Abu Ishaq al-Sabi’i...

Abu Ishaq al-Sabi’i: Thiqah (trustworthy) ; narrated a lot (of ahadith ), a great worshipper (of Allah), from the third ( ṭabaqat ). He became confused (in his narrations) during the end part of his lifetime.[^10] Of course, Shu’bah heard from him before the memory loss. ‘Allamah al-Albani (d.

1420 H) explains: وتابعهم سفيان الثوري وشعبة عن أبي إسحاق، ولكنهما لم يذكرا النزول، وروايتهما أصح، لأنهما سمعا منه قبل الاختلاط Sufyan al-Thawri and Shu’bah also narrated from Abu Ishaq, although both did not mention the Descent.

The reports of both of them (from Abu Ishaq) are more authentic, because they both heard from him BEFORE he became confused .[^11] Another relevant point is that Abu Ishaq is a mudalis and has, on the surface, narrated the report of Ibn Mas’ud above is an ‘an-‘an form from ‘Abd al-Rahman b. Yazid. However, the tadlis does NOT, in reality, affect the ‘an-‘an reports of Abu Ishaq – among others - as long as it is Shu’bah narrating from him.

Allamah al-Albani states further: قال الترمذي: " حديث حسن صحيح، رواه الثوري وشعبة عن أبي إسحاق ". قلت: وهو كما قال، وهما قد رويا عنه قبل اختلاطه، وشعبة لا يروي عنه إلا ما صرح فيه بالتحديث كما هو مذكور في ترجمته، فبروايته عنه أمنا شبهة تدليسه. Al-Tirmidhi said: “A hasan sahih hadith , al-Thawri and Shu’bah narrated it from ( ‘an ) Abu Ishaq.” I say: It is (truly hasan sahih ) as he (al-Tirmidhi) has stated, and both of them (i.e. al-Thawri and Shu’bah) narrated from him (i.e.

Abu Ishaq) before his confusion. As for Shu’bah, he never narrated anything from him (i.e. Abu Ishaq) except what he (Abu Ishaq) explicitly stated to have directly heard from the person he is narrating from (i.e. tahdith **)**, as stated in his t arjamah (biography). Due to his (Shu’bah’s) narration from him (i.e.

Abu Ishaq), the problem of his tadlis is removed .[^12] In a clearer word, whenever Shu’bah narrates from Abu Ishaq (as in this case of Ibn Mas’ud’s hadith ), all the problems associated with the latter’s reports are removed. The former narrated from him before his confusion in his ahadith , and never transmitted any tadlis -infested reports from him. So, whenever Shu’bah narrates an ‘an-‘an report from Abu Ishaq, there actually is tahdith by the latter from his Shaykh.

The ‘an-‘an form is only Shu’bah’s convenience style. No wonder, Imam al-Bukhari (d. 256 H) includes this sanad in his Sahih : حدثنا سليمان بن حرب حدثنا شعبة عن أبي إسحاق عن عبد الرحمن بن يزيد Sulayman b. Harb – Shu’bah – Abu Ishaq – ‘Abd al-Rahman b.