with him until not even the slightest trace of his books was left, and he died that very night.

Abū Dharr the ḥāfiẓ said: I heard the ḥāfiẓ Aḥmad ibn ʿAbdān say, “A fascicle of Ibn al-Jiʿābī’s narrations reached me, so I memorised five hadiths from it. He answered me concerning them and then asked, ‘Where did you get this?’ I replied, ‘From your own fascicle.’ He said, ‘If you wish, recite the text to me and I will supply its chain of transmission, or recite the chain to me and I will supply the text.’”

Al-Khaṭīb said: I heard Ibn Razqawayh say, “Ibn al-Jiʿābī’s session would be filled to capacity; the alley where he dictated and even the street would be packed. Al-Dāraqutnī and Ibn al-Muẓaffar were among those present, and he dictated entirely from memory. (1)”

Abū ʿAlī the ḥāfiẓ said: I said to Ibn al-Jiʿābī, “Since you have reached Dīnawar, why did you not come on to Nīshāpūr?” He replied, “I intended to, but then I thought: Shall I go to a people who are foreigners—I will not understand them and they will not understand me?! (2)”

Al-Ḥākim recounted: I said to al-Dāraqutnī, “I have heard that Ibn al-Jiʿābī has changed from what we once knew.” He replied, “What kind of change?” I said, “By Allah, did you suspect him?” He answered, “Yes, by Allah,” and then mentioned certain matters. I asked, “Has it become clear to you that he mixed up hadiths?” He said, “Yes, by Allah.” I asked, “Did you suspect him to the extent that you feared for his creed?” He said, “He abandoned the prayer and the religion.”

Muḥammad ibn ʿUbayd Allah al-Musabbiḥī said: “Ibn al-Jiʿābī the traditionist kept company with a group of speculative theologians, and thus he fell in the estimation of many of his associates…”