Narrative on ‘Ali’s Knowledge

حدثنا أحمد بن حمدون النيسابوري حدثنا بن بنت أبي أسامة هو جعفر بن هذيل حدثنا ضرار بن صرد حدثنا يحيى بن عيسى الرملي عن الأعمش عن عباية عن بن عباس عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال علي عيبة علمي

Ibn ‘Abbas reported from the Prophet (sws) that he said: “ ‘Ali is the sack of my knowledge.”[1]

Following is the schematic illustration of the isnad of this narrative’s variants:

‘Abayah ibn Rub‘i al-Asadi is an extremist Shiite.[2] This narrative reinforces their opinion and he will be regarded as suspect.

It may also be noted that al-A‘mash according to Mizan al-i‘tidal[3] is a mudallis and does tadlis from weak narrators and would not name them. All his variants re mu‘an‘an. According to the history of Yahya ibn Ma‘in, his pupil ‘Uthman ibn Sa‘id al-Darimi declares that al-A‘mash is guilty of the worst form of tadlis: tadlis al-taswiyah.[4]

About Yahya ibn ‘Īsa al-Ramli, al-Mizzi records: Ahmad ibn hanbal holds a positive opinion about him; Yahya ibn Ma‘in says that he is laysa bi shay’; al-Nasa’i says that he is laysa bi al-qawi; al-‘Ijli says that he is trustworthy and has Shiite leanings.[5]

About Darar ibn Surad (d. 229 AH), al-Mizzi records: Yahya ibn Ma‘in regards him to be a liar; al-Bukhari and al-Nasa’i say that he is matruk al-hadith; at another instance al-Nasa’i calls him laysa bi thiqah; al-Husayn ibn Muhammad ibn Ziyad says tarakuhu; Abu hatim says yuktab hadithuhu wa la yuhtajju bihi; al-hakim says laysa bi al-qawi ‘indahum; al-Daraqutni regards him to be da‘if.[6]

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