95 – al-Rabīʿ ibn Khuthaym ibn ʿĀʾidh, Abū Yazīd al-Thawrī * (Bukhārī, Muslim)
The imam, exemplar, and devoted worshiper—Abū Yazīd al-Thawrī of Kufa—was one of the leading luminaries.
He lived during the Prophet’s ﷺ lifetime and even transmitted reports in mursal form from him.
He narrated from ʿAbd Allah ibn Masʿūd, Abū Ayyūb al-Anṣārī, and ʿAmr ibn Maymūn.
Although his narrations are few, his stature is great.
Those who reported from him include al-Shaʿbī, Ibrāhīm al-Nakhaʿī, Hilāl ibn Yasāf, Mundhir al-Thawrī, Hubayrah ibn Khuzaymah, and others.
He was counted among the most judicious of men.
It is related from Abū ʿUbaydah ibn ʿAbd Allah ibn Masʿūd that he said:
“Whenever al-Rabīʿ ibn Khuthaym visited Ibn Masʿūd, no one else was allowed in until the two of them had finished their conversation. Ibn Masʿūd would say to him, ‘O Abū Yazīd, had the Messenger of Allah ﷺ seen you, he would have loved you; whenever I look at you I am reminded of the humble ones.’(1)”
This is a tremendous virtue for al-Rabīʿ. It was conveyed to me by Isḥāq al-Asadī, who said: Ibn Khalīl informed us; Abū al-Makārim al-Taymī informed us; Abū ʿAlī al-Muqriʾ informed us; Abū Nuʿaym narrated to us; al-Ṭabarānī narrated to us; ʿAbdān ibn Aḥmad narrated to us; Azhar ibn Marwān narrated to us; ʿAbd al-Wāḥid ibn Ziyād narrated to us; ʿAbd Allah ibn al-Rabīʿ ibn Khuthaym narrated to us; he said: Abū ʿUbaydah [related it].
Abū al-Aḥwaṣ, from Saʿīd ibn Masrūq, from Mundhir al-Thawrī, said: “He used to…"