Regarding him...

Regarding him, Zahabi writes in his Tazkerah, ‘His traditions were drawn on the scale of authenticity and were rejected due to lack of evidence.

Whatever he has narrated has been repudiated.’ Ibn Ahmad says, ‘I asked my father about him.’ He said, ‘Initially he was firm and solid but later became corrupt and hence, he is of no consequence.’ Saaleh Ibn Muhammad says, ‘In the view of Ibn Moeen, he was reliable but according to me, he used to lie in traditions.’ Ibn al-Madeeni says, ‘I have rejected his traditions and do not narrate anything from him.’ Ahmad Ibn Saaleh says, ‘He is accused and is of no consequence.’ Nisaai says, ‘He is not reliable.

His tradition ‘Surely, Allah chose my companions upon the entire universe’ is a fabricated one and there are many who have discredited him.’ Ibn Habaan says, ‘He is a denier of traditions and narrates with assurance that which has not been narrated by the reliable ones. He had a neighbor whose writing was similar to that of Abdullah.

He wrote things and placed it between the writings of Abdullah, who thought that it was his own writing and narrated from it.’ Another narrator of this tradition is Lais Ibn Sa’d (exp. 175 A.H.) described as knowledgeable, a commentator of Quran and other praiseworthy characteristics as has been recorded in his biography. Like Ibn Abi Lailaa and Ibn Shabramah, Lais was amongst the jurists of the government.

He was an agent of Mansoor al-Abbasi, the oppressive and murderous tyrant, whose oppression, rebellion, persecution of the Shias and usurpation of the caliphate was proclaimed publicly by the likes of Abu Hanifah, who refused to accept his gifts, saying, ‘This is from the public treasury of the Muslims and none has any right in it except those who fight in the way of Allah, the needy and those who work for religion, while I am none of these.’ Mansoor ordered his (Abu Hanifah) arrest and whipped him till he died because of it or due to poisoning.

Abu Hanifah had willed that he should be buried in a land that has not been usurped by the Caliph, or any of his men and workers. But the Abbasi tyrants who followed Mansoor and were the contemporaries of Lais, relied heavily on him. He was a very important figure for them in Egypt and they were in need of people like him.