Is the narrator Abu Ishaq Mahmoud bin Ishaq al-Khuza'i al-Bukhari al-Qawas unknown?

This excerpt is taken from the book Noor al-Aynayn fi Ithbat Raf' al-Yadayn 'inda al-Ruku' wa Ba'dahu fi al-Salah by the contemporary scholar Hafiz Zubair Ali Zai رحمه الله.

​

Mahmoud bin Ishaq al-Bukhari al-Khuza'i al-Qawas رحمه الله​

A complete overview of Abu Ishaq Mahmood ibn Ishaq al-Khuzai al-Bukhari al-Qawas رحمه الله, the narrator of two famous books (Juz' Raf' al-Yadayn and Juz' al-Qira'ah) by Imam Sahih al-Bukhari رحمه الله, is presented below:

Name and Lineage: Abu Ishaq Mahmood ibn Ishaq ibn Mahmood al-Qawas al-Bukhari al-Khuzai رحمه الله

Teachers: Some of his teachers are as follows:
➊ Imam Abu Abdullah Muhammad ibn Ismail al-Bukhari رحمه الله
➋ Muhammad ibn al-Hasan ibn Ja'far al-Bukhari

Reference: (Al-Irshad Khalili 967/3 - 928 No. 895)

➌ Abu Asim Sahl ibn al-Mutawakkil ibn Hajar al-Bukhari / Thiqah

Reference: (Al-Irshad 3/969 No. 897)

Sahl ibn al-Mutawakkil was mentioned by Hafiz Ibn Hibban in his book Al-Thiqat

Reference: (294/8)

and Hafiz Khalili declared him Thiqah.
➍ Abu Amr Harith ibn Abdul Rahman al-Bukhari

Reference: (Al-Irshad 971-970/3 No. 898)

➎ Abu Abdullah Muhammad ibn Abdak al-Bukhari al-Jadidi

Reference: (Al-Ansab al-Sam'ani 31/2 - 32)

➏ Khalaf ibn al-Walid Abu Salih al-Bukhari

Reference: (Al-Hafq wa al-Muftariq al-Khatib 32/1 Jami'ah)

➐ Ahmad ibn Hatem ibn Dawood al-Makki, Abu Ja'far al-Sulami

Reference: (Bahr al-Fawa'id: 191)

and others رحمه الله

Students: According to our knowledge, the names of his students (disciples) are as follows:
➊ Abu Nasr Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Musa ibn Ja'far al-Malahimi al-Bukhari

Reference: (Tarikh Baghdad 83/6, Mashaikhat al-Ibnawi: 165, 169, Tahqiq li Ibn al-Jawzi 274/1 Hadith 463 and its chain is authentic, Al-Sunan al-Kubra al-Bayhaqi 74/2 authentic chain)

➋ Abu al-Abbas Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn al-Husayn ibn Ishaq al-Razi al-Dhareer

Reference: (Tarikh Baghdad 13/438 No. 7297 and its chain is authentic)

About Abu al-Abbas al-Razi al-Saghir, Al-Khatib al-Baghdadi stated: ”و كان ثقة حافظا“

Reference: (Tarikh Baghdad 4/435)

➌ Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Abi Ishaq Ibrahim ibn Ya'qub al-Kalabazi al-Bukhari

Reference: (Bahr al-Fawa'id Hadith 64, 191, 192)

This individual is an author, and his mention is found in Taj al-Tarajim (pp. 333 - 335) and others.
➍ Imam Abu al-Fadl Ahmad ibn Ali ibn Amr ibn Hamad al-Sulaymani al-Baykandi al-Bukhari رحمه الله

Reference: (Tarikh Dimashq li Ibn Asakir Vol. 26 pp. 166 - 167, Tadhkirat al-Huffaz 36/3 No. 960)

For their conditions, see Siyar A'lam al-Nubala

Reference: (200/17 - 201)

and others.
➎ Abu al-Husayn Muhammad ibn Imran ibn Musa al-Jurjani

Reference: (Al-Mutafaq wa al-Muftariq al-Khatib 33/1 Hadith 508)

His mention is found in Tarikh Jurjan li al-Suhmi

Reference: (pp. 423 - 424 No. 746)

.
➏ Abu al-Husayn Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Yusuf al-Azdi al-Bukhari

Reference: (Tarikh Baghdad 10/28 No. 5147)

➐ Abu Nasr Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn al-Hasan ibn Hamed ibn Harun ibn al-Mundhir ibn Abdul Jabbar al-Niyazi al-Kermani.
I do not have a complete historical account of the narrators from Samarkand and Bukhara, and "Al-Qand fi Dhikr Ulama Samarkand" by al-Nasafi exists, but it is incomplete from the beginning and the end; the section on narrators named Mahmood has not been published. And Allah knows best.

Academic Contributions: You are the primary narrator of Imam Muhammad ibn Ismail al-Bukhari رحمه الله's two famous books, Juz' Raf' al-Yadayn and Juz' al-Qira'ah.

Reference: (Also see Hadi al-Sari, Introduction to Fath al-Bari p. 492)

Scholarly Status: The famous scholar of Yemen, Mawlana Sheikh Abdul Rahman ibn Yahya al-Mu'allimi رحمه الله, addressed Zahid ibn Hasan al-Kawthari (Jahmi) and wrote: إذا كان أهل العلم قد وثقوهما و ثبتوهما ولم يتكلم أحد منهم فيهما فما ذا ينفعك أن تقول : لا نثق بهما ؟ When the scholars (Muhaddithin and scholars) have declared both (Mahmood ibn Ishaq al-Khuzai and Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn al-Husayn al-Razi) Thiqah and Sabit, and no one has made any (criticism) remarks about them, what benefit will your statement: "We do not rely on them" provide?

Reference: (Al-Tankil bima fi Ta'neeb al-Kawthari min al-Abatil 475/1 No. 242)

Now, I present more than ten references for the explicit and implicit authentication of Mahmood ibn Ishaq رحمه الله:
➊ Hafiz Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani declared a narration reported by Mahmood ibn Ishaq as "Hasan."

Reference: (See Muwafiq al-Khayr al-Khayr fi Takhrij Ahadith al-Mukhtasar 417/1)

Note: Declaring a narrator's unique narration as Hasan or Sahih is an authentication of that narrator.

Reference: (See Nasb al-Rayah 264/3, 149/1)

➋ Allama Nawawi transmitted a narration from Juz' Raf' al-Yadayn with certainty and stated: بإسناده الصحيح عن نافع

Reference: (Al-Majmu' Sharh al-Muhadhab 3/405)

It is evident that Nawawi considered Juz' Raf' al-Yadayn to be an authentic and established book of Imam al-Bukhari.
➌ Ibn al-Mulaqqin (Sufi) transmitted a narration from Juz' Raf' al-Yadayn with certainty and stated: بإسناد صحيح عن نافع عن ابن عمر

Reference: (Al-Badr al-Munir 478/3)

➍ Zaili al-Hanafi transmitted narrations from Juz' Raf' al-Yadayn with certainty.

Reference: (See Nasb al-Rayah 395, 393, 390/1)

➎ The famous Muhaddith Abu Bakr al-Bayhaqi رحمه الله transmitted the book Juz' al-Qira'ah reported by Mahmood ibn Ishaq with certainty from Imam al-Bukhari.

Reference: (For example, see Kitab al-Qira'ah Khalfa al-Imam li al-Bayhaqi p. 23 Hadith 28)

➏ Allama Abu al-Hajjaj al-Mizzi رحمه الله transmitted Juz' al-Qira'ah with certainty from Imam al-Bukhari.

Reference: (For example, see Tahdhib al-Kamal Vol. 3 p. 172, Said ibn Sinan al-Barjami)

➐ Ayni al-Hanafi transmitted Juz' Raf' al-Yadayn with certainty from Imam al-Bukhari.

Reference: (See Umdat al-Qari 272/5 under Hadith 735)

Also see Sharh Sunan Abi Dawood al-Ayni

Reference: (250/3 Hadith 732)

and Ma'ani al-Akhbar

Reference: (476/3)

➑ Badr al-Din Muhammad ibn Bahadur ibn Abdullah al-Zarkashi transmitted the mentioned Juz' with certainty.

Reference: (See Al-Bahr al-Hayt fi Usul al-Fiqh 449/4 Maktabah Shamilah)

➒ Muhammad al-Zarqani transmitted Juz' Raf' al-Yadayn with certainty from Imam al-Bukhari.

Reference: (See Sharh al-Zarqani 'ala al-Muwatta 158/1 under Hadith 204 Chapter on What Came in the Opening of Prayer)

➓ Al-Suyuti transmitted Juz' Raf' al-Yadayn with certainty from Imam al-Bukhari in Fadl al-Wa'i.

Reference: (See Fadl al-Wa'i fi Ahadith Raf' al-Yadayn bil-Dua 59/1 before Hadith 18)

⓫ Al-Dhahabi

Reference: (Al-Tanqih li Kitab al-Tahqiq li Ahadith al-Taliq 1/249 Maktabah Nizar Mustafa al-Baz / Makkah)

⓬ Mughultai al-Hanafi

Reference: (See Sharh Sunan Ibn Majah li Mughultai 1466, 1414/1, 8/2 Jami'ah)

And others, for example, see Tanqih al-Tahqiq

Reference: (218/2, 758, 378/1 Jami'ah)

Many scholars from the Deobandi and Barelvi sects and the followers of Taqleed have transmitted Juz' Raf' al-Yadayn and Juz' al-Qira'ah (both or either one) with certainty from Imam al-Bukhari, some of which references are as follows:
➊ Nimawi

Reference: (Aathar al-Sunan: 635 and said: "Reported by al-Bukhari in Juz' Raf' al-Yadayn and its chain is authentic")

➋ Sarfraz Khan Safdar Kattar Mangi Gakhrawi Deobandi

Reference: (Khazain al-Sunan p. 416 Part Two p. 166)

➌ Sufi Abdul Hamid Swati Deobandi

Reference: (Namaz Masnun Kalan p. 646)

➍ Faiz Ahmad Multani Deobandi

Reference: (Namaz Daleel p. 118 Reference No. 276)

➎ Jameel Ahmad Naziri Deobandi

Reference: (Rasul Akram ﷺ ka Tareeqa Namaz p. 262)

➏ Ali Muhammad Haqani Deobandi

Reference: (Nabawi Namaz/Sindhi p. 292 Part One)

➐ Ghulam Mustafa Noori Barelvi

Reference: (Namaz Nabawi ﷺ p. 162)

➑ Ghulam Murtaza Saqi Barelvi

Reference: (Mas'ala Raf' Yadain par... ka Taqab p. 26)

➒ Abu Yusuf Muhammad Wali Darwish Deobandi

Reference: (Payghambar Khuda ﷺ Munh / Pashto p. 414)

➓ Abdul Shakur Qasimi Deobandi, etc.

Reference: (Kitab al-Salah p. 113, printed by Nadwat al-Ilm Karachi)

and others.

All of them have transmitted references from Juz' al-Qira'ah or Juz' Raf' al-Yadayn with certainty and as evidence, and some have even declared a narration mentioned in Raf' al-Yadayn as having an authentic chain.

To our knowledge, no Muhaddith or credible scholar has criticized Mahmood ibn Ishaq, and declaring the books and narrations he reported as certain or mentioning them with certainty (in the absence of any criticism against him) is evidence that he was considered Thiqah and Saduq by all the mentioned scholars and others. Therefore, both Juz' al-Qira'ah and Juz' Raf' al-Yadayn are established from Imam al-Bukhari, and the criticisms and objections of some people from the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries against these books are rejected.

Refutation of the Ignorance or Willful Ignorance of Some People:​

In the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, some people (for example, Amin Okaraavi Deobandi) declared Mahmood bin Ishaq al-Bukhari to be unknown (majhool), whereas the narration of seven narrators, after the authentication by Hafiz Ibn Hajar and other scholars and non-scholars, renders such a claim invalid and rejected. To our knowledge, Mahmood bin Ishaq, who passed away in 332 AH, has not been declared majhool al-‘ain or majhool al-hal (hidden) by any hadith scholar or credible scholar.

Hafiz Dhahabi wrote:
محمود بن إسحاق البخاري القواس : سمع من محمد بن إسماعيل البخاري و محمد بن الحسن بن جعفر صاحب يزيد بن هارون و حدث و عمر دهرا . أرخه الخليلي و قال : ثنا عنه محمد بن أحمد الملاحمي
Mahmood bin Ishaq al-Bukhari al-Qawwas: He heard from Muhammad bin Ismail al-Bukhari and Yazid bin Harun's student Muhammad bin al-Hasan bin Ja'far, narrated hadiths, and lived for a long time. Al-Khilaali mentioned his date of death and stated: We have heard hadith from him through Muhammad bin Ahmad al-Malahimi.

Reference: (Tareekh al-Islam vol. 25 p. 83)

A well-known principle of hadith states that if two or more trustworthy narrators narrate from a narrator, he is not considered majhool al-‘ain (unknown), and if such a narrator lacks authentication, he is considered majhool al-hal (hidden). The following references are noted:
➊ Al-Khatib al-Baghdadi wrote: و أقل ما ترتفع به الجهالة أن يروي عن الرجل اثنان فصاعدا من المشهورين بالعلم ، كذلك and the ignorance of a person (being majhool al-‘ain) is at least removed when two or more well-known narrators narrate from him, just as it is.

Reference: (Al-Kifaayah fi Ilm al-Riwaayah p. 88, and the wording is his, Sharh Mulla Ali Qari on Nuzhat Sharh Nukhbat al-Fikr p. 517)

Ibn al-Salah al-Shahrzuri wrote: و من روى عنه عدلان و عيناه فقد ارتفعت عنه هذه الجهالة and if two trustworthy narrators narrate and specify him (by name), then this ignorance (being majhool al-‘ain) is removed.

Reference: (Muqaddimah Ibn al-Salah p. 146, Type 23, Sharh Mulla Ali Qari p. 517)

Hafiz Dhahabi wrote about Usama bin Hafs:
ليس بمجهول فقد روى عنه أربعة He is not majhool, because four narrators have narrated from him.

Reference: (Hadi al-Sari by Ibn Hajar p. 389)

Note: This phrase has been omitted from the printed editions of Mizan al-I'tidal.

Opposing Hafiz Ibn Taymiyyah, Ali bin Abdul Kafi al-Sabki al-Shafi'i openly wrote:
و برواية اثنين تنتفى جهالة العين فكيف برواية سبعة ؟ The ignorance is completely removed by the narration of two, so how can it not be removed by the narration of seven?!

Reference: (Shifa al-Saqam, Chapter One, Hadith One p. 98)

Hafiz Ibn Abdul Barr wrote about a narrator, Abdul Rahman bin Yazid bin Aqbah bin Kareem al-Ansari al-Saduq: و قد روى عنه ثلاثة ، وقد قيل : رجلان فليس بمجهول Two or three people have narrated from him, therefore he is not majhool.

Reference: (Al-Istidhkar 180/1 Hadith 49, Chapter on Leaving Wudu from What Has Been Affected by Fire)

Abu Ja'far al-Nahhas said: و من روى عنه اثنان فليس بمجهول
And if two narrate from him, he is not majhool.

Reference: (Al-Nasikh wal-Mansukh 48/1, second 171/1, Shamilah)

Ayni Hanafi wrote about a narrator (Abu Zaid):
والجهالة عند المحدثين تزول برواية اثنين فصاعدا ، فأين الجهالة بعد ذلك ؟ ! إلا أن يراد جهالة الحال
And according to the hadith scholars, the ignorance is removed by the narration of two or more, so where is the ignorance left after that?! Unless the ignorance of condition is meant.

Reference: (Tanqih Mabani al-Akhbar fi Sharh Ma'ani al-Athar 2/282, Ministry of Awqaf Qatar)

There are many more references of this kind.

Reference: (For example, see Lisan al-Mizan 226/6, Al-Walid bin Muhammad bin Saleh, Majma' al-Zawa'id 362/1)

➋ Zafar Ahmad Thanwi Deobandi wrote a principle about Aisha bint Ajrad:
وليس بمجهول من روى عنه اثنان And if two trustworthy narrators narrate, he is not majhool.

Reference: (I'la al-Sunan vol. 1 p. 207 Hadith 153)

Note: The phrase after و عرفها يحيى بن معين فقال : لها صحبة is separate and does not contradict this principle.

Zafar Ahmad Thanwi Deobandi further wrote: برواية عدلين ترتفع جهالة العين عند الجمهور و لا تثبت به العدالة According to the majority, the ignorance is completely removed by the narration of two trustworthy narrators, and this does not establish justice (authentication of the narrator).

Reference: (Qawa'id fi Uloom al-Hadith p. 130, I'la al-Sunan vol. 19 p. 213)

➌ Abdul Qayyum Haqqani Deobandi wrote about a narrator:
In response, the hadith scholars state that his name is Yazid, and three narrators narrate from him, and according to the principle, the ignorance of a person from whom two narrate is removed.

Reference: (Tazeeh al-Sunan vol. 1 p. 571 under Hadith 345)

Also see Tazeeh al-Sunan

Reference: (vol. 2 p. 605 under Hadith 995-1000)

➍ Muhammad Taqi Usmani Deobandi, while responding to an objection regarding a majhool al-hal narrator Abu Aisha, said:
And it has been established in the principles of hadith that if two narrators narrate from a person, his ignorance is removed, therefore the objection of ignorance is not valid, and this hadith is not less than Hasan.

Reference: (Darus Tirmidhi vol. 2 p. 315-316)

➎ Abdul Haq Haqqani Akoravi Deobandi mentioned the objection of majhool in a narration: The answer is that there are two types of majhool.
● Majhool al-Dhat ● Majhool al-Sifat
When a narrator says حدثنی رجل (A man told me) and that man is unknown, then this is majhool al-Dhat. If two students who are trustworthy, just, and reliable narrate from such an unknown man, then the narration of these two students from one teacher serves as a testimony to the reliability of the teacher (the unknown man). Because accomplished students never learn from an incompetent teacher.

Reference: (Haqaiq al-Sunan Sharh Jami' al-Sunan for Tirmidhi vol. 1 p. 206)

➏ Ahmad Hassan Sanbhali Taqleedee Muzaffar Nagri, in response to the first objection against Imam Ibn Abi Shaiba (on his alleged Imam), wrote:
Thus, when two persons narrated from him, the ignorance was removed, so they will be considered well-known, just as this principle has been established in the principles of hadith.

Reference: (Ajwibat al-Lateefa 'an Ba'd Radd Ibn Abi Shaiba 'ala Abu Hanifah p. 19-18, Tarjuman Ahnaf 419-418)

This book is favored by four individuals:
⟐ Ashraf Ali Thanwi

Reference: (See Tarjuman Ahnaf p. 408)

⟐ Master Amin Okaraavi

Reference: (See Tarjuman Ahnaf p. 7-3)

⟐ Mushtaq Ali Shah Deobandi (See the first page of Tarjuman Ahnaf)
⟐ Muhammad Ilyas Ghaman Hayati Deobandi

Reference: (See the Research Review of the Ahl al-Hadith Sect in Pakistan and India p. 390)

If the principle of hadith mentioned in this reference is denied, then the defense of the followers of Taqleed for their alleged Imam in the first issue collapses, and Imam Ibn Abi Shaiba's objection is proven correct that (Imam) Abu Hanifah opposed the hadiths.

➐ Nimwi Taqleedee wrote about a majhool al-hal narrator Abu Aisha:
قلت : فارتفعت الجهالة برواية الاثنين عنه
I said: Thus, the ignorance was removed by the narration of two from him.

Reference: (Aathar al-Sunan p. 397 under Hadith 995)

Also see Aathar al-Sunan

Reference: (p. 147 under Hadith 328)

➑ Shabbir Ahmad Usmani Deobandi wrote:
ثم من روى عنه عدلان ارتفعت جهالة عينه
Then if two trustworthy narrators narrate from him, his ignorance is completely removed.

Reference: (Fath al-Mulhim vol. 1 p. 63, second edition vol. 1 p. 172)

➒ Muhammad Irshad al-Qasimi Bhagalpuri (Deobandi) wrote:
"When the narration of majhool al-‘ain is established by two just narrators, then the ignorance will be removed."

Reference: (Irshad Usul al-Hadith & Zamzam Publishers p. 95)

➓ Muhammad Mahmood Alam Safdar (Nanha) Okaraavi wrote: It should be noted that the ignorance of a narrator being one is based on the views of other hadith scholars, and according to them, if there are two narrators, the ignorance of the individual will be removed. According to us, majhool al-‘ain is one from whom one or two hadiths are narrated and whose justice is also unknown; it is generally accepted that two or more narrators narrate from him. If such ignorance exists in a companion, it is not harmful, and if it exists in others, then if his hadith appears in the second or third century, it will be permissible to act upon it, and if it appears and the predecessors testify to its authenticity, then it will be accepted, and if they reject it, it will be rejected, and if they differ, then if it agrees with analogy, it will be accepted, otherwise, it will be rejected.

Reference: (Qatrat al-'Itr p. 238)

According to this Deobandi principle of Nanha Okaraavi, the narrations of Mahmood bin Ishaq al-Khazai and Nafi' bin Mahmood al-Maqdisi, etc., رحمه الله, become accepted (Sahih or Hasan).

Further references can also be found, proving that the narrator Mahmood bin Ishaq رحمه الله, who has seven students, cannot be declared majhool or majhool al-‘ain at all.

As for declaring him majhool al-hal or hidden, this only occurs when the narrator's authentication is completely absent (or unreliable), as Hafiz Ibn Hajar رحمه الله stated: و إن روى عنه اثنان فصاعدا ولم يوثق فهو مجهول الحال وهو المستور و قد قبل روايته جماعة بغير قيد و ردها الجمهور If two or more have narrated from him and his authentication is not present, then he is majhool al-hal and hidden, and he has been accepted by a group without any condition, and the majority has rejected it.

Reference: (Nuzhat al-Nazar Sharh Nukhbat al-Fikr with Sharh Mulla Ali Qari p. 517-518, Qatrat al-'Itr Sharh Urdu Sharh Nukhbat al-Fikr p. 236)

In the explanation of "a group has accepted," Mulla Ali Qari Hanafi wrote:
منهم أبو حنيفة Among them is Abu Hanifah...

Reference: (Sharh Nukhbat al-Fikr p. 518)

Shabbir Ahmad Usmani Deobandi wrote: و منهم أبو بكر بن فورك و كذا قبله أبو حنيفة خلافا للشافعي، و من عزاه إليه فقد وهم And among those (who accepted the narration of the hidden) are Abu Bakr al-Furq and before him Abu Hanifah, (this principle) is against the Shafi'i, and whoever attributed it to them (the Shafi'i) (that the narration of the hidden is accepted) has made a mistake.

Reference: (Fath al-Mulhim vol. 1 p. 170, old edition vol. 1 p. 63)

In the favored book of Hadith Sciences by Habib al-Rahman Azami Deobandi, Muhammad Ubaidullah al-Asadi (Deobandi) wrote: According to Imam Abu Hanifah, the details regarding the rulings of majhool are:
(a) Majhool al-‘ain: This state of jarh is not valid; his hadith will be unacceptable unless the predecessors have declared it rejected or it appears after the era of the Tabi' al-Tabi'in. If it appears before that, whether the predecessors have strengthened it or some have agreed or all have remained silent, it is permissible to act upon it.
(b) Majhool al-hal: The narrator is accepted, whether he is just in appearance but hidden in reality or is majhool from both aspects.
(c) Majhool al-ism: It is also accepted provided he belongs to the three generations.

This detail also shows that according to the Imam, majhool is not accepted absolutely; at least the condition of belonging to the three generations must be considered, as explicitly stated.

Reference: (Uloom al-Hadith p. 200)

Abu Sa'ad Shirazi (Deobandi) wrote:
"A narrator who is not majhool al-‘ain and whose authentication is not reported from anyone is called hidden; his narration is accepted."

Reference: (Ilyas Ghaman's Caravan of Truth vol. 3 issue 2 p. 29)

Shirazi Deobandi quoted from his "Sultan al-Muhaddithin," Mulla Ali Qari:
And the narration of the hidden has been accepted by a group without the condition of time; among them is Abu Hanifah رحمه الله. Al-Sakhawi mentioned this, and Ibn Hibban adopted this saying while following Imam al-Azam رحمه الله.

Reference: (Ilyas Ghaman's Caravan of Truth vol. 3 issue 2 p. 35)

Note: The claim that Hafiz Ibn Hibban followed the Hanafi Imam Abu Hanifah in this principle is baseless and unsupported.

Deobandi "Mufti" Shabbir Ahmad (modern) wrote: The third narrator is Imam Abu Asim Sa'd bin Ma'adh al-Muroozi. Ali Zai has reported the jarh of him being majhool. However, according to the principles of hadith, this jarh is also rejected because there are two types of majhool:
● Majhool al-hal ● Majhool al-‘ain
Majhool means one whose justice is not apparent, but he is a Muslim. According to Imam al-Azam Abu Hanifah رحمه الله and his followers, the narration of majhool al-hal will be accepted, meaning that the narrator being a Muslim and avoiding corruption is sufficient for the acceptance of his narration.

Majhool al-‘ain means that scholars do not recognize this narrator and his narration. If only one narrator has transmitted from him, in other words, if only one student has narrated from him.

None of the categories of majhool apply to Abu Asim, neither majhool al-hal nor majhool al-‘ain. According to the principles of the Ahnaf, his narration is accepted, and according to the principles of other Imams, his narration is also accepted because he has several students and he is a Muslim. Therefore, his narration will be accepted.

Reference: (Ilyas Ghaman's Caravan of Truth vol. 5 issue 4 p. 24)

Fair-minded readers should consider that several narrators have narrated from Abu Asim, and no single reliable hadith scholar or scholar has provided explicit or implicit authentication of him, rather Hafiz Dhahabi clearly wrote that مجهول و حديثه باطل he is majhool and his hadith is invalid.

Reference: (Mizan al-I'tidal 2/125, second edition 3/185)

This Abu Asim is being established as trustworthy and truthful (!) while Mahmood bin Ishaq al-Khazai al-Bukhari and Nafi' bin Mahmood al-Maqdisi, etc., are being labeled as majhool and hidden. Glory be to Allah!

Summary of the investigation: Mahmood bin Ishaq al-Khazai mentioned is not majhool or hidden but is trustworthy and truthful and has authentic and good hadiths, therefore the criticism of him by Master Amin Okaraavi Deobandi and his followers is rejected.

Date of death: 332 AH
(Date written: 4/November 2011, Maktabah al-Hadith, Hazro, Attock)