I say: Rather, he is a trustworthy and distinguished narrator, as is evident from his biographical entry in Tārīkh Baghdād (13/244–245), Ibn Ḥibbān’s declaring him trustworthy, and the large number of trustworthy narrators who reported from him, among whom were some eminent hadith masters and jurists. See Tahdhīb al-Mizzī and Taysīr al-Intifāʿ.

As for what Ashʿath ibn Sawwār narrated from ʿIkrimah, from Ibn ʿAbbās, who said:

Damrah ibn Jundab left his home as an emigrant and said to his family, “Carry me out of the land of the polytheists to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him).” He died on the way before reaching the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), whereupon the revelation came down: “Whoever leaves his home as an emigrant ...”—the verse.

Ibn Abī Ḥātim also recorded it, as did Abū Yaʿlā in his Musnad (5/81/2679), Abū Nuʿaym in al-Maʿrifah (1/331/2), and al-Wāḥidī in Asbāb al-Nuzūl (pp. 131–132). Al-Haythamī said in al-Majmaʿ (7/10):

“Abū Yaʿlā narrated it, and its narrators are trustworthy!”

He stated this without qualification, but it is open to question, for there is disagreement regarding Ashʿath ibn Sawwār. Muslim narrated from him only as corroboration. There is no doubt that he was truthful but had poor memory; thus we may reconcile al-Dhahabī’s statement about him in al-Kāshif—“Truthful”—with al-Ḥāfiẓ’s statement in al-Taqrīb—“Weak.”

However, it may be strengthened by Shurayk’s narration from ʿAmr ibn Dīnār, from ʿIkrimah, to the same effect. Ibn Jarīr al-Ṭabarī recorded it in his Tafsīr (5/152) with a chain whose narrators are trustworthy, except for