of ḥadith, and no one surpassed him in critical insight, whereas al-Bāghandī’s chains of transmission were higher than his.

Al-Ḥākim said: I heard Abū ʿAlī al-Ḥāfiẓ remark, “Among the peers of Abū Muḥammad ibn Ṣāʿid in Iraq no one equalled him in understanding—and, in our estimation, understanding is more esteemed than mere memorisation.”

Al-Ḥākim further related: I heard Abū Aḥmad say, “Abū ʿArūbah met him and declared him trustworthy. He told me, ‘News has reached me that Abū Muḥammad ibn Ṣāʿid has narrated—through Muḥammad ibn Yaḥyā al-Qaṭʿī, ʿĀṣim ibn Hilāl, Ayyūb, and Nāfiʿ—from Ibn ʿUmar, in a hadith traced back to the Prophet: ‘No divorce is valid before marriage.’

“I replied, ‘He has recited it to us from his own autograph.’ He retorted, ‘This question has been disputed since the time of the Successors. Had the chain really been Ayyūb → Nāfiʿ → Ibn ʿUmar, the scholars who sift reports would have publicised it, and they would not have felt compelled to rely—out of necessity—on the report of Ḥusayn the school-teacher, from ʿAmr ibn Shuʿayb, from his father, from his grandfather.’ (1)”

Muḥammad ibn al-Muẓaffar al-Ḥāfiẓ said, “Ibn Ṣāʿid read out to us, from his own autograph, the narration of Muḥammad ibn Yaḥyā al-Qaṭʿī on the statement: ‘No divorce before marriage.’

“Baghdad was shaken and people spoke widely about it. One day, while we were with ʿAlī ibn al-Ḥusayn al-Ṣaffār copying from his manuscripts, a fascicle of Muḥammad ibn Yaḥyā al-Qaṭʿī’s transmissions fell into my hands. I glanced through it and found that very hadith. Without informing my companions I hurried to the door of Ibn Ṣāʿid, greeted him, and said, ‘Glad tidings!’

“He took the fascicle, flung it aside, and then dictated to me, saying, ‘You fellow! A hadith that I myself relate—am I in need of ʿAlī ibn al-Ḥusayn al-Ṣaffār to corroborate me on it?’”