is narrated from Imaam Yahya bin Ma’een that he said:

“لم يكن يرضي”

“He is not pleasing”

[Al-Kaamil (6/215)]

However, its chain contains Layth bin Abdah who is Majhool ul-Haal. Even if this was proven, this is not an explicit Tad’eef. Imaam Ibn Ma’een could most likely have been talking about his madhab not his hadeeth. As for hadeeth, his decision is clear that he was Thiqah!

It is also narrated from Imaam Ibn Ma’een that he said:

“ليس بشيءٍ”

“He is nothing”

[Al-Kaamil (6/215)]

However, its chain contains Ahmed bin Abi Yahya who is a Kadh-dhaab! Even if this was proven, it is known that when Imaam Ibn Ma’een says this phrase as compared to his explicit tawtheeq, then he refers to the less number of narrations of that narrator by this phrase, and not his tad’eef.

Note: Imaam Yahya bin Ma’een is known to be a Mutashaddid in Rijaal and the tawtheeq of a Mutashaddid is more reliable than any one else’s tawtheeq.

Imaam Dhahabi said:

“فهذا اذا وثق شخصا فعض على قوله بناجذيك وتمسك بتوثيقه”

“Thus when these types of people do tawtheeq of a person then bite onto his saying with your molar teeth and hold fast to his tawtheeq”

[Dhikr man Yu’tamad Qauluhu fil Jarh wat Ta’deel (P. 172)]

2-    Imaam Ibn Hibbaan (D. 354) mentioned him in Kitaab ath-Thiqaat (14547).

•     Just as a benefit and only for the Hanafi Brothers I say that Allaamah Qaasim bin Qatlubagha al-Hanafi has mentioned Amr bin Yahya in his collection of Thiqah narrators

[See, Ath-Thiqaat mimman lam yaqa’a fil Kutub us-Sittah (8482)]

Those who criticized him:

1.     It is said that Abdur Rahmaan bin Yoosuf bin Sa’eed bin Kharaash (D. 283) said:

“ليس بمرضي”

“He is not pleasing”

[ Lisaan al-Meezaan (5852)]

This Jarh is rejected because:

First: This is not proven from Ibn Kharaash.

Second: This is not even a formal Tad’eef in Hadeeth, so how can it be accepted without explanation.

Third: Ibn Kharaash is a Mutashaddid and the Jarh of a Mutashaddid is not accepted without explanation.

Fifth: This Ibn Kharaash is himself Weak and a Raafidi. Imaam Dhahabi has refuted and rejected his sayings several times in his books.

This Raafidi once declared a Thiqah narrator to be a Liar so Imaam Dhahabi said as rhetoric:

“مَنِ الَّذِي يُصَدِّقُ ابن خراش ذاك الرافضي في قوله؟!”

“Who has affirmed this Raafidi Ibn Kharaash in his saying?!”

[Siyar (10/130)]

Imaam Abu Zur’ah Muhammad bin Yoosuf al-Jarjaani (D. 390) said about Ibn Kharaash:

“كان خرج مثالب الشيخين، وكان رافضيًا”

“He compiled the slanders on Shaykhayn, and he was a Raafidi”

[Taareekh Baghdaad (10/280), Chain Hasan]

Hence, Ibn Kharaash Raafidi’s opinion in Jarh wa Ta’deel does not carry any weight!

Note: This is the only saying available in Jarh of Amr bin Yahya from any Naaqid.

2.     Haafidh Noor ud-Deen al-Haythami (D. 807) said:

“هو ضعيف‏‏”

“He is Da’eef”

[ Majma az-Zawaaid (3/84)]

Note: Al-Haythami is not a Naaqid rather only a Naaqil. Hence, his Jarh wa Ta’deel which is not supported by a saying of a Naaqid is not accepted.

 

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

“ليس لَهُ كَثِيرٍ رواية ولم يحضرني لَهُ شيء”

“He does not have a lot of narration, and I did not bring any narration from him”

[ Al-Kaamil (6/215)]

Note: This is not a Jarh; rather Ibn Adee has abstained from making any ruling on the narrator because he could not find his narrations to make a ruling on!

•         Imaam Shams ud-Deen adh-Dhahabi (D. 748) mentioned him in Deewaan ad-Du’afa (3229) and Al-Mughni fid-Du’afa (4729), but it is known that Imaam Dhahabi’s mention of a narrator in his Du’afa does not mean that he is Da’eef according to him, rather he mentions the names of narrators in these books just to show that they have been criticized, even though he may not agree with the criticism.

Hence, Dhahabi’s mentioning someone in his Du’afa is not a proof of his Tad’eef as is apparent from his Manhaaj in the books.

Same is the case with Ibn al-Jawzee.

Conclusion:

Amr bin Yahya bin Amr bin Salamah is Sadooq Hasan ul-Hadeeth to say the least.