as reported to me by Abū Ṭāhir al-Sadūsī, who said, “My father narrated to us; he said: ‘ʿUthmān ibn Ṣāliḥ narrated to us’—and Ṣāliḥ was known as Khurrazādh. (1)

Ibn Abī Ḥātim said, “He was my father’s companion in writing hadith in parts of al-Jazīrah and Syria, and he is truthful. I met him but did not hear any narration from him.

Abū Bakr ibn Maḥmawayh al-Ahwāzī said, “Among all the people I have seen, the most retentive memorizer was ʿUthmān ibn Khurrazādh. (2)

Ibn Mandah said, “He was one of the ḥuffāẓ (hadith masters).”

Al-Ḥākim said, “He is reliable and trustworthy.”

Muḥammad ibn Barakah al-Ḥalabī said, “I heard ʿUthmān ibn Khurrazādh say: ‘The hadith scholar needs five qualities; if even one is lacking, it is a deficiency: sound intellect, piety, accurate retention, proficiency in the craft, and a trustworthiness known of him.’ (3)

I say: Trustworthiness is part of religion, and precision is subsumed under proficiency. What the ḥāfiẓ therefore needs is to be god-fearing and intelligent, a grammarian and linguist of keen understanding, modest, and upon the way of the salaf. It suffices that he write with his own hand two hundred volumes, acquire five hundred volumes from reputable compilations, and never slacken in seeking knowledge until death, with sincere intention and humility; otherwise, let him spare himself the trouble.

Sulaymān ibn Aḥmad al-Ṭabarānī said, “ʿUthmān ibn Khurrazādh informed us in his book—which I have seen—that we visited him in Antioch while he was grievously ill and bedridden, so I heard nothing from him,