Abbās ibn al-Walīd narrated: “ʿAbbās ibn Najīḥ of Damascus related to me, saying that ʿAwn ibn Ḥakīm said:
‘I performed the pilgrimage with al-Awzāʿī. When we reached Madinah and entered the Prophet’s Mosque, news of his arrival reached Mālik. Mālik came, offered him the greeting of peace, and when the two of them had prayed the ẓuhr prayer they began reviewing various chapters of knowledge. There was not a single topic they broached but that al-Awzāʿī carried the day.

After they prayed ʿaṣr they resumed the discussion, and on every point al-Awzāʿī prevailed, until the sun had turned yellow—or was on the verge of doing so—whereupon Mālik engaged him in debate on the issue of the mukātaba and the mudabbar (1).’

Abbās ibn al-Walīd also reported: “Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Wahhāb told us:
‘We were sitting with Abū Isḥāq al-Fazārī when al-Awzāʿī was mentioned. He said, “That man was astonishing indeed. Whenever he was asked about a matter for which we possessed a report, by Allah, he would give the answer exactly as it appeared in the report—neither adding to it nor omitting anything.”’

Walīd ibn Muslim said: “I heard Ṣadaqah ibn ʿAbd Allāh say, ‘I have never seen anyone more forbearing, more complete, or more steadfast under the burdens he bore than al-Awzāʿī.’”

Abbās ibn al-Walīd further stated: “I heard Abū Mushir say that al-Awzāʿī used to remark, ‘Among everything transmitted from me, I have found nothing more accurate than the books of Walīd ibn Mazīd.’”

Abū Farwah Yazīd ibn Muḥammad ar-Ruhāwī said: “I heard my father ask ʿĪsā ibn Yūnus, ‘Which of the two is superior—al-Awzāʿī or Sufyān?’
He replied, ‘How could you even compare anyone to Sufyān?’
I said, ‘Abū ʿAmr, your Iraqi loyalties have carried you away; al-Awzāʿī—his jurisprudence, his virtue, his learning!’
He became angry and said, ‘Do you imagine I would prefer anything to the truth? I heard al-Awzāʿī say: “We did not receive the state stipend until we had testified that ʿAlī was a hypocrite, disavowed him, and were made to affirm that.”’”

(1) The mukātaba is a slave who has been contracted to purchase his freedom in installments; the mudabbar is a slave whose owner has promised him freedom to take effect at the owner’s death.