Introduction to the Narrator: Layth ibn Abi Sulaym
◈ Personal Background:
Layth ibn Abi Sulaym was a resident of Kufah and belonged to the tribe of Banu Layth. Apart from Imam al-Bukhari, other Hadith scholars have also narrated from him. He was regarded among the notable scholars of his time.
“He is Muḍṭarib al-Ḥadīth (his narrations are inconsistent), yet people have transmitted narrations from him.”
✔ Yahya ibn Ma‘īn and al-Nasa’i stated:
“He is weak (ḍa‘īf).”
✔ Yahya ibn Ma‘īn also mentioned:
“There is no harm in him.”
✔ Ibn Ḥibbān remarked:
“Towards the end of his life, his intellect deteriorated.”
✔ Al-Daraqutni commented:
“He was a man of Sunnah. However, people began to criticize him when he claimed that ‘Ata’, Tawus, and Mujahid all gathered in one place.”
✔ Abd al-Warith described him as:
“A bag filled with knowledge.”
✔ Abu Bakr ibn ‘Ayyash said:
“Among the people, he was the most devoted in prayer and fasting. However, if he made a mistake in a narration, he would not accept it.”
✔ Ibn Shawdhab narrated from Layth:
“I saw the early Shia in Kufah; they did not prefer anyone over Abu Bakr and ‘Umar.”
✔ Al-Dhahabi stated:
“Shu‘bah, Ibn ‘Ulayyah, Abu Mu‘awiyah, and many others narrated from him.
✔ Ibn Idris reported:
“Whenever I sat with Layth, I would hear things from him that I had never heard before.
✔ ‘Abdullah ibn Ahmad ibn Hanbal said:
“I heard my father, Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal, say that Yahya ibn Sa‘id al-Qaṭṭān held a negative view regarding some individuals—one of them was Layth. Another was Muhammad ibn Ishaq, and another ‘Amr. He would not accept a second opinion about any of them.”
✔ Yahya ibn Ma‘īn said:
“Layth is weaker than ‘Aṭā ibn al-Sā’ib.”
✔ Luwmāl ibn al-Mufaḍḍal reported:
“I asked ‘Isa ibn Yunus about him. He replied: ‘I saw that he had lost his mind, and I would pass by him at noon and find him giving the adhan from the minaret.’”
✔ Later, Ibn ‘Adi recorded numerous Munkar (rejected) narrations from him.
Conclusion:
Although Layth ibn Abi Sulaym was a man of worship and knowledge, the majority of Hadith scholars criticized the reliability of his narrations due to inconsistencies and issues that arose later in his life. Some considered him extremely weak in transmission, while others acknowledged his devotion but remained cautious of his narrations.
◈ Personal Background:
Layth ibn Abi Sulaym was a resident of Kufah and belonged to the tribe of Banu Layth. Apart from Imam al-Bukhari, other Hadith scholars have also narrated from him. He was regarded among the notable scholars of his time.
✿ Opinions of Scholars About Layth ibn Abi Sulaym:
✔ Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal said:“He is Muḍṭarib al-Ḥadīth (his narrations are inconsistent), yet people have transmitted narrations from him.”
✔ Yahya ibn Ma‘īn and al-Nasa’i stated:
“He is weak (ḍa‘īf).”
✔ Yahya ibn Ma‘īn also mentioned:
“There is no harm in him.”
✔ Ibn Ḥibbān remarked:
“Towards the end of his life, his intellect deteriorated.”
✔ Al-Daraqutni commented:
“He was a man of Sunnah. However, people began to criticize him when he claimed that ‘Ata’, Tawus, and Mujahid all gathered in one place.”
✔ Abd al-Warith described him as:
“A bag filled with knowledge.”
✔ Abu Bakr ibn ‘Ayyash said:
“Among the people, he was the most devoted in prayer and fasting. However, if he made a mistake in a narration, he would not accept it.”
✔ Ibn Shawdhab narrated from Layth:
“I saw the early Shia in Kufah; they did not prefer anyone over Abu Bakr and ‘Umar.”
✔ Al-Dhahabi stated:
“Shu‘bah, Ibn ‘Ulayyah, Abu Mu‘awiyah, and many others narrated from him.
✔ Ibn Idris reported:
“Whenever I sat with Layth, I would hear things from him that I had never heard before.
✔ ‘Abdullah ibn Ahmad ibn Hanbal said:
“I heard my father, Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal, say that Yahya ibn Sa‘id al-Qaṭṭān held a negative view regarding some individuals—one of them was Layth. Another was Muhammad ibn Ishaq, and another ‘Amr. He would not accept a second opinion about any of them.”
✔ Yahya ibn Ma‘īn said:
“Layth is weaker than ‘Aṭā ibn al-Sā’ib.”
✔ Luwmāl ibn al-Mufaḍḍal reported:
“I asked ‘Isa ibn Yunus about him. He replied: ‘I saw that he had lost his mind, and I would pass by him at noon and find him giving the adhan from the minaret.’”
✔ Later, Ibn ‘Adi recorded numerous Munkar (rejected) narrations from him.
Conclusion:
Although Layth ibn Abi Sulaym was a man of worship and knowledge, the majority of Hadith scholars criticized the reliability of his narrations due to inconsistencies and issues that arose later in his life. Some considered him extremely weak in transmission, while others acknowledged his devotion but remained cautious of his narrations.
