0/5.1. Chapter:
Sahih Muslim 54 — When Narrators Are Abandoned
Unveiling Defects of the Transmitters of Ḥadīth and Relaters of Reports and the Statements of the A’immah Regarding That
When Narrators Are Abandoned: Jābir al-Ju'fī and ar-Raj'ah
Sahih Muslim : 54
Sahih MuslimHadith Number 54
وَحَدَّثَنِي سَلَمَةُ بْنُ شَبِيبٍ، حَدَّثَنَا الْحُمَيْدِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، قَالَ كَانَ النَّاسُ يَحْمِلُونَ عَنْ جَابِرٍ، قَبْلَ أَنْ يُظْهِرَ، مَا أَظْهَرَ فَلَمَّا أَظْهَرَ مَا أَظْهَرَ اتَّهَمَهُ النَّاسُ فِي حَدِيثِهِ وَتَرَكَهُ بَعْضُ النَّاسِ فَقِيلَ لَهُ وَمَا أَظْهَرَ قَالَ الإِيمَانَ بِالرَّجْعَةِ .
Sufyān Narrated from:
The people would transmit from Jābir before there appeared what appeared, then when there appeared what appeared, the people imputed him in his Ḥadīth and some of the people abandoned him’. So it was said to [Sufyān]: ‘What appeared?’ [Sufyān] said: ‘Belief in ar-Raj’ah’.
Reference : Sahih Muslim Introduction 54In-book reference : Introduction, Narration 53
Summary of Sahih Muslim Hadith 54
This report explains when narrators may be abandoned. Sufyān says people used to transmit from Jābir before he showed what he later showed. When it appeared, people accused him in his hadith and some abandoned him. When asked what appeared, Sufyān said it was belief in ar-Raj'ah. The report is useful because it shows a process: people had taken from him before, then a later public issue led to doubt and abandonment by some. This is directly linked to hadith narrator reliability. It also keeps the matter balanced, because the wording says “some of the people abandoned him,” not everyone in the exact same way. The report teaches that trust in narration can be affected by later statements or beliefs.
What we learn from this hadith
- Public beliefs may affect how a narrator’s hadith are treated.
- Some scholars abandoned a narrator after concerns appeared.
- Earlier and later phases of a narrator’s life may be discussed separately.
- The report encourages careful judgment instead of careless acceptance.
