Ṣāliḥ ibn Muḥammad Jazrah said: “When Shahr came to al-Ḥajjāj he narrated ḥadith in Iraq, and no falsehood was ever detected from him. He was a man devoted to worship (1).”

He also reported that Abū Ḥafṣ al-Fallās said: “Yaḥyā ibn Saʿīd al-Qaṭṭān would not transmit from Shahr, whereas ʿAbd al-Raḥmān did narrate from him.”

I comment: that pertains to whether or not his narrations are accepted as authoritative.

Yaḥyā ibn Abī Bukayr al-Karmānī related from his father:

“Shahr ibn Ḥawshab was placed in charge of the public treasury. He took a purse containing silver dirhams, and people composed verse about him:

Shahr has sold his faith for a single purse—
Who now can trust the reciters after you, O Shahr?
You seized a trifle and bartered it away—
From Ibn Jarīr: behold, this is betrayal (2).”

I say (3): its chain of transmission is broken. Perhaps the incident did occur and he repented, or perhaps he took the money having interpreted that he had a rightful share in the Muslims’ treasury—may Allah grant pardon.

As for the narration of Yaḥyā al-Qaṭṭān, from ʿAbbād ibn Manṣūr, he said: “I performed the pilgrimage with Shahr ibn Ḥawshab, and he stole my saddle-bag (4); I do not know what to say!”

Among Shahr’s memorable sayings is this: “Whoever rides a mount that draws public attention and wears clothing that draws public attention, Allah will turn away from him—even if he be generous (5).”