Scholarly Criticism and Authentication of Narrator Muʾammal ibn Ismāʿīl al-Qurashī

Criticism and Validation of Narrator Muʾammal ibn Ismāʿīl al-Qurashī by the Muhaddithīn


Compiled by: Tauheed.com

Basic Information about Muʾammal ibn Ismāʿīl​

Muʾammal’s narrations appear in the Six Canonical Books:

• Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: (Hadith 2700 and, according to the stronger opinion, 7083, with a commentary)
• Sunan al-Tirmidhī: (Hadith 415, 672, 1822, 1948, 2135, 3266, 3525, 3906, 3949)
• Sunan al-Nasāʾī al-Ṣughrā: (Hadith 4097, 4589)
• Sunan Ibn Mājah: (Hadith 2013, 2919, 3017)

Part One: Criticism (Jarḥ) of Muʾammal ibn Ismāʿīl​

• Abū Ḥātim al-Rāzī:
  “Ṣidq (truthful), strict in Sunnah, makes many mistakes, writes down his hadith.”
  (Al-Jarḥ wa al-Taʿdīl 347/8)
• Zakariyyā ibn Yaḥyā al-Sājī:
  “Truthful, many mistakes and delusions, which he often mentions.”
  (Tadhkībat al-Tadhkīb 381/10)
  — This narration is without a chain and therefore not reliable.
• Muḥammad ibn Naṣr al-Marwazī:
  “When Muʾammal reports alone, one must suspend and verify, for he was weak in memory and made many mistakes.”
  (Tadhkībat al-Tadhkīb 381/10)
  — Also without a chain and rejected.
• Yaʿqūb ibn Sufyān al-Fārisī:
  Described Muʾammal as praised by Sulaymān ibn Ḥarb, but with reservations about some of his narrations, recommending caution.
  (Kitāb al-Maʿrifa wa al-Tārīkh 52/3)
  — This criticism opposes the majority view and is therefore rejected.
• Abū Zarʿa al-Rāzī:
  “Many mistakes in his narrations.”
  (Mīzān al-Iʿtidāl 228/4)
  — Without chain and not reliable.
• Imām al-Bukhārī:
  “Munkir al-Ḥadīth (denier of hadith).”
  (Tadhkībat al-Kamāl 526/18, Mīzān al-Iʿtidāl 228/4, Tadhkībat al-Tadhkīb 381/10)
  — This statement is without chain or source. Imām Bukhārī mentioned Muʾammal without criticism in Al-Tārīkh al-Kabīr and recorded his narrations in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī (2700, 7083). Hafiz al-Mizzī and Muhammad ibn Ṭāhir al-Maqdisī confirmed that Imām Bukhārī considered him trustworthy or at least worth citing.
• Ibn Saʿd:
  “Trustworthy but makes many mistakes.”
  (Al-Ṭabaqāt al-Kubrā 501/5)
• Imām Dāraqutnī:
  “Ṣidq but many mistakes.”
  (Aswālat al-Ḥākim 942)
  — In other statements he did not criticize him.
• ʿAbd al-Bāqī ibn Qāniʿ al-Baghdādī:
  “Good but makes mistakes.”
  (Tadhkībat al-Tadhkīb 381/10)
  — Also without chain and author accused of confusion.
• Ḥāfiẓ Ibn Ḥajar al-ʿAsqalānī:
  “Ṣidq but weak memory.”
  (Taqrīb al-Tahdhīb 7029)
• Imām Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal:
  “Muʾammal sometimes errs.”
  (Aswālat al-Marwazī 53)
  — This is possible even for trustworthy narrators and does not invalidate reliability.
• Ibn al-Turkamānī al-Ḥanafī:
  His criticism is based on “they say” and therefore rejected.

Part Two: Validation (Taʿdīl) of Muʾammal ibn Ismāʿīl​

• Yaḥyā ibn Maʿīn:
  “Trustworthy.”
  (Tārīkh Ibn Maʿīn, Jarḥ wa Taʿdīl Ibn Abī Ḥātim 373/8)
• Ibn Ḥibbān:
  Mentioned him in Al-Thiqāt and stated “perhaps he erred,” but this does not make a narrator unreliable. He included his narrations in his Ṣaḥīḥ.
• Imām Bukhārī:
  Cited his narrations in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī with a commentary, indicating acceptance.
• Sulaymān ibn Ḥarb:
  Praised Muʾammal.
• Isḥāq ibn Rāhūyah:
  “Trustworthy.”
• Imām Tirmidhī:
  Classified many of his narrations as Ṣaḥīḥ or Ḥasan.
• Ibn Khuzaymah:
  Included and authenticated his narrations in Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Khuzaymah.
• Imām Dāraqutnī:
  Considered the chain “Muʾammal from Sufyān” authentic.
• Imām Ḥākim and Imām al-Dhahabī:
  Graded the “Muʾammal from Sufyān” narration as authentic.
• Ḥāfiẓ al-Dhahabī:
  Included him among trustworthy Basrans.
• Imām Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal:
  Narrated from Muʾammal multiple times in his Musnad.
• ʿAlī ibn al-Madīnī:
  Narrated from Muʾammal and generally accepted narrators with solid reports.
• Ibn Kathīr al-Dimashqī:
  Called his narrations “good chains.”
• Ḥāfiẓ Ḍiyā’ al-Maqdisī:
  Used his narrations and considered them authentic.
• Abū Dāwūd (Abū ʿUbaydah al-Ājrī’s narration):
  Considered Muʾammal great but sometimes negligent.
• Ḥāfiẓ al-Haythamī:
  “Trustworthy with some weakness.”
• Imām al-Nasā’ī:
  Included his narrations without criticism.
• Ibn Shāhīn:
  Mentioned him in Al-Thiqāt.
• Imām Ismāʿīlī:
  Cited his narrations in his extracts on Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī.
• Ḥāfiẓ Ibn Ḥajar:
  Did not criticize his narrations in Fatḥ al-Bārī.

Part Three: Numerical Comparison​

• Critics (Jarḥ): About 7
• Validators (Taʿdīl): Over 18
• Most major Muhaddithīn did not include Muʾammal in their books of weak narrators.

Part Four: Contemporary Objections and Responses​

Some modern scholars target Muʾammal solely because of a narration about placing hands on the chest during prayer attributed to him from Sufyān al-Thawrī. However, the majority consider his narrations through Sufyān authentic.

Summary​

• Muʾammal ibn Ismāʿīl is considered trustworthy or at least reliable by the majority of scholars.
• Criticisms are mostly without chains or rejected by the majority.
• Narrations through Sufyān al-Thawrī are generally accepted as authentic.
• Some criticisms are based on misunderstanding or bias.

والحمد للہ رب العالمین