and he enjoyed a respected standing among the scholars. (1)
Abū Zurʿah said, “Trustworthy, a ḥāfiẓ”—that is, he was precise and carefully edited his transcripts—(2)
Ibn Khirāsh stated, “Truthful, yet a Qadarī.” (3)
Al-Bukhārī (4) and others said, “He died in the year 224 AH.”
I say: I have mentioned him at this point only because of the early date of his death, and, as far as I know, none of his narrations reach us with a high isnād. Even so, I find his ḥadith recorded in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī and in the Musnad of Dārimī; his reports are present in the collections despite his innovation—may Allah grant success.
ʿAbd al-Ḥāfiẓ informed us; Ibn Qudāmah informed us; Ibn al-Baṭṭī informed us; ʿAlī ibn Ayyūb informed us; Ibn Shādhān informed us; Ibn Ziyād al-Qaṭṭān narrated to us; Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad narrated to us; Abū Maʿmar and Musaddad narrated to us; they both said:
ʿAbd al-Wārith narrated to us, from Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr, from Abū Salamah, from Abū Hurayrah, who said:
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Disputation about the Quran is disbelief.” (5)
(1) Al-Jarh wa al-Taʿdil, vol. 5, p. 119.
(2) Al-Jarh wa al-Taʿdil, vol. 5, p. 119; and Tahdhib al-Kamal, folio 716.
(3) Tahdhib al-Kamal, folio 716.
(4) In his al-Tarikh al-Saghir, vol. 2, p. 351.
(5) The isnad is hasan. The hadith is also reported by Ahmad 2/286, 300, 424, 475, 528; Abu Dawud (4603); declared authentic by Ibn Hibban (73) and by al-Hakim 2/223 (with al-Dhahabi concurring). It has a supporting narration from ʿAmr b. al-ʿAs in Ahmad 4/204–205, and another from Abu Juhaim, likewise in Ahmad 4/170, whose chain is sahih.
Al-Manawi, quoting al-Qadi, explains that “argumentation” (mira) here means contentious disputation—trying to rebut the Quran with the Quran, setting one verse against another, which leads to censure and doubt. The proper duty of anyone studying the Quran is to strive to reconcile its verses and harmonize apparent differences, for the Quran confirms itself. If reconciliation proves difficult, he should attribute the problem to his own misunderstanding and leave the matter to its Knower, Allah and His Messenger: “If you disagree about anything, refer it to Allah and the Messenger” (Q 4:59).