In Baqī’s Musnad fourteen hadiths are narrated from him. His reports are found in the recognised collections, all but Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī.
Among those who transmitted from him were his two sons, ʿUmar and ʿAbd al-Raḥmān; al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī; Saʿīd ibn Jumhān; Muḥammad ibn al-Munkadir; Abū Rayḥānah ʿAbd Allāh ibn Maṭar; Sālim ibn ʿAbd Allāh; Ṣāliḥ Abū al-Khalīl; and others.
Safīnah was a nickname; his given name was Mihrān—though some said it was Rūmān, and others, Qays. It is related that on one occasion he carried the entire baggage of the travelling party, whereupon the Prophet ﷺ said to him, “You are nothing but a safīnah (a ship)!” and the name stayed with him (1).
Usāmah ibn Zayd narrated—through Muḥammad ibn al-Munkadir—from Safīnah that he once set sail, but the vessel broke apart. The sea cast him onto the shore, where he encountered a lion. He said, “O lion! I am Safīnah, the freed servant of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.” The lion showed him the way, then let out a low growl; I supposed, he said, that it was offering me peace (2).
He passed away sometime after the year 70 AH.
See al-Istiab 2/130; al-Isaba 2/58; and Tarikh al-Islam 3/158.
(1) Reported by Imam Ahmad 5/121 and 222; Abu Nuaym, Hilyat al-Awliya 1/369; al-Tabarani (no. 6439); and Ibn Qutayba, al-Maʿarif, pp. 146–147, through the chain of Hashraj ibn Nabbata, from Saʿid ibn Jumhan who said: “I asked Safina about his personal name. He replied, ‘The Messenger of Allah named me Safina (ship).’ I asked, ‘Why did he call you Safina?’ He said: ‘The Messenger of Allah set out with his Companions and their baggage became heavy for them. He said to me, “Spread out your cloak.” I spread it, they placed their belongings in it, then they loaded it on me. The Prophet said, “Carry it, for you are Safina.” Had I been required that day to carry the load of one camel, or two, or three, or four, or five, or six, or seven, it would not have burdened me.’ The chain is sound (hasan). Al-Hakim, 3/606, declared it authentic (sahih) and al-Dhahabi concurred, although Saʿid ibn Jumhan is omitted from their chain.
(2) Al-Tabarani also records it (no. 6432) through Ibn Wahb—Usama ibn Zayd—Muhammad ibn ʿAbd Allah ibn ʿAmr ibn ʿUthman—Muhammad ibn al-Munkadir—that Safina … All the transmitters are trustworthy except Usama ibn Zayd al-Laythi; al-Hafiz says in Taqrib: ‘reliable but makes mistakes.’ Moreover, Muhammad ibn al-Munkadir is not proven to have heard directly from Safina. Even so, al-Hakim, 3/606, graded the report authentic and al-Dhahabi agreed, and al-Suyuti also cited it in …