his transmission from Thābit; nevertheless, Muslim did cite several of his other hadith elsewhere in the book as corroborative reports that do not pass through Thābit.

ʿAbd Allāh ibn Muʿāwiyah al-Jumaḥī said, “The two Ḥammāds narrated to us, and the superiority of Ibn Salamah over Ibn Zayd is like the superiority of the dinar over the dirham—meaning that Ḥammād ibn Salamah, whose grandfather’s name was Dīnār, is superior to Ḥammād ibn Zayd, whose grandfather’s name was Dirham. This, however, concerns his eminence and piety; as for precision, that must be granted to Ibn Zayd, who resembles Mālik in meticulousness.”

Shihāb ibn Maʿmar al-Balkhī said, “Ḥammād ibn Salamah used to be counted among the abdal (1).”

I say: In addition to his leadership in hadith, he was a great authority in Arabic, a jurist, eloquent, a foremost champion of the sunnah, and the author of several works.

ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Mahdī said, “If someone were to tell Ḥammād ibn Salamah, ‘You will die tomorrow,’ he would find nothing to add to the deeds he was already performing.”

I say: His time was wholly occupied with worship and regular devotions.

ʿAffān remarked, “I have seen people who surpass Ḥammād ibn Salamah in ascetic practice, but I have never seen anyone more constant in doing good, in reciting the Quran, and in working for Allah Most High than he.”

ʿAbbās reported from Ibn Maʿīn, “His hadith, at the beginning and at the end of his life, remained on one and the same level.”

Aḥmad ibn Zuhayr narrated from Yaḥyā, who said, “If you see someone speaking ill of ʿIkrimah and Ḥammād ibn Salamah, then suspect his Islam.”

Ibn al-Madīnī and others said, “Among Thābit’s companions there was none more reliable than Ḥammād ibn Salamah.”

Mūsā ibn Ismāʿīl al-Tabūdhakī said, “If I were to tell you that I never saw Ḥammād ibn …”