He transmitted hadith from his father, al-Zuhri, Muhammad ibn al-Munkadir, Salih ibn Ibrahim al-ʿAwfi, and a number of others.

Those who narrated from him include ʿAli ibn al-Madini, Abu Musʿab, Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr al-Muqaddami, Surayj ibn Yunus, ʿAli ibn Muslim al-Tusi, and many more.

Yahya ibn Maʿin and Abu Dawud declared him trustworthy.

Yahya ibn Ayyub al-Maqabari said, “I heard Yusuf ibn al-Majishun say, ‘I was born during the reign of Sulayman ibn ʿAbd al-Malik. He enrolled me on the military register. When ʿUmar ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAziz assumed the caliphate, he came across my name—he knew our family well—and said, “How well I know the birth of this lad!” He therefore removed me from the army list and returned me to the status of a dependent.’”

Ibn Maʿin said, “We used to visit Yusuf ibn al-Majishun while he was narrating to us, and his maid-servants in another room would be playing the miʿzafa (a stringed instrument).”

I (the author) say: The people of Medina allow themselves some latitude regarding singing; they are well-known for their leniency in this matter.

He also transmitted from the Prophet ﷺ the hadith: “The Ansar are fond of amusement.” ⦗1⦘

Yusuf ibn al-Majishun died in 185 AH. He lived for eighty-eight years.

ʿAffan reported: “Yusuf al-Majishun narrated to us; Ibn Shihab said to me and to my brother—”