Ja’far bin Maymoon at-Tameemi al-Anmaati

Name:

جعفر بن ميمون التميمى ، أبو على ، و يقال أبو العوام ، الأنماطى ، بياع الأنماط

Ja’far bin Maymoon at-Tameemi, Abu Ali, and it is said: Abu al-Awwaam, Al-Anmaati, (he is named so because) he used to sell rugs (Anmaat)

Tabaqah: 6 - From the contemporaries of Minor Taabi'een

Death: 141 – 150 H

Narrated by: Al-Bukhaari in Juzz al-Qira'ah – Abu Dawood – Tirmidhi – Nasaa'ee – Ibn Maajah

Teachers: Abu Dhibyaan Khaleefah bin Ka’b, Rufay’ Abu al-Aaliyah ar-Riyaahi, Abdur Rahmaan bin Abi Bakrah, Ataa bin Abi Ribaah, Abu Tameemah al-Hujaymee, and Abu Uthmaan an-Nahdi.

Students: Azhar bin Sa’d as-Sammaan, Abu Usaamah Hammaad bin Usaamah, Khaalid bin al-Haarith, Sa’eed bin Abi Aroobah, Sufyaan ath-Thawree, Sufyaan bin Uyaynah, Abdul Jaleel bin Atiyyah, Abdul Waahid bin Waasil al-Haddaad, Eesaa bin Yoonus, Qaza’ah bin Suwayd al-Baahili, Muhammad bin Ja’far Ghundur, Muhammad bin Abi Adee, Wuhayb bin Khaalid, and Yahya bin Sa’eed al-Qattaan etc

Status: Sadooq Hasan ul-Hadeeth

Opinions of Ahl ul-Jarh wat Ta’deel:

Those who praised him:

1-    Imaam Yahya bin Sa’eed al-Qattaan (D. 198) has narrated from him and he does not narrate except from Thiqah according to him.

[ See, Tahdheeb al-Kamaal and other books of rijaal]

Imaam al-Ijlee (D. 261) said about Yahya al-Qattaan:

“وكان لا يحدث إلا عن ثقة”

“He did not narrate except from Thiqah”

[Ath-Thiqaat by Ijlee (2/353)]

And there are many other sayings as well.

2-    Imaam Abu Eesa at-Tirmidhi (D. 279) authenticated his hadeeth saying:

“هذا حديث حسن صحيح غريب من هذا الوجه”

“This hadeeth is Hasan Saheeh Ghareeb from this route”

[ Sunan at-Tirmidhi (2861)]

In another hadeeth of him, he said:

“هذا حديث حسن غريب”

“This hadeeth is Hasan Ghareeb”

[Sunan at-Tirmidhi (3556)]

3-    Imaam Ibn Hibbaan (D. 354) mentioned him in Ath-Thiqaat (6/135 T. 7053) and he also narrated from him in his Saheeh at several places.

4-    Imaam Abu Abdullah al-Haakim al-Neesaaboori (D. 405) said about Ja’far:

“جعفر بن ميمون العبدي من ثقات البصريين، ويحيى بن سعيد لا يحدث إلا عن الثقات”

“Ja’far bin Maymoon al-Abdi is from the Thiqah people of Basrah, and Yahya bin Sa’eed (Al-Qattaan) did not narrate except from Thiqah”

[ Al-Mustadrak Ala as-Saheehayn by Al-Haakim (1/365 under H. 872)]

Note: Imaam Haakim is only Mutasaahil in his Tasheeh (authentication of certain narrations) but not in his explicit words of Tawtheeq.

5-    Haafidh Abdul Haqq al-Ashbaylee (D. 581) authenticated a lone narration of Ja’far bin Maymoon by narrating it in his Ahkaam as-Sughra as-Saheehah (P. 898-899)

6-    Imaam Shams ud-Deen adh-Dhahabi (D. 748) mentioned Ja’far bin Maymoon in his pamphlet “Man Takallam feehi wahuwa Mawthaq” in which he included the names of those who were criticized but they are Hasan ul-Hadeeth at the least.

[See, P. 61 T. 70]

7-    Haafidh Noor ud-Deen al-Haythami (D. 807) said about a narration of Ja’far bin Maymoon:

“رَوَاهُ الطَّبَرَانِيُّ، وَإِسْنَادُهُ حَسَنٌ”

“It is narrated by At-Tabaraani and its chain is Hasan”

[ Majma az-Zawaaid (10/137)]

Note: The chain of Tabaraani does indeed contain Ja’far bin Maymoon in it. In fact, all the chains of the hadeeth Haythami is talking about contain Ja’far bin Maymoon.

8-    Imaam Ibn Hajar al-Asqalaani (D. 852) said:

“صدوق يخطىء”

“He is Sadooq, (sometimes) makes errors”

[ Taqreeb at-Tahdheeb (961)]

Note: Such a narrator is Hasan ul-Hadeeth according to the Muhadditheen. This is why Ibn Hajar also authenticated one of his lone narrations saying:

“هذا حديث حسن”

“This hadeeth is Hasan”

[Al-Futuhaat ar-Rabbaaniyah (4/8)]

Those who criticized him:

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

“ليس بذاك”

“He is not like that”

[ Taareekh Ibn Ma’een narrated by Ad-Dauri (4/255), Al-Kaamil (2/369), Al-Jarh wat Ta’deel (2/490)]

In another narration, he said:

“صالح الحديث”

“Saalih al-Hadeeth”

[Taareekh Ibn Ma’een narrated by Ad-Dauri (4/239), Al-Kaamil (2/369-370)]

In another narration, he said:

“ليس بثقة”

“He is not Thiqah”

[Taareekh Ibn Ma’een, by ad-Dauri (3/578)]

Note: Imaam Yahya bin Ma’een is among the Mutashaddideen and his Jarh is not acceptable against the Tawtheeq, until explained. Hence, Imaam Dhahabi said:

“وإن وثقه أحد فهذا الذي قالوا فيه لا يقبل تجرحه إلا مفسرا يعني لا يكفي أن يقول فيه ابن معين مثلا هو ضعيف ولم يوضح سبب ضعفه”

“And if a narrator is declared Thiqah by anyone then this is the type of narrator concerning whom they (Muhadditheen) said that his weakening is not acceptable unless it is explained. Meaning, it is not sufficient for (Yahya) Ibn Ma’een, for example, to say that he is Da’eef without explaining the reason of his weakness”

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

2-    Imaam Ahmed bin Hanbal (D. 241) said:

“أخشى أن يكون ضعيف الحديث”

“I am afraid that he is Da’eef ul-Hadeeth”

[ Al-Ilal by Abdullah bin Ahmed (4396)]

Abu Bakr al-Marwazi also mentioned Ja’far bin Maymoon to Imaam Ahmed and he was not pleased with him.

[Su’aalaat al-Marwazi (127)]

In another place, he said:

“ليس بقوي في الحديث”

“He is not strong in Hadeeth”

[Al-Jarh wat Ta’deel (2/490), Chain Saheeh]

3-    Imaam Al-Nasaa’ee (D. 303) said:

“ليس بذاك”

“He is not like that”

[ Al-Kaamil (2/370)]

In another place, he said:

“ليس بالقوي”

“He is not that strong”

[Al-Kaamil and Ad-Du’afa by Nasaa’ee (110)]

Note: Imaam Nasaa’ee is also among the Mutashaddid critiques and hence his Jarh is not acceptable without explanation. Imaam Dhahabi said about Nasaa’ee:

“والنسائي مع تعنته في الرجال....”

“And al-Nasaa’ee despite his strictness in narrators…”

[Meezaan al-I’tidaal (1/437)]

Similarly, he said:

“وهو لا يوثق أحدا إلا بعد الجهد”

“And he (Al-Nasaa’ee) does not authenticate anyone until after a great struggle”

[Al-Mughni (1/128)]

Besides being strict with narrators, this Jarh of Nasaa’ee is not even among the reliable forms of Tad’eef. Because this Jarh does not denote complete weakness of the narrator and it has not significance against the clear Tawtheeq, rather it only negates from him the highest level of reliability.

Imaam Dhahabi said:

“ليس بالقوي ليس بجرح مفسد”

“Laysa Bil Qawi is not a Mufsid Jarh”

[Al-Mawqadhah by Dhahabi (P. 82)]

Similarly, Imaam Naasir ud-Deen Albaani said:

“وأما الآخر فهو قول أبي حاتم ليس بالقوي: فهذا لا يعني أنه ضعيف لأنه ليس بمعني ليس بقوي، فبين هذا وبين ما قال فرق ظاهر عند أهل العلم...”

“As for the last one then that is the saying of Abu Haatim who said, ‘He is Laysa Bil Qawi’, thus this does not mean that he is Da’eef because it is not in the meaning of ‘Laysa Biqawi’. Hence, there is a clear difference between this and what he said according to the people of Knowledge”

[Al-Naseehah by Shaykh Albaani (P. 183)]

Note: Laysa Bidhaak is also of the same level and meaning as Laysa Bil Qawi.

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

“يعتبر به”

“Relied upon (i.e. in Mutaabi’aat)”

[ Su’aalaat al-Barqaani (1/21 T. 78)]

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

“لم أر بأحاديثه نكرة وأرجو أنه لا بأس به ويكتب حديثه في الضعفاء”

“I do not see any oddness in his ahaadeeth and I hope there is nothing wrong in him, and his narrations are written down among the Du’afa (weak narrators)”

[ Al-Kaamil (2/370)]

6-    Imaam Abu Ja’far al-Ukaylee (D. 322) mentioned him in Ad-Du’afa al-Kabeer (1/189 T. 236)

Note: Mentioning in Du’afa does not mean that he is Da’eef according to him, especially when there is clear Tawtheeq on the contrary.

7-    Haafidh Ibn al-Jawzee (D. 597) mentioned him in Ad-Du’afa wal Matrokeen (1/173)

Note: Ibn al-Jawzee is among the strictest of Muhadditheen. Imaam Dhahabi said about his book of Du’afa:

“وقد أورده أيضا العلامة أبو الفرج ابن الجوزي في "الضعفاء"، ولم يذكر فيه أقوال من وثقه، وهذا من عيوب كتابه، يسرد الجرح ويسكت عن التوثيق”

“And al-Allaamah Abu al-Faraj Ibn al-Jawzee has also mentioned him in Ad-Du’afa but he did not mention any sayings of Tawtheeq in it, and this is one of the defects of his book, he brings only the Jarh and remains silent from the Tawtheeq”

[Meezaan al-I’tidaal (1/16)]

Note: The Jarh of Imaam Bukhaari is not proven.

Conclusion:

Most of the criticisms on Ja’far bin Maymoon are unexplained from the Mutashaddideen as compared to the Tawtheeq. Hence such a narrator is at least Hasan ul-Hadeeth until he opposes other Thiqah narrators or a certain narration of his is proven to be Munkar in which case that specific hadeeth of his will remain weak. But in normal conditions, he is Sadooq Hasan ul-Hadeeth, especially when both the great Huffaadh and A’immah of Jarh wa Ta’deel, i.e. Dhahabi and Ibn Hajar are agreed upon his being reliable.