This was the story of unreliable persons; but as for those, who were known
as reliable, there is another problem; to solve which is impossible, and which puts the reader into bewilderment, because no broad-minded educated person
understands what trustworthy means? And what quality it is? What is intended by
it? What is it present with? And which quality is opposed to it? So, remain with
me so that we read collective history, in which trustworthiness is clarified:
1. Ziyad bin Abih, the great sinner and criminal. Khalifah bin Khayyat says
regarding him:
“He is regarded among the abstemious persons and Ahmad bin Salih says:
‘He was in no way accused of lying.’”1
2. Umar bin Saad bin Abi Waqqas, killer of the chief of martyrs:2 Ajali says
regarding him: “He is trustworthy.”3
3. Imran bin Hattan: leader of Khwarij and one, who composed the famous
couplets in praise of Ibne Muljim Muradi:
“Remember the strike from the man of piety; and it was not, but to achieve
divine pleasure. I remember him all the time and know that in view of Almighty
Allah, the pan of his balance will be the heaviest of all.”4
Ajali considers him reliable5 and Bukhari has narrated traditions from him in
his Saheeh.
Huraith bin Uthman; he prayed in the Masjid every day and did not leave his
place, without reciting curse on Ali (a.s.) seventy times.
Ismail Ibne Ayyash says:
I accompanied Huraith on way from Egypt to Mecca. He began to curse Ali
(a.s.) and said: “What people narrate that the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) said to Ali
(a.s.): You are to me as Harun was to Moosa, is correct, but the hearer made a
mistake in hearing it.”
“Then what is correct?” I asked.
He replied: “It was: You are to me as Qarun was to Moosa.”
I asked: “From whom do you narrate this?”
He replied: “I heard Walid bin Abdul Malik state that from the pulpit.”6
Bukhari, Abu Dawood, Tirmizi and others have argued through his traditions.
It is mentioned in Riyazun Nazara7 that Huraith is reliable, but he was
inimical to Ali (a.s.), may God be inimical to him.
5. Hafiz Abdul Mugheeth Hanbali: He has written a book on the excellence
of Yazid based on fabricated traditions and at the same time, he is described as
pious, trustworthy, religious and truthful.8
Yes, as Ibne Abi Hatim has said: “When Shoba heard the sound of Quran
being recited in a melodious tune from the house of Minhal bin Amr Asadi, he
never again narrated traditions from him.”9
Yes, Yazid bin Harun said: “Narrating traditions from Abu Yusuf is not
lawful, because he used to invest the funds of orphans with other people and kept
the profits for himself.”10
Yes, yes, Bukhari has omitted traditions from Imam Ja’far Sadiq (a.s.). And
Yahya bin Saeed has said regarding Imam Ja’far Sadiq (a.s.): “I myself have
negative feelings about him.” And he said: “He was not a liar.”11
Shafei,12 Ibne Moin, Ibne Abi Khaisama, Abu Hatim, Ibne Adi, Ibne Habban,
Nasai and others regard him as reliable.
Yes, Abu Hatim bin Habban Busti says:13
“Ali bin Moosa Reza – Imame Tahir – has narrated strange things from his
father; as if he has misunderstood them and talked of illogical things.”14
Yes, in Mauzuaat,15 Ibne Jauzi has considered the pure Imam, Hasan bin Ali
bin Muhammad Askari as weak and has not regarded him reliable.
فَوَيْلٌۭ لَّهُم مِّمَّا كَتَبَتْ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَوَيْلٌۭ لَّهُم مِّمَّا يَكْسِبُونَ (٧٩)
“Therefore woe to them for what their hands have written and woe to them for what they earn.”16