Khaythamah, Muḥammad ibn Ḍurays, ʿAbd Allāh ibn Aḥmad, al-Ḥusayn ibn Isḥāq al-Tustarī, and a great many others.
He was an ascetic and a devoted worshipper. When al-Maʾmūn saw him, he was impressed, brought him close, and admitted him to his inner circle.
Aḥmad ibn Sayyār said, “He arrived in Marw while on campaign.”
When al-Maʾmūn resolved to publicize the Jahmite view and the doctrine that the Quran is created, he assembled Abū al-Ṣalt and Bishr ibn Ghiyāth so that they might debate. Abū al-Ṣalt used to refute the people of vain desires—the Jahmiyyah (Jahmites), the Murjiʾah (Murjiʾites), and the Qadariyyah (Qadarites). He conversed with Bishr more than once in al-Maʾmūn’s presence and prevailed over him.
Ibn Sayyār then said, “I debated him in order to draw him out. I did not find him extreme; I saw that he gave precedence to Abū Bakr and mentioned the Companions only in the best terms. He said, ‘This is my creed and my religion, though there are some reports he transmits that deal with disparagements.’ ”
Ibn Muḥriz said, “I asked Yaḥyā ibn Maʿīn about Abū al-Ṣalt, and he replied, ‘He is not among those who lie.’ ”
ʿAbbās said, “I heard Ibn Maʿīn declare Abū al-Ṣalt reliable. Someone then cited to him the ḥadith, ‘I am the city of knowledge (1),’ whereupon he said, ‘Muḥammad ibn Jaʿfar al-Faydī has narrated it from Abū Muʿāwiyah.’ ”
I say: Hearts are naturally disposed to love those who treat them well, and Abū al-Ṣalt was dutiful to Yaḥyā. We constantly take from Yaḥyā and rely on his verdicts regarding narrators—unless it becomes clear to us that a man whom he alone declared sound is actually weak, or that someone he weakened is in fact strong.