—he would have been the mūbadh mūbadhān, that is, the chief of judges. (1)

Ḥammād ibn Zayd narrated from Abū Khushayna, the companion of al-Ziyādī, who said:
“Abū Qilābah was mentioned in the presence of Ibn Sīrīn, and he said, ‘That is truly my brother.’ (2)

Ibn ʿAwn said: Ayyūb told Muḥammad a hadith from Abū Qilābah, whereupon Muḥammad remarked, ‘Abū Qilābah—God willing—is trustworthy, a righteous man; but from whom did he relay it?’ (3)

Ḥammād said: I heard Ayyūb mention Abū Qilābah and say, ‘By Allah, he was one of the perceptive jurists. Of all the people I found most knowledgeable in judicial matters, he was the one who shunned them the most and feared them the most; in this city I have never met anyone more versed in legal judgments than Abū Qilābah—I cannot speak for Muḥammad. (4)’

Ibn ʿUlayyah reported from Ayyūb: ‘When ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Udhaynah—the judge of Basra—died during the time of Shurayḥ, Abū Qilābah was put forward for the judgeship, so he fled until he reached al-Yamāmah.

I met him after that and spoke to him about it. He said, “I have found no parable for the learned judge except that of a man who falls into the sea: however long he swims, he is bound to drown.” (5)’

Khālid al-Ḥadhdhāʾ said: ‘Whenever Abū Qilābah narrated three hadiths to us, he would say, “I have already gone on at length.” (6)’