and produced sizeable compilations, including a takhrīj on the two Ṣaḥīḥs. I asked Abū Saʿd al-Baghdādī about him, and he replied, “He is unobjectionable,” adding that he was distinguished for his extensive journeys, his collecting of material, and the sheer volume of what he narrated. He used to dictate to us; on one occasion a beggar rose to ask for alms, whereupon Sulaymān said, “Part of a beggar’s misfortune is to seek charity from the people of ink-pots.”

I also asked the ḥāfiẓ Ismāʿīl about him, and he said, “He is a ḥāfiẓ, and his father is a ḥāfiẓ.” (1)

Abū ʿAbd Allāh al-Daqqāq said in his Risālah: “Sulaymān the ḥāfiẓ is known for his travels and for the abundance of what he collected, while his father Ibrāhīm is recognised for understanding and memorisation; both were among Abū Nuʿaym’s students. Sulaymān’s accuracy has been criticised, and true memorisation means precision, not mere quantity.” (2)

Abū Saʿd al-Baghdādī also said, “The ḥadith scholars vilified him over a booklet for which he had no direct audition, and I myself remained silent about him.” (3)

I say: The man is, in himself, truthful, though he may err or allow himself some latitude in transmitting on the assumption that he is firmly reliable.

Yaḥyā ibn Mandah said: “There is discussion concerning his auditions. I heard from trustworthy sources that he had an elder brother named Ismāʿīl; he erased his brother’s name and inserted his own. He is a grasping shaykh with no scruples, prone to linguistic errors, and unabashed.” (4)

I say: He died in Dhū al-Qaʿdah of the year 486 AH, at the age of ninety, less a few months.