. J "" (cont.)

Ibn Yoonus said, "He would narrate rejected 1 It should be noted, as ibn Hajr did in his Tahdheeb, that al-Bukhari only recorded from Nuaim when others had narrated the same that Nuaim had narrated. 2 Ahmad ibn Hajr, Hadyu al-Saari Muqaddimah Fath al-Baari bi-Sharh sahih al-Bukhaari (Makkab: al-Maktabab al-Tijaariyyab, 1993), p. 625. 3 ibn Hajr, lisaan, vol. 7, p. 417. Commentary on the Forty Hadith of al-Nawawi reports [supposedly] on the authority of trustworthy narrators."1 To be impartial and just, at the very least, ibn Hajr should have recorded at least one of these statements in his work abridging Lisaan. Instead, he only mentioned three scholars who considered Nuaim trustworthy. In addition, in Lisaan, ibn Hajr simply mentions that Yahya ibn Maeen considered Nuaim trustworthy. It is true that there are statements giving that impression from Y ah ya. At the same time, though, there are numerous statements from Yahya pointing out Nuaim's mistakes. Yahya also said of him, "His hadith are not [worth] anything, but he was one who followed the sunnah."2 Again, ibn Hajr probably was not completely academic in only mentioning that Yahya considered him trustworthy, without providing more detail on the matter. Ibn Hajr also gives the impression that ibn Adi followed up Nuaim's hadith and pointed out the weak and the rejected hadith. However, that does not seem to be exactly correct. In al-Kaamil, ibn Adi explicitly discussed ten rejected hadith revolving around Nuaim.3 At the end of his discussion, he wrote, And from Nuaim ibn Hamrnaad there is more than what I have mentioned. Some people praised him and some people considered him weak. He was from those who was unyielding with respect to the sunnah. He died during the inquisition related to the Quran [and whether it was created] while he was in prison. Most of what has been rejected from him is what I have recorded. And I hope that the rest of his hadith are upright.4 Al-Dhahabi concluded about Nuaim, "Nuaim was of the greatest stores of knowledge. However, one's soul cannot rest [and feel satisfied] with his narrations ... It is not allowed for anyone to use him as a proof. He compiled a book on the trials and tribulations that is filled with strange and rejected [reports] . "5 Ibn Rajah also does not consider Nuaim an acceptable narrator of hadith. In his commentary to al-Nawawi's Forty Hadith, while discussing this particular hadith, ibn Rajab wrote, Declaring this hadith authentic is far-fetched for a number of reasons, including: [First,] it is a hadith that is singularly 1 al-Dhahabi, Meezaan, vol. 4, pp. 267-270. Virtually the same content may be found in another work by al-Dhahabi, Al-Mughnifi al-Dhuafaa, vol. 2, p. 700. 2 Quoted in al-Mizi (ibn Hajr's source for Tahdheeb), vol. 29, p. 475. 3 The hadith under discussion here, "None of you truly believes ... " was not one of those ten hadith. 4 Ibn Adi, vol. 7, p. 2485. Emphasis added. 5 Al-Dhahabi, Siyar, vol. 1 0, p. 600 and p. 610. Hadith #41 : "None of You Truly Believes Until. .. " narrated by Nuaim ibn Hammaad al-Marwoozi. This Nuaim [is the problem], even though some scholars considered him trustworthy and al-Bukhari recorded from him. But the scholars of hadith had a good suspicion about him only because of his strong adherence to the sunnah and his harshness in refuting the people of desires [heretics]. They described him as committing mistakes and being confused about some hadith. However, when his stumbling into rejected reports became frequent, they ruled that he was weak. Saalih ibn Muhammad narrated that ibn Maeen was asked about him and he said, "He is not anything [worthy] but he did adhere to the sunnah." Saalih said, "He would narrate from his memory. And he has many rejected reports that are not corroborated at all." Abu Dawood said, "Nuaim has about twenty hadith on the authority of the Prophet (peace be upon him) for which there is no source." Al-Nasaai said [about him], "He is weak."1 He also said on another occasion, "He is not trustworthy." He also said, "The reports that he alone narrates when compared to the well­ known leading scholars of hadith are many. He reached the point that one cannot use him as evidence." Abu Zura al­ Dimishqi said, "He would narrate hadith back to the Prophet (peace be upon him) that the others would narrate as statements of the Companions or Followers." Abu Uroobah al­ Haraani said, "His affair is in a bad state." Abu Saeed ibn Yun us stated, "He narrated rejected reports [supposedly] on the authority of trustworthy narrators." Others claimed that he fabricated hadith. And where are the other students of Abdul Wahhaab al-Thaqafi, the other students of Hishaam ibn Hassaan and the other students of ibn Sireen such that Nuaim is the only one who narrated this hadith?2 Among modern day scholars, many reject Nuaim as a narrator. For example, al-Albaani said about Nuaim, "He is weak due to his many mistakes.