Al-Athram said: I heard al-Qaʿnabi relate:
“I once saw a tall, youthful man in the gathering of Ibn ʿUyaynah. Ibn ʿUyaynah asked, ‘Who will put questions on behalf of the people of Kufa?’ Then he said, ‘Where is Ibn al-Himmani?’ The young man stood up, and Ibn ʿUyaynah asked him, ‘Who are you?’ He declared his lineage, and Ibn ʿUyaynah replied, ‘Yes, your father used to sit with us in Misʿar’s company.’ Then he began to ask questions.” (1)

Ibrahim ibn Bashshar said: “I saw, in Ibn ʿUyaynah’s presence, a group of Basrans reviewing hadith together. Sufyan turned toward the Kufan side, went over to where the Kufans were sitting, and said, ‘Where is Ibn Adam? Where is Ibn al-Himmani ʿAbd al-Hamid?’” (2)

Ibn ʿAdi transmitted from Tarif ibn ʿUbayd Allah al-Mawsili, who said: “It is as though I can still see Yahya al-Himmani—an elderly, frail man, blind in the left eye, his neck bent forward—saying, ‘Sharik narrated to us…’” (3)

Muhammad ibn ʿAbd al-Rahman al-Sami al-Harawi said: “Ahmad ibn Hanbal was asked about Yahya al-Himmani; he fell silent and said nothing.” (4)

Al-Maymuni said: “When al-Himmani was mentioned in Ahmad’s presence, he said, ‘There is nothing wrong with Abu Ghassan.’ On another occasion he was mentioned, and Ahmad shook his hand dismissively and said, ‘I do not know.’” (5)

Muṭayyin said: “I asked Ahmad ibn Hanbal about him. I said, ‘Do you know him—do you have any knowledge of him?’ He replied, ‘How could I not know him?’ I asked, ‘Was he reliable?’ He said, ‘You people know your own teachers best.’” (6)