“I was once in the company of Muḥammad ibn Salām when Muḥammad ibn Ismāʿīl came in. After the young man had left, Muḥammad ibn Salām remarked, ‘Every time this lad enters, I become bewildered; he throws the whole matter of ḥadīth—and everything else—into confusion for me, and I remain apprehensive until he walks out.’ ⦗1⦘

Abū Jaʿfar said: I heard Abū ʿAmr Sulaim ibn Mujāhid relate, “I was with Muḥammad ibn Salām al-Bīkandī when he said, ‘Had you arrived a moment ago you would have seen a youth who has memorized seventy thousand ḥadīths.’

“So I went out looking for him until I caught up with him. I asked, ‘Are you the one who claims to have memorized seventy thousand ḥadīths?’

“He replied, ‘Yes—and even more. I will not cite for you a single report from the Companions or the Successors without first informing you of the birthplaces, dates of death, and dwelling-places of most of them. Nor do I transmit any ḥadīth of the Companions or the Successors unless I possess its source text, committed to memory with the same precision with which I know the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him.’ ⦗2⦘

Abū Jaʿfar also said: One of my colleagues told me that Abū ʿAbd Allāh al-Bukhārī went to visit Abū Isḥāq al-Surmārī ⦗3⦘ when the latter was ill. After al-Bukhārī left, Abū Isḥāq declared, ‘Whoever wants to gaze upon a true and sincere jurist should look at Muḥammad ibn Ismāʿīl,’ and he drew him onto his own lap. ⦗4⦘