He transmitted hadith from his grandfather, as well as from al-Ḥasan and ʿAṭāʾ ibn Abī Rabāḥ. Those who reported from him include the two Sufyāns, Ibn al-Mubārak, Abū Muʿāwiyah, Ḥafṣ ibn Ghiyāth, Abū Nuʿaym, Abū Usāmah, and many others.

He is judged truthful, and both Ṣaḥīḥ collections employ his narrations as evidence. Abū Ḥātim, however, said, “He is not to be relied upon.” Al-Nasāʾī remarked, “He is not strong.” Abū Ḥātim also added, “He is not firm, yet his hadith may be written.” Al-Fallās declared, “I never heard Yaḥyā or ʿAbd al-Raḥmān relate anything from him at all.” Ibn Maʿīn, al-ʿIjlī, and others pronounced him “trustworthy.” Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal observed, “He narrates objectionable reports; Ṭalḥah ibn Yaḥyā is preferable to me.” Ibn ʿAdī said, “I found nothing in his narrations that I disapprove of except the report: ‘When Allah intends good for a nation, He takes its Prophet (1).’

None narrated from him more often than Abū Usāmah; his transmissions from him are sound, and I hope there is nothing amiss with them.

I (the author) say: he died in the early 140s AH. He has several narrations recorded in the two Ṣaḥīḥs.