0/5.1. Chapter:
Sahih Muslim 74 — Testing Hadith Sources
Unveiling Defects of the Transmitters of Ḥadīth and Relaters of Reports and the Statements of the A’immah Regarding That
Testing Hadith Sources for Authenticity
Sahih Muslim : 74
Sahih MuslimHadith Number 74
وَحَدَّثَنَا مَحْمُودُ بْنُ غَيْلاَنَ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو دَاوُدَ، قَالَ قَالَ لِي شُعْبَةُ ايتِ جَرِيرَ بْنَ حَازِمٍ فَقُلْ لَهُ لاَ يَحِلُّ لَكَ أَنْ تَرْوِيَ عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ عُمَارَةَ فَإِنَّهُ يَكْذِبُ . قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ قُلْتُ لِشُعْبَةَ وَكَيْفَ ذَاكَ فَقَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَنِ الْحَكَمِ بِأَشْيَاءَ لَمْ أَجِدْ لَهَا أَصْلاً . قَالَ قُلْتُ لَهُ بِأَىِّ شَىْءٍ قَالَ قُلْتُ لِلْحَكَمِ أَصَلَّى النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَلَى قَتْلَى أُحُدٍ فَقَالَ لَمْ يُصَلِّ عَلَيْهِمْ . فَقَالَ الْحَسَنُ بْنُ عُمَارَةَ عَنِ الْحَكَمِ عَنْ مِقْسَمٍ عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ إِنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم صَلَّى عَلَيْهِمْ وَدَفَنَهُمْ . قُلْتُ لِلْحَكَمِ مَا تَقُولُ فِي أَوْلاَدِ الزِّنَا قَالَ يُصَلَّى عَلَيْهِمْ . قُلْتُ مِنْ حَدِيثِ مَنْ يُرْوَى قَالَ يُرْوَى عَنِ الْحَسَنِ الْبَصْرِيِّ . فَقَالَ الْحَسَنُ بْنُ عُمَارَةَ حَدَّثَنَا الْحَكَمُ عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ الْجَزَّارِ عَنْ عَلِيٍّ .
Shu’bah Narrated from:
Go to Jarīr bin Hāzim and say to him, ‘It is not allowed for you to transmit from al-Hasan bin Umārah for indeed he lies’.’ Abū Dāwud said, I said to Shu’bah: ‘And how do you know that?’ So [Shu’bah] said: ‘He narrated to us on authority of al-Hakam things that were not found to have any basis’. [Abū Dāwud] said: ‘What things?’ [Shu’bah] said, I said to al-Hakam: ‘Did the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah upon him, pray over the martyrs of Uhud?’ [al-Hakam] said: ‘He did not pray over them’. Al-Hasan bin Umārah said, on authority of al-Hakam, on authority of Miqsam, on authority of Ibn Abbās: ‘Indeed the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah upon him, prayed over them and buried them ’.I [Shu’bah] said to al-Hakam: ‘What do you say about the children born from fornication?’ [Al-Hakam] said: ‘Pray over them ’. I [Shu’bah] said: ‘From whose Ḥadīth is it transmitted?’ [Al-Hakam] said: ‘It is transmitted on authority of al-Hasan al-Basrī’.’ Al-Hasan bin Umārah said: ‘Al-Hakam narrated to us, on authority of Yahyā bin al-Jazzār, on authority of Alī.
Reference : Sahih Muslim Introduction 74In-book reference : Introduction, Narration 73
Summary of Sahih Muslim Hadith 74
This narration gives a detailed example of hadith authentication through source testing. Shu’bah told Abu Dawud to warn Jarir bin Hazim not to transmit from al-Hasan bin Umarah, saying that he lied. When asked how he knew, Shu’bah explained that al-Hasan reported things from al-Hakam that he could not find any basis for. Shu’bah then gave examples where he had asked al-Hakam directly, and the reports later attributed through al-Hasan did not match. The main lesson is clear: Hadith scholars did not only repeat claims. They checked the source, compared statements, and looked for a real basis before accepting a chain.
What we learn from this hadith
- Hadith reports can be checked by returning to the claimed source.
- A report with no known basis raises concern.
- Scholars warned others when they believed a narrator was unreliable.
- Direct checking helps protect the accuracy of Hadith chains.
