He also said, “The early scholars bore testimony to his prodigious memory, reliability, integrity, and consummate expertise; to his keen intellect, extraordinary acumen, and wide-ranging knowledge in numerous disciplines. His own teacher al-ʿIrāqī affirmed that he was the most knowledgeable of his students in hadith.” (1)

Al-Suyūṭī, may Allah have mercy on him, declared, “The unrivaled one of his time, the standard-bearer of the Sunnah in his day; the Dhahabī of this age—indeed, its very gold—and the precious gem whose brilliance has lent many an era its pride; the imam of this discipline for those who seek to emulate, the vanguard of the armies of hadith scholars, the principal authority in weakening and authenticating reports, and the greatest witness and judge in the twin realms of accreditation and discreditation.” (2)

Al-Shawkānī, may Allah have mercy on him, said, “He undertook the dissemination of hadith, restricting himself to its study, teaching, and composition, and he excelled therein. Near and far, friend and foe alike attested to his memorization and mastery, until applying the title ḥāfiẓ (hadith master) to him became an undisputed consensus.” (3)

His writings
They are exceedingly numerous; among them are:
– Itḥāf al-Maharah bi-l-Fawāʾid al-Mubtakirah min Aṭrāf al-ʿAsharah (A Gift to the Proficient: Fresh Benefits Drawn from the Ten Collections).
– al-Iṣābah fī Tamyīz al-Ṣaḥābah (Hitting the Mark in Distinguishing the Companions).