people (1); he was a Shiite who narrated from his father (2) and from Abū Mikhnaf, both of whom were rejected transmitters and liars.
Regarding him, Imam Ahmad said:
“I never imagined (3) that anyone would transmit reports from al-Kalbī (4). He was merely a purveyor of tales and dubious claims (5).”
Al-Dāraqutnī said, “He is a rejected transmitter.”
Ibn Adī said:
“Hishām al-Kalbī dealt predominantly in tales, and I know of no report of his with a chain of transmission. His father was likewise a liar.”
Zā’ida, al-Layth, and Sulaymān al-Taymī (6) said, “He is a liar.”
Yahyā said, “He is of no account (7)—an utterly discredited liar.”
Ibn Hibbān (8) said, “His mendacity is so obvious that there is no need to go to extremes (9) in describing him.”
The second category consists of reports that are true. For most of these matters, however, they have excuses that preclude them
(1) Hishām al-Kalbī’s biography was given previously, 1/59; see also Sezgin, vol. [0–9], part [0–9], pp. 51–57. Among his extant works, Sezgin did not mention *Kitāb Mathālib al-Sahāba* (Book of the Faults of the Companions). Nor was it mentioned by al-Ziriklī in *al-Aʿlām* (Notable Figures), 9/87, or by Brockelmann in *Tārīkh al-Adab al-ʿArabī* (History of Arabic Literature), 3/30–33. All three, however, mentioned *Kitāb Mathālib al-ʿArab* (Book of the Faults of the Arabs). Brockelmann also stated that al-Kalbī wrote about the faults of the Umayyads. Al-Tabarī recorded in his *History* the report that he had written on this subject, and Ahmad Amīn quoted this from him in *Duhā al-Islām* (The Morning of Islam), 2/27, 3rd ed., 1317/1952.
(2) See Muhibb al-Dīn al-Khatīb’s discussion of Muhammad ibn al-Sāʾib al-Kalbī in *al-Muntaqā*, pp. 318–19.
(3) W: “And Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal said: I never imagined.”
(4) N and M: “narrates from him.”
(5) The words “and dubious claims” are omitted from N and M. A, B, and R read *wa-sanab*; Q reads “sins and dubious claims.”
(6) N: “Sulaymān and al-Taymī.”
(7) The phrase “he is of no account” is omitted from N and M.
(8) N, W, and R: “Ibn Hayyān.”
(9) N and A: *al-iʿrāf*; W: *al-iʿtirāf*; H: *al-taʿrīf*; Q: *al-ighrāb*.