However, al-Dāraqutnī said: “He used to drink and become intoxicated.” (1)
ʿAlī ibn Aḥmad wrote to us: Abū Ḥafṣ al-Muʿallim informed us; Abū Bakr the judge informed us; Muḥammad ibn ʿAlī al-ʿAbbāsī informed us; ʿAlī ibn ʿUmar informed us; ʿAlī ibn Sirāj the ḥāfiẓ narrated to us; Abū ʿUmayr al-Ramlī narrated to us; Rawwād ibn al-Jarrāḥ narrated to us; Saʿīd ibn Bashīr—on the authority of al-Aʿmash, from Abū Ṣāliḥ, from Abū Hurayrah—who said: A man exclaimed, “O Messenger of Allah! Someone saw me while I was praying in private, and that pleased me.” He replied, “You will receive two rewards: the reward for the secret act and the reward for the public act.” (2)
178 – ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn al-Ḥusayn ibn Khālid al-Naysābūrī *
The judge, erudite scholar, and leading exponent of raʾy in Khurasan, Abū Saʿīd al-Naysābūrī, the Ḥanafī.
He heard ḥadīth from al-Ḥasan ibn ʿĪsā ibn Mā Sargis, Muḥammad ibn Rāfiʿ, and ʿAlī ibn —
(1) He may have drunk tala (a fermented beverage over which there is juristic disagreement), but that he would consume a drink whose prohibition is unanimously agreed upon is inconceivable for someone of his standing.
(2) Sa id ibn Bashir is weak, yet his report is supported by other chains. Al-Tirmidhi (no. 2385) in the Book of Zuhd, chapter “Deeds Done in Private,” and Ibn Majah (no. 4226) in the Book of Zuhd, chapter “Commendable Praise,” both transmit it through two isnads from Abu Dawud, from Sa id ibn Sinan al-Shaybani, from Habib ibn Abi Thabit, from Abu Salih, from Abu Hurayra.
Al-Tirmidhi judged the hadith to be hasan gharib.
He also commented: “Some scholars explain the hadith thus: when a person’s hidden deed becomes known and he is pleased, it means he is happy with people’s praise of him for good, in light of the Prophet’s statement, ‘You are Allah’s witnesses on earth’; he rejoices at their praise hoping for the reward it implies. But if he is pleased so that people may come to know of his deed, honour him, and exalt him, this is riya (showing off). Other scholars said: if he is pleased hoping that they will follow his example so that he will share in their reward, this is also a valid interpretation.”
(*) We were unable to find a biographical entry for him in the sources at our disposal.