بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

 

3 Sha’bān, 1444 AH  (Sunday, 26 February , 2023)

Continuing with the discussion on the transmitters of the Muwaṭṭa, the next transmitter is:

Abdullāh ibn Wahb (d. 197)

Nāṣir ad-Dīn ad-Dimashqī says that he was born in 124 AH:

وكان مولده سنة أربع وعشرين ومائة (إتحاف السالك – ص: 140)

“He was born in the year 124 AH.” (Itḥād as-Sālik: 140)

If that is correct, it would mean that he was born in the year that Ibn Shihāb az-Zuhrī passed away. This is interesting, since Ibn Shihāb az-Zuhrī is the main teacher of Imām Mālik, and this is the main student of Imām Mālik, as we will soon prove, in shā Allāh. Thus, in the same year, Allāh took the main teacher away, but sent the main student immediately.

Other scholars mentioned that he was born in Dhu ‘l-Qaʿdah in 125 AH 

He is a student of many of the leading scholars of that time. ʿAllāmah Ibn ʿAbd al-Barr mentions:

روى ابن وهب عن مالك بن أنس ، والليث بن سعد ، وابن أبى ذئب ، وأبي صخر حميد بن زياد ، وأبى هانئ حميد بن هانئ ، ويونس بن يزيد ، ونحو اربعمائة رجل من شيوخ المحدثين بمصر والحجاز والعراق (الإنتقاء في فضائل الثلاثة الأئمة الفقهاء – ص: 92)

“Ibn Wahb narrated on the authority of Mālik ibn Anas, Layth ibn Sa’d, Ibn Abī Dhi’b, Abū Ṣakhr Ḥumayd ibn Ziyād, Abū Hāniʾ Ḥumayd ibn Hāniʾ, Yūnus ibn Yazīd, and approximately four hundred men of the scholars of ḥadīth in Egypt, Hijaz and Iraq.” (Al-Intiqā: 92)

Besides learning under all of these luminaries, Abdullāh ibn Wahb spent 31 years in the company of Imām Mālik! He was with Imām Mālik from the year 148 AH till the demise of Imām Mālik in 179 AH. Nāṣir ad-Dīn ad-Dimashqī wrote:

وصحب مالكا من سنة ثمان وأربعين إلى أن مات (إتحاف السالك – ص: 140)

“He accompanied Mālik from the year [1]48 until he passed away.” (Itḥāf as-Sālik: 140)

This means that he stayed with him for 31 years! Shaykh ʿAwwāmah writes:

فتكون صحبته له إحدى وثلاثين سنة 

“Therefore, he would have remained in his company for 31 years.”

Shaykh ʿAwwāmah says that this is a perfect example of the advice in the poem of Imām Shāfiʿī:

وصحبة أستاذ وطول زمان 

“And the company of a teacher for a lengthy time.”

ʿAbdullāh ibn Wahb was actually one of the closest students of Imām Mālik. In fact, he was the greatest student of Imām Malīk. Now you can imagine: Being the greatest student of Imām Mālik means that he was greater than other stalwarts, experts and Ḥuffāẓ. It was not just ordinary students that frequented the Majālis of Imām Mālik, it was those who were amongst the leading scholars of the time. Yet Ibn Wahb surpassed them all.  

Being the greatest student and one of the closest people to Imām Mālik, he was regarded as an authority. If the students of Imām Mālik differed on anything, they would ask him, and his statement was final. 

وقال هارون بن عبد الله الزهري كان الناس بالمدينة يختلفون في الشئ عن مالك فينتظرون قدوم ابن وهب حتى يسألوه عنه (تهذيب التهذيب – 2 / 454)

Hārūn ibn ʿAbdullāh Az-Zuhrī said, ‘When people in Madīnah differed regarding a matter relating to Mālik, they would wait for Ibn Wahb to come so that they could ask him about it.’ (Tahḍīb at-Tahḍīb – 2 / 454)

Besides being the greatest student of Imām Mālik, he was also one of the most senior students of another mujtahid; Layth ibn Saʿd. ʿAllāmah Khalīlī mentions:

عبد الله بن وهب القرشي: حافظ إمام فقيه اتفقوا على تقدمه في أصحاب الليث، ويقدم في أصحاب مالك أيضا فليس أحد أقدم سماعا من مالك منه ولا أجل منه. (الإرشاد في معرفة علماء الحديث – 1 / 399)

“ʿAbdullāh ibn Wahb al-Qurashī: the ḥāfiẓ, imam and jurist for whom it is agreed that he is at the forefront of the students of Layth, and he is given precedence from amongst the students of Mālik as well. No one is more senior in hearing from Mālik than he, nor is there anyone more impressive than him.” (Al-Irshād – 1 / 399)

Shaykh ʿAbd al-Fattāḥ Abū Ghuddah (may Allāh Ta’ālā have mercy on him) explains with regards to copies of this transmission of the Muwaṭṭaʾ:

وتوجد رواية ابن وهب في مكتبتي فيض الله وولي الدين بالآستانة. ورواية سويد بن سعيد، ورواية أبي مصعب الزهري في ظاهرية دمشق. وأطراف الموطأ للداني في مكتبة الكبريلي في الآستانة. (تقدمة التعليق الممجد على موطأ محمد – 1 / 26)

“The narration of Ibn Wahb is found in the two libraries: Fayḍullāh and Walī ad-Dīn in Astānah. As for the narration of Suwayd ibn Saʾīd, and transmission of Abū Muṣʿab az-Zuhrī in the Maktabah Ẓāhiriyyah of Damascus. Parts of the Muwaṭṭa of ad-Dānī is in the library of Köprülü Library in Astānah.” (Taqdimah at-Taʾlīq al-Mumajjad – 1 / 26)

Ibn Wahb passed away in 197 AH, at the age of 72. Nāṣir ad-Dīn ad-Dimashqī wrote:

توفي بمصر سنة سبع وتسعين ومائة على الأصح (إتحاف السالك – ص: 140)

“He passed away in Egypt in the year 197, according to the more accurate opinion.” (Itḥāf as-Sālik: 140)

If he passed away in 197, it is clear that Imām Bukhārī and Imām Muslim would not be his direct students. The former was around three years old and living in the far east when this scholar passed away, and the latter was not even born!

Since Imām Bukhārī and Imām Muslim had direct access to other students of Imām Mālik, they did not have to narrate from Ibn Wahb, since that would entail having an extra link in the chain. Despite this, in his Ṣaḥīh, Imām Bukhārī quotes about five narrations via a teacher, who quotes from Ibn Wahb from Imām Mālik, and Imām Muslim narrates around 30 times from a teacher of his, via Ibn Wahb from Imām Mālik.

I will quote the first narration that Shaykh ʿAbd al-Fattāh related regarding this transmission from Bustān al-Muḥaddithīn. He quotes:

أولها: أخبرنا مالك عن أبي الزناد، وعن الأَعْرج، عن أَبي هريرة عن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، قال: أمرت أن أقاتل الناس حتى يقولوا لا إله إلا الله … الحديث، وهذا الحديث من متفردات ابن وهب، ولا يوجد في الموطآت الأُخر إلاّ موطأ ابن القاسم. )التعليق الممجد على موطأ محمد – 1/ 83)

“The first is: Imām Mālik informed us from Abū az-Zinād, from al-Aʾraj from Abū Hurayrah (may Allāh be pleased with them) from the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ, that he said, “I have been instructed to fight the people until they bear testimony that there is no deity besides Allāh… until the end of the narration. This narration is from individuals of Ibn Wahb, it is not found in any other transmission of the Muwaṭṭa except in the transmission of Ibn al-Qāsim.” (At-Taʾlīq al-Mumajjad – 1 / 83)

An important point to clarify:

Just as Ibn Wahb transmitted the Muwaṭṭa, he also wrote his own Muwaṭṭa. Portion of this transmission (of his own Muwaṭṭa) is printed with the edition of Hishām Ibn Ismā’īl aṣ-Ṣīnī and it is published by Dār ibn al-Jawzī. 

Shaykh Muḥammad Amīn ash-Shinqīṭī also published: Muwaṭṭa Ii ‘bn Wahb aṣ-Ṣaghīr. It is published by Maktabah al-‘Ulūm wal-Ḥikam.

Ma’n ibn ‘Īsā (d. 198)

He is Abū Yaḥyā Ma’n ibn ʿĪsā ibn Dīnār al-Qazāz. ‘Allāmah Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr (may Allāh Ta’ālā have mercy on him) describes him as:

كان أشد الناس ملازمة لمالك ، وكان مالك يتكئ عليه فى خروجه إلى المسجد حتى قيل له عصية مالك (الإنتقاء في فضائل الثلاثة الأئمة الفقهاء – ص: 110)

“He was the one who remained the most in the company of Mālik. Mālik would lean on him when he would go to the masjid, until he became known as ‘the staff of Mālik’.” (Al-Intiqā: 110)

To illustrate to you his lofty status, ‘Abd ar-Raḥmān ibn Abī Ḥātim quotes:

قال سمعت أبى يقول: أثبت أصحاب مالك وأوثقهم معن بن عيسى القزاز هو أحب إلي من عبد الله بن نافع الصائغ ومن ابن وهب. (الجرح والتعديل لابن أبي حاتم – 8 / 278)

“I heard my father saying, “The most constant and trustworthy companion of Mālik is Maʾn ibn ʿĪsā al-Qazzāz, he is more dear to me than ʿAbdullāh ibn Nāfiʾ aṣ-Ṣā’igh and Ibn Wahb.” (Al-Jarḥ wat-Taʾdīl – 8 / 278)

Regarding his transmission of the Muwaṭṭa, he was one of the very few students who had great privilege of hearing the Muwaṭṭa from Imām Mālik. All the other students had to read, but because he was with Imām Mālik when Imām Mālik was still in his early days, Imām Mālik read the Muwaṭṭa to him. Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr quotes Isḥāq ibn Mūsā al-Anṣārī (may Allāh Ta’ālā have mercy on him) as saying:

سمعت معن بن عيسى يقول: كل شئ من الحديث في الموطأ سمعته من مالك إلا ما استثنيت أنى عرضته عليه وكل شئ من غير الحديث عرضته على مالك إلا ما استثنيت اني سألته عنه (الإنتقاء في فضائل الثلاثة الأئمة الفقهاء – ص: 110)

I heard Maʾn ibn ʿĪsā saying, “I heard each and every Ḥadīth of the Muwaṭṭa from Imām Mālik, except that which I excluded (and clarified that) I read to him. In contrast, what is not Aḥādīth I have read to Mālik except what I’ve excluded that I asked him regarding it (and he responded, so I do not read).” (Al-Intiqā: 110)

He also has a few unique transmissions which the others did not narrate:

أخبرنا أبو الفضل، ثنا محمد بن أبي بكر، ثنا عبد الرحمن بن مهدي، عن مالك ح وأخبرنا أحمد بن محمد الإمام، قال: أخبرنا أحمد بن شعيب، أخبرنا إسحاق بن منصور، عن عبد الرحمن، عن مالك، عن أبي النضر، عن أبي سلمة، عن عائشة رضي الله عنها، قالت: كان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم «يصلي من الليل فإذا فرغ من صلاته، فإن كنت يقظانة تحدث معي. وإلا اضطجع حتى يأتيه المؤذن». (مسند الموطأ للجوهري – ص: 349)

“Muḥammad Abū al-Faḍl informed us that Muḥammad ibn Abī Bakr narrated from ʿAbd ar-Raḥmān ibn Mahdī from Imām Mālik, [Taḥwīl] (change in the chain), Imām Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad informed us from Aḥmad ibn Shuʿayb who narrates from Isḥāq ibn Manṣūr from ʿAbd ar-Raḥmān on the authority of Mālik who narrates from Abū an-Naḍr from Abū Salamah from ʿĀishah, may Allāh be pleased with her, she said, ‘the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ would perform the nightly prayers, when he would complete, if I was still awake then he would converse with me, if not, he would rest until the Muaḍḍin would emerge.” (Musnad al-Muwaṭṭa: 349)

You may note in the above example, the student of Imām Mālik is ʿAbd ar-Raḥmān ibn Mahdī. Yet ‘Allāmah Jawharī said:

وهذا الحديث في الموطأ عند معن دون غيره، والله أعلم. (مسند الموطأ للجوهري – ص: 349)

The reason is that this pertains to what is recorded in the Muwaṭṭa. Of course, there were multiple other students who heard and even transmitted the narration, although they did not write it in a Muwaṭṭa.

Another example is:

أخبرنا أبو عبد الله الحسين بن علي بن شعبان، قال: حدثنا أبو سعيد بن الأعرابي، قال: حدثنا الحسين بن المثنى، قال: حدثنا عبد الله، يعني: ابن جعفر، قال: حدثنا ‌معن، قال: حدثنا مالك، عن أبي الزناد، عن الأعرج، عن أبي هريرة، أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، يقول: ” إنما جعل الإمام ليؤتم به، فلا تختلفوا عليه، فإذا كبر فكبروا، وإذا ركع فاركعوا، وإذا قال: سمع الله لمن حمده.

فقولوا: اللهم ربنا لك الحمد، وإذا صلى قاعدا فصلوا قعودا أجمعون “.

هذا عند ‌معن في الموطأ دون غيره، والله أعلم، وفيه: ” إنما جعل الإمام. (مسند الموطأ للجوهري – ص: 439)

“Abū ʿAbdullāh al-Ḥusayn ibn ʿAlī ibn Shaʾbān informed us from Abū Saʿīd ibn al-Aʾrābī who narrates from al-Ḥusayn ibn al-Muthannā from ʿAbdullāh, meaning Ibn Jaʾfar, he says, Maʾn related to us from Mālik from Abū az-Zinād from al-Aʾraj from Abū Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ said, “The Imām is appointed so that he may be followed, so do not be at variance with him. When he recites the Takbīr then you also recite the Takbīr, when he bows down then you too bow down, and when he says ‘Allāh has heard the one who praised him’, then say ‘O Allāh, our Lord, all praise is due to You’, and when he prays while sitting then you too all pray while sitting.” 

This is the wording of Maʾn in the Muwaṭṭa and not of others, and Allāh knows best. It includes: Verily the Imām is appointed…” (Musnad al-Muwaṭṭa: 439)

With regards to his transmission of the Muwaṭṭa, there are places where he used synonyms in the text (meaning he swapped the original word in the narration for another word). For example, ‘Allāmah Jawharī narrates:

وبه: ” أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم مر على رجل من الأنصار وهو يعظ أخاه في الحياء فقال: دعه فإن الحياء من الإيمان. وفي رواية ‌معن: «يعاتب أخاه». (مسند الموطأ للجوهري – ص: 177)

“And also the narration: The Messenger of Allāh ﷺ passed by a man who was admonishing (Ya’iẓu) his brother concerning modesty. So he said, “Leave him, for verily modesty is part of faith.” 

In the transmission of Maʾn: He was reprimanding (Yu’ātibu) his brother.” (Musnad al-Muwaṭṭa: 177)

That is not an issue, since the preferred view is that Riwāyah bil Ma’nā is permissible, for a person who is knowledgeable on the implications of his words. 

Likewise, there are a few narrations which other transmitters quoted as a statement of others, whereas Ma’n narrated it from the Prophet (ṣallAllāhū ‘alayhi wa sallam). For example:

وبه، عن ابن شهاب، عن حرام بن سعد بن محيصة أن ناقة للبراء بن عازب دخلت حائط رجل، فأفسدت فيه، فقضى رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم إن على أهل الحوائط حفظها بالنهار، وإن ما أفسدت المواشي بالليل ضامن على أهلها».

هذا حديث مرسل، إلا عند معن، فإنه قال فيه: عن حرام بن سعد بن محيصة عن محيصة، مسندا، الزهري، عن رجل من آل خالد بن أسيد، وهو أمية بن عبد الله بن خالد بن أسيد، حديثا واحدا، وتوفي أمية سنة سبع وثمانين. (مسند الموطأ للجوهري – ص: 177)

“And it is narrated from Ibn Shihāb, from Ḥarām ibn Saʾd ibn Muḥayyiṣah that a she camel which belonged to Barā ibn ʿĀzib trespassed the enclosure of a man and ruined it. The Messenger of Allāh ﷺ passed the verdict that it is the duty of the owner of the land to protect it during the day, and the owner of the animals will be responsible of his animals ruin the land at night. 

This is a Mursal narration, except for the view of Maʾn, because he states, “Narrated from Ḥarām ibn Saʾd ibn Muḥayyiṣah, from Muḥayyiṣah, musnadan, from Zuhrī, who narrates from a man from the family of Khālid ibn Usagd, and he is Umayyah ibn ʿAbdullāh ibn Khālid ibn Usayd, a single narration. And Umayyah passed away in the year eighty-seven.” (Musnad al-Muwaṭṭa: 177)

There is no problem with this, since there are just a few narrations like these.

Besides these, the majority of narrations that we have available from him are precisely the same as they are in the other recensions.

There are differences on his date of demise:

قال إبراهيم بن المنذر توفي معن ابن عيسى بالمدينة سنة ثمان وتسعين ومائة (الإنتقاء في فضائل الثلاثة الأئمة الفقهاء – ص: 110)

“Ibrāhīm ibn al-Munḍir says, “Maʾn ibn ʿĪsā passed away in Madīnah in the year 198.” (Al-Intiqā: 110)

Since Ma’n passed away when Imām Bukhārī was only four, and before Imām Muslim was even born, these two Imāms would need an intermediary to quote his narrations from Imām Mālik. As such, they did not quote many of his narrations from Imām Mālik, due to the need of that extra link. Thus, in his Ṣaḥīḥ, Imām al-Bukhārī (may Allāh Ta’ālā have mercy on him) narrates eight Muttaṣil narrations where Maʾn narrates from Imām Mālik. Six of these are via his teacher Ibrāhīm ibn al-Mundhir, and two are via ‘Aliyy ibn ‘Abdillāḥ. 

At one other place, Imām al-Bukhārī quotes from Ma’n, without divulging his source. He says:

‌‌باب: الخمر من العسل وهو البتع وقال ‌معن سألت ‌مالك بن أنس عن الفقاع فقال إذا لم يسكر فلا بأس. (صحيح البخاري – 7 / 105)

The Chapter Regarding Intoxicants From Honey, and it is Mead. Maʾn said, I asked Mālik ibn Anas about fermented drinks. He replied. “If it does not intoxicate, then there is no issue with it.” (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Ṭā Sulṭāniyyah – 7 / 105)

Of course, there is a missing link, since Imām Bukhārī was only four when he passed away.

Imām Muslim transmits about thirteen narrations that Ma’n narrates via Imām Mālik.

Imām at-Tirmiḍī, however, relied very heavily on him and transmitted a lot, having transmitted over 83 times from him.

Muḥammad ibn Idrīs ash-Shāfi’ī (d. 204 AH)

In shā Allāh, there will be a separate discussion on the books of Aḥādīth attributed to Imām Shāfi’ī. (We mentioning him here just so that the order of the transmitters are according to their dates of demises.)

‘Abdullāh ibn Yūsuf at-Tinnīsī (218 AH)

He is:

عبد الله بن يوسف الكلاعي 

 “ʿAbdullāh ibn Yusuf al-Kalāʿī.” 

‘Allāmah adh-Dhahabi describes him as:

الشيخ، الإمام، الحافظ، المتقن، أبو محمد الكلاعي، الدمشقي، ثم التنيسي. (سير أعلام النبلاء – 10 / 357)

“He is a Shaykh, an Imām, a Ḥāfiḍ, an expert, Abū Muḥammad al-Kalāʿī ad-Dimashqī, at-Tinnīsī” (Siyar A’lām an-Nubalā – 10 / 357)

He heard the Muwaṭṭa in the year 166 AH.

فقال أبو مسهر سمع معي الموطأ من مالك سنة ست وستين (تهذيب الكمال – 16 / 336)

“Abū Mushir said, “He heard the Muwaṭṭa with me from Mālik in the year 166.” (Tahḍīb al-Kamāl – 16 / 336)

Yahyā ibn Ma’īn regarded him as being the most reliable person who narrated the Muwaṭṭa. Ibn ‘Asākir transmits the different wording. He quotes from Nāṣr ibn Marzūq who says:

يحيى بن معين يقول: ما بقي أحد على وجه الأرض أوثق في الموطأ من عبد الله بن يوسف (تاريخ دمشق – 33 / 397)

Yaḥyā ibn Maʿīn stated, “There is none who remains on the earth who transmitted the Muwaṭṭa more accurately than ʿAbdullāh ibn Yusuf.” (Tārīkh Dimashq – 33 / 397)

On another occasion Yaḥyā ibn Ma’īn said:

ما بقي على أديم الأرض أحد أصدق في الموطأ من عبد الله بن يوسف التنيسي (تاريخ دمشق – 33 / 397)

“There is no one on the surface of the earth that transmits the Muwaṭṭa more correctly that ʿAbdullāh ibn Yusuf at-Tinnīsī.” (Tārīkh Dimashq – 33 / 397)

Imām al-Bukhārī narrated lots and lots from him. Like, literally around 280 times! ‘Allāmah al-Mizzi wrote:

والبخاري مع شدة استقصائه اعتمد عليه في مالك وغيره (تهذيب الكمال – 16 / 336)

“Imām al-Bukhārī, despite his severe investigation, relied on him from Mālik and others.” (Tahḍīb al-Kamāl – 16 / 336)

The reason why he narrated so much from him is because he regarded him at the most reliable from all the Shāmī narrators:

وقال البخاري: كان من أثبت الشاميين (سير أعلام النبلاء – 10 / 358)

“Al-Bukhārī said, “He is from the most reliable Shāmī narrators.” (Siyar A’lām an-Nubalā – 10 / 358)

Imām al-Bukhārī mentions when he met him. He says:

وقال البخاري لقيته بمصر سنة سبع عشرة ومائتين (تاريخ دمشق – 33 / 396)

“Al-Bukhārī stated, “I met him in Egypt in the year 217 AH.” (Tārīkh Dimashq – 33 / 396)

‘Abdullāh ibn Yūsūf at-Tinnīsi passed away in 218 Hijrī

محمد بن أصبغ بن الفرج قال: مات عبد الله بن يوسف التنيسي سنة ثمان عشرة ومائتين (تاريخ دمشق – 33 / 395)

“Muḥammad ibn Aṣbagh ibn al-Faraj says, “ʿAbdullāh ibn Yusuf at-Tinnīsī passed away in the year 218 AH.” (Tārīkh Dimashq – 33 / 395)

He was eighty years old when he passed away.

قلت: مات سنة ثمانى عشرة ومائتين، وله نحو من ثمانين سنة، رحمه الله تعالى. (ميزان الاعتدال – 4 / 232)

“I say that he passed away in the year 218 AH at the approximate age of 80, may Allāh have mercy on him.” (Mīzān al-Iʾtidāl – 4 / 232)

‘Abdullāh ibn Maslamah al Qa’nabi (d. 221 AH)

‘Abdullāh ibn Maslamah al-Qa’nabi is another very reliable transmitter of the Muwaṭṭa. He is another student who spent two decades studying under Imām Mālik (may Allāh Ta’ālā have mercy on him).

His transmission is the largest version of the Muwaṭṭa’ and has the most additional contents. Many scholars considered ‘Abdullāh ibn Maslamah to be one of the soundest of people who narrated the Muwatta. We quoted earlier the statement of Naṣr ibn Marzūq where he quoted the response that Yaḥyā ibn Ma’īn gave to him when he asked about the narrators of the Muwaṭṭa:

فقال أثبت الناس في الموطأ عبد الله بن سلمة القعنبي وعبد الله بن يوسف التنيسي (تاريخ دمشق – 33 / 397)

“The most reliable narrators of the Muwaṭṭa are ʿAbdullāh ibn Salamah al-Qaʾnabī and ʿAbdullāh ibn Yusuf at-Tinnīsī.” (Tārīkh Dimashq – 33 / 397)

This view is also attributed to al-Nasā’i and Ibn al-Madīnī. 

قال بعضهم: “إن القعنبي أثبت الناس في الموطأ، هكذا أطلقه عليُ ابن المديني والنسائي (النكت العسقلاني – 1/ 264)

“Some of them mention, “Qaʾnabī is the most reliable narrator of the Muwaṭṭa. Al-Madīnī and an-Nasāī mention it in this way.” (An-Nukat al-ʿAsqalānī – 1 / 264)

He was well-respected in transmitting Ḥadīth. Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr (may Allāh Ta’ālā have mercy on him) quotes:

وسئل أبو زرعة عنه فقال: ما كتبت عن أحد أجل في عيني منه وسئل ابن معين عن القعنبى فقال: ذاك من در ذاك من دنانير (الإنتقاء في فضائل الثلاثة الأئمة الفقهاء – ص: 111)

“Abu Zurʿah was asked regarding him, he replied: ‘I did not write from anyone more honourable than him.’ Ibn Maʿīn was asked regarding al-Qaʾnabī, he stated: “That one is a pearl, that one is gold!” (Al-Al-Intiqā: 111)

Imām al-Bukhāri narrates from him in his Ṣaḥīḥ about 140 times, and Imām Muslim related from him around 74 times.

‘Abdullāh ibn Maslamah has additional narrations in his transmission, which others do not have. Shaykh ‘Abdul Faṭṭāḥ Abū Ghuddah presents one example of a narration that ‘Abdullāh ibn Maslamah narrated independently:

ومن متفرداتها: أخبرنا مالك عن ابن شهاب، عن عبيد الله بن عبد الله بن عتبة بن مسعود، عن ابن عباس أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: لا تطروني كما أطرت النصارى عيسى بن مريم، إنما أنا عبد فقولوا عبده ورسوله. (مقدمة التعليق الممجد – 1 / 84)

From its Mufradāt: Mālik informs us from Ibn Shihāb, from ʿUbaydullāh ibn ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿUtbah ibn Masʿūd, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās (may Allāh be pleased with them), that the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ said, “Do not exaggerate in praising me as the the Christians have exaggerated regarding ʿĪsā ibn Maryam, verily I am but a slave (of Allāh), so call me His slave and His messenger.” (Introduction of At-Taʾlīq al-Mumajjad – 1 / 84)

There was an old print of this Kitāb.

Thereafter, Abdul Majid at-Turkī edited it and published it. However, this is not the best of prints. Rather, ‘Abdul Majīd ar-Turkī is accused of actually distorting the Kitāb. The reason is that he mixed it up with the transmission of Yaḥyā. 

The book has been recently published by Jam’īah Dār al-Barr, with the editing of ‘Umar ibn Aḥmad Āl ‘Abbās. This is the best print of this book. 

The next important transmitter is:

Yayḥa ibn Yaḥya ibn Bukayr at-Tamīmī (d. 231)

He must not be confused with Yaḥyā ibn Yaḥyā al-Laythī. Both of them have the same names, and their fathers too had the same names, but the one was from the East and the other is from the West. They are from different parts of the world. This Yaḥyā is much senior compared to the Yaḥyā whose transmission we are doing. 

To create the distinction, this Yaḥyā is also attributed to his grandfather, and hence he is referred to as Yaḥyā at-Tamīmī.

Yaḥya ibn Yaḥya at-Tamīmī was born in 153-154 AH. Ibn Nāṣir ad-Dīn writes:

كان مولد ابن بكير سنة أربع وقيل سنة ثلاث وخمسين ومائة (إتحاف السالك – ص: 211)

“Ibn Bukayr was born in the year 154 AH, and it is stated that it was the year 153 AH.” (Itḥāf as-Sālik: 211)

Yaḥyā at-Tamīmī was a very great Muḥaddīth. He would take extra caution when transmitting the Aḥādīth:

كان من ورعه يشك فى الحديث كثيرا حتى سموه الشكاك (الإنتقاء في فضائل الثلاثة الأئمة الفقهاء – ص: 112)

“From his piety was that he would doubt the narrations so much until he was named ash-Shakkāk (the one who frequently doubts).” (Al-Al-Intiqā: 112)

Besides that, he also excelled in Fiqh:

وله حظ من الفقه ، وكان ثقة مأمونا (الإنتقاء في فضائل الثلاثة الأئمة الفقهاء – ص: 112)

“He was outstanding in Fiqh, he was reliable and trustworthy.” (Al-Al-Intiqā: 112)

ووثقه جماعة، ومن لم يوثقه لم يقف على مناقبه، مات في صفر سنة إحدى وثلاثين بعد المائتين. (مقدمة التعليق الممجد نقلا ومعربا من بستان المحدثين – 1 / 85)

“A large group authenticated him, whoever did not approve of him was unaware of his virtues. He passed away in Ṣafar 231 AH.” (Muqaddimah at-Taʾlīq al-Mumajjad – 1 / 85)

Imām al-Bukhārī does narrate from him, although it is relatively little. However, Imām Muslim relies heavily on him when quoting from Imām Mālik via him. Imām Muslim narrates from him approximately 600 times.

‘Allāmah Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr wrote:

وروى عنه البخارى ومسلم بن الحجاج ولم يرو مسلم الموطأ إلا عنه وكان أحمد بن حنبل يثنى عليه قال عبدالله بن أحمد بن حنبل سمعت أبى يذكر يحيى بن يحيى النيسابورى فأثنى عليه خيرا وقال ما أخرجت خراسان بعد ابن المبارك مثل يحيى بن يحيى (الإنتقاء في فضائل الثلاثة الأئمة الفقهاء – ص: 112)

“Bukhārī and Muslim narrated from him. Muslim actually narrated the Muwaṭṭa only narrated from him. Imām Aḥmad would praise him. ‘Abdullāh ibn Aḥmad ibn Ḥambal says: ‘I heard my father mentioning about Yaḥyā ibn Yaḥyā an-Nisapūrī, and he extolled his goodness.’ He said: After ‘Abdullāh ibn al-Mubārak, Khurāsān has not presented someone like Yaḥyā ibn Yaḥyā.” (Al-Intiqā: 112)

It is said that he went through the Muwatta 14 times with Imam Malik. Nāṣir ad-Dīn ad-Dimashqī says that it is narrated via Baqiyy ibn Makhlad etc:

أنه سمعه من مالك بضع عشر مرة. و في رواية: أربع عشرة مرة ، وأن بعضها بقراءة مالك (إتحاف السالك – ص: 210) 

“He heard it from Mālik approximately 10 odd times. According to another narration: 14 times, and some of it was recited by Mālik.” (Itḥāf as-Sālik: 210)

Nāṣir ad-Dīn ad-Dimashqī then quotes a narration in which it is mentioned that he heard the Muwaṭṭa 17 times from Imām Mālik.

This transmission was published under the title Muwaṭṭa al-Imam al-Mahdi by the Government General de l’Algerie (Algiers, 1323/1905). It is famously known as the Maṭba’ah Fawntānā print. The copies of this transmission are extremely rare, however, they can fortunately be downloaded for free from the internet:

Shaykh Bashār ‘Awād and Muḥammad ‘Alī al-Azharī also edited this transmission and it is printed by Dār al-Gharb al-Islāmī. 

As for the unique narrations that he has, which others who transmitted the Muwaṭṭa did not narrate, one example is:

ومن متفرداتها: مالك عن عبد الله بن أبي بكر عن عمرة، عن عائشة أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، قال: “ما زال جبريل يوصيني بالجار حتى ظننت أنه ليورثنه”. (التعليق الممجد على موطأ محمد – 1 / 85)

“From amongst its Mufradāt: Narrated from Mālik from ʿAbdullāh ibn Abī Bakr from ʿAmrah who narrated from ʿĀishah (may Allāh be pleased with them) that the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ said, “Jibrīl continuously emphasised treating neighbours with kindness until I thought that he would assign them a share of inheritance.” (At-Taʾlīq al-Mumajjad – 1 / 85)

‘Allāmah Abūl Qāsim al-Jawharī wrote:

ولا أعلم هذا في الموطأ إلا من رواية ابن بكير، والله أعلم. (مسند الموطأ للجوهري ص: 427)

“I don’t know of this in the Muwaṭṭa except from the transmission of Ibn Bukayr, and Allāh knows best.” (Musnad al-Muwaṭṭa l’il Jawharī: 427)

Imām Muḥammad did transmit this, however the chain is different:

قلت: هذا الحديث موجود في موطأ محمد أيضا برواية مالك عن يحيى بن سعيد، عن أبي بكر بن حزم، عن عمرة، عن عائشة كما ستقف عليه إن شاء الله تعالى (رقم الحديث 935)

“This narration is present in the Muwaṭṭa of Imām Muḥammad also in the narrations of Mālik from Yaḥyā ibn Saʿīd from Abū Bakr ibn Ḥazm, from ʿAmrah who narrated on the authority of ʿĀishah (may Allāh be pleased with her), like how you will become aware of it, if Allāh wills.” (Ḥadīth number: 935)

In its sequence and organization, it is similar to that of Yaḥyā ibn Yaḥyā.

As for his date of demise, he passed away on the 18th of Ṣafar 231-232.

وتوفي يوم السبت لثمان عشرة خلت من صفر سنة إحدى وقيل: سنة اثنين وثلاثين ومائتين (إتحاف السالك – ص: 211)

“He passed away on Saturday, 18th of Ṣafar 231 AH, and it is also mentioned that it was the year 232.” (Itḥāf as-Sālik: 211)

May Allāh Taʿālā have mercy on them all.

سبحانك اللهم وبحمدك ، أشهد أن لا إله إلا أنت ، أستغفرك وأتوب إليك