of Wakīʿ (1), of Hushaym (2), of ʿAbd al-Razzāq (3), and of so many others that only Allah can number—did the leading imams ever refrain from reading these hadiths to the general body of believers, or forbid them to hear them? Or have these very books, from past centuries to the present day, not continued to attract gatherings attended by thousands upon thousands of ordinary Muslims (4)? Moreover, when the Companions, the Successors, and those who came after them—even among the divergent groups—narrated these hadiths, did they conceal them from the masses, keep them secret, and instruct that they be suppressed, or did they relate them just as they related the other Sunnahs of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him? And even if it is reported of some individuals that he refrained from
(1) He is Abu Sufyan Waki‘ ibn al-Jarrah ibn Maliyah al-Ru‘asi—named after Ru‘as, a branch of Qays Aylan. One of the eminent imams; born in Kufa in 129 AH and died at Ghayd while returning from the pilgrimage in 197 AH. His works include “Tafsir al-Qur’an,” “al-Sunan,” “al-Ma‘rifa,” and “al-Tarikh.”
See: Tabaqat al-Kubra by Ibn Sa‘d, 6:394; al-Jarh wa-al-Tadil by Ibn Abi Hatim, introduction, 1:219–232; Tabaqat al-Hunabala by Ibn Abi Ya‘la, 1:391–392; Mizan al-I‘tidal by al-Dhahabi, 4:335–336; al-A‘lam by al-Zarkali, 9:135.
(2) He is Abu Mu‘awiyya Hisham ibn Bashir ibn Abi Hazim Qasim ibn Dinar al-Salmi, an exegete and a trustworthy hadith scholar. Among his works are “Tafsir,” “al-Sunan” in jurisprudence, and “al-Maghazi.” He was born in 104 AH and died in 183 AH.
See: Tarikh Baghdad by al-Baghdadi, 14:85–94; Tadhkirat al-Huffaz by al-Dhahabi, 1:248–249; Tahdhib al-Tahdhib by Ibn Hajar, 11:59–63; Tabaqat al-Mufassirin by al-Dawudi, 2:353–354; al-A‘lam by al-Zarkali, 9:89.
(3) He is Abu Bakr ‘Abd al-Razzaq ibn Hammam ibn Nafi‘ al-Himyari, one of the reliable preservers of hadith. Born in 126 AH and died in 211 AH. His works include “al-Musannaf” (hadith) and “Tafsir.”
See: Tabaqat al-Kubra by Ibn Sa‘d, 5:548; al-Jarh wa-al-Tadil by Ibn Abi Hatim, 3/1:38–39; Wafayat al-A‘yan by Ibn Khallikan, 3:216–217; Tadhkirat al-Huffaz by al-Dhahabi, 1:364.
(4) The original reading is “yuḥḍiruha” (he brings it). The attested witnesses are S and T. This reading appears most fitting.