What is the status of the Hadith narrator Muhammad ibn Yazid Abu Hisham Ar Rifa’i?
Answer
There exists a difference of opinion regarding this narrator.
Certain Muhaddithun like Imam Bukhari and Imam Nasai (rahimahumallah) have deemed him weak. Hafiz Ibn Hajar (rahimahullah) was also of this view.
However, Imam Muslim (rahimahullah) has accepted him to be reliable. Imam Yahya ibn Ma’in and Imam ‘Ijli (rahimahumallah) have accepted him to be credible. Imam Abu Bakr Al Barqani has declared him reliable and further cites Imam Daraqutni’s approval of his narrations.
‘Allamah Dhahabi (rahimahullah), an expert in the field of ‘Hadith Narrators’, has indicated that his narrations will be deemed reliable.
(Refer: Tahdhibul Kamal, vol. 27 pg. 24, Tahdhibut Tahdhib, vol. 9 pg. 526, Taqribut Tahdhib, 6402 and Mizanul I’tidal, vol. 4 pg. 294. Also see footnotes of Shaykh Muhammad ‘Awwamah on Al Kashif, 5223)
And Allah Ta’ala Knows best.
Answered by: Moulana Suhail Motala
Approved by: Moulana Muhammad Abasoomar
Checked by: Moulana Haroon Abasoomar