and Aḥmad ibn Zuhayr likewise reported from Yaḥyā, who said, “He is not that sound.”
Thus, the master of the discipline, Abū Zakariyyā, has clearly wavered in his judgment of ʿAmr; this shows that, in his view, ʿAmr is by no means an authoritative source and that others are stronger than he is.
Abū Zurʿah said, “What people object to is the sheer quantity of his reports from his father who narrates from his grandfather.”
They also said, “He only heard a small number of hadiths and then found a written scroll in his possession and began narrating it. Very little of what he relates from anyone other than his father is objectionable, and most of the irregular material that is traced back to him actually comes through al-Muthannā ibn al-Ṣabbāḥ, Ibn Lahīʿah, and other weak transmitters, while he himself is trustworthy.”
I say: Even reliable transmitters from him sometimes bring reports that are repudiated.
Ibn Abī Ḥātim said: My father was asked, “Which do you prefer—he, or Bahz ibn Ḥakīm who reports from his father, from his grandfather?” He replied, “ʿAmr is dearer to me.”
Abū ʿUbayd al-Ājurrī said: It was put to Abū Dāwūd, “Is the chain ʿAmr ibn Shuʿayb—from his father, from his grandfather a proof in your estimation?” He answered, “No, not even half a proof,” and he deemed Bahz ibn Ḥakīm superior to him.
Jarīr reported from Mughīrah that he used to attach no importance to the scroll of ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAmr.
Maʿmar said: Whenever Ayyūb al-Sakhtiyānī sat with ʿAmr ibn Shuʿayb, he would cover his head—that is, out of modesty before the people.
Ibn Abī Shaybah said: I asked ʿAlī ibn al-Madīnī about ʿAmr ibn Shuʿayb. He replied, “Everything that Ayyūb and Ibn Jurayj narrate from him is sound, but whatever ʿAmr narrates from his father who narrates from his grandfather is merely a book he found, and it is weak.”
I say: This statement stands firm as a guiding principle.
Jarīr ibn ʿAbd al-Ḥamīd reported from Mughīrah: “He gave no weight to the hadith of Sālim ibn Abī al-Jaʿd, Khalās ibn ʿAmr, Abū al-Tufayl, or to the scroll of ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAmr.”
Mughīrah then added, “I would not be pleased to have the scroll of ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAmr in my possession for even two dates—or two copper coins.” He said