Chapter: The Prohibition of Narrating Everything One Hears

Shu’bah narrated to us, on authority of Khubayb bin Abd ir-Rahman, on authority of Hafs bin Āsim, on authority of Abī Hurayrah, he said, the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah upon him, said: ‘It is enough of a lie for a man to narrate everything he hears’. Abū Bakr bin Abī Shaybah narrated to us, Alī bin Hafs narrated to us, Shu’bah narrated to us, on authority of Khubayb bin Abd ir-Rahman, on authority of Hafs bin Āsim, on authority of Abī Hurayrah, on authority of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah upon him, the same as that. Yahyā bin Yahyā narrated to us, Hushaym informed us, on authority of Sulaymān at-Taymī, on authority of Abī Uthmān an-Nahdī, he said, Umar bin ul-Khattāb, may Allah be pleased with him, said: 'It is enough of a lie for a man that he narrates everything he hears'.

‘Know that a man who relates everything he hears is not safe, and he can never be an Imām, as long as he narrates everything he hears’. Muhammad bin ul-Muthannā narrated to us, he said Abd ur-Rahman narrated to us, he said Sufyān narrated to us, on authority of Abī Ishāq, on authority of Abīl-Ahwas, on authority of Abd Illah, he said: ‘It is enough of a lie for a man that he narrates everything he hears’. Muhammad bin ul-Muthannā narrated to us, he said I heard Abd ar-Rahman bin Mahdī saying: ‘A man cannot be an Imām whose example is followed until he withholds from some of what he hears’. Yahyā bin Yahyā narrated to us, Umar bin Alī bin Muqaddam informed us, on authority of Sufyān bin Husayn, he said: ‘Iyās bin Mu’āwiyah asked me saying: ‘Indeed I see that you love knowledge of the Qur’ān, so recite for me a Sūrah and explain it until I can reflect on what you know’. [Sufyān] said, so I did that, and [Iyās] said to me: ‘Memorize from me what I am about to say to you- Beware of abominations in Ḥadīth for indeed rarely does anyone convey them except he lowers himself and his Ḥadīth are denied’.’

‘It is the case that you do not relate to the people a narration which their minds cannot grasp except that it becomes a Fitnah for some of them’.