Sunni Rijal Books: Nasibi / Anti-Ali Hadith Narrators Still Graded Reliable
Before Sunni polemicists attack Shia hadith books, they should first answer a simple question:
Why do Sunni rijal books contain narrators accused of Nasb, hatred of Imam Ali a.s, cursing Imam Ali a.s, or attacking Imam Ali a.s — yet some of them are still graded “ثقة”, “صدوق”, “لا بأس به”, or narrated from in Sunni hadith books?
This is not a Shia claim.
These are Sunni rijal references.
1. Hariz bin Uthman al-Rahbi
Arabic:
ثقة، له نحو مائتي حديث، وهو ناصبي
Translation:
“Reliable, he has around two hundred hadiths, and he is a Nasibi.”
Reference:
Al-Dhahabi, al-Kashif, biography of Hariz bin Uthman.
Arabic:
وقال العجلي: شامي ثقة، وكان يحمل على علي
Translation:
“Al-‘Ijli said: He was a Shami, reliable, and he used to attack Ali.”
Reference:
Ibn Hajar, Tahdhib al-Tahdhib, biography of Hariz bin Uthman.
Arabic:
وإنما وضع منه ببغضه لعلي، وتكلموا فيه
Translation:
“He was only criticized because of his hatred of Ali, and they spoke against him regarding that.”
Reference:
Al-Mizzi, Tahdhib al-Kamal, biography of Hariz bin Uthman.
Comment:
A narrator described as “Nasibi” and one who “used to attack Ali” was still called reliable by Sunni rijal scholars.
2. Ishaq bin Suwayd al-‘Adawi
Arabic:
المذهب العقدي: ناصبي يحمل على علي
Translation:
“Creedal tendency: Nasibi; he used to attack Ali.”
Reference:
Shamela narrator entry, Ishaq bin Suwayd.
Arabic:
صدوق، تكلم فيه للنصب
Translation:
“Truthful; he was criticized for Nasb.”
Reference:
Ibn Hajar, Taqrib al-Tahdhib, biography of Ishaq bin Suwayd.
Arabic:
وقال أحمد: شيخ ثقة
Translation:
“Ahmad said: a reliable shaykh.”
Reference:
Ibn Hajar, Tahdhib al-Tahdhib, biography of Ishaq bin Suwayd.
Arabic:
وقال ابن معين، والنسائي: ثقة
Translation:
“Ibn Ma‘in and al-Nasa’i said: reliable.”
Reference:
Ibn Hajar, Tahdhib al-Tahdhib, biography of Ishaq bin Suwayd.
Arabic:
وقال أبو العرب الصقلي في الضعفاء: كان يحمل على علي تحاملا شديدا، وقال: لا أحب عليا
Translation:
“Abu al-‘Arab al-Siqilli said in al-Du‘afa’: He used to attack Ali severely, and he said: I do not love Ali.”
Reference:
Ibn Hajar, Tahdhib al-Tahdhib, biography of Ishaq bin Suwayd.
Comment:
A man described as Nasibi, who said “I do not love Ali,” was still graded reliable by major Sunni rijal scholars.
3. Abdullah bin Shaqiq al-‘Uqayli
Arabic:
ثقة فيه نصب
Translation:
“Reliable, but he had Nasb.”
Reference:
Ibn Hajar, Taqrib al-Tahdhib, biography of Abdullah bin Shaqiq.
Arabic:
وقال ابن خراش: كان ثقة، وكان عثمانيا، يبغض عليا
Translation:
“Ibn Khirash said: He was reliable, he was Uthmani, and he used to hate Ali.”
Reference:
Al-Mizzi, Tahdhib al-Kamal; Ibn Hajar, Tahdhib al-Tahdhib, biography of Abdullah bin Shaqiq.
Arabic:
وقال العجلي: ثقة، وكان يحمل على علي
Translation:
“Al-‘Ijli said: reliable, and he used to attack Ali.”
Reference:
Ibn Hajar, Tahdhib al-Tahdhib, biography of Abdullah bin Shaqiq.
Comment:
The wording is very clear: “reliable” but “had Nasb”; “reliable” but “used to hate Ali.”
4. Azhar bin Abdullah / Azhar bin Sa‘id al-Harazi
Arabic:
المذهب العقدي: ناصبي كان يسب عليا
Translation:
“Creedal tendency: Nasibi; he used to curse Ali.”
Reference:
Shamela narrator entry, Azhar bin Abdullah / Azhar bin Sa‘id.
Arabic:
صدوق، تكلموا فيه للنصب
Translation:
“Truthful; they criticized him for Nasb.”
Reference:
Ibn Hajar, Taqrib al-Tahdhib, biography of Azhar al-Harazi.
Arabic:
وقال أبو داود: كان يسب عليا
Translation:
“Abu Dawud said: He used to curse Ali.”
Reference:
Ibn Hajar, Tahdhib al-Tahdhib, biography of Azhar al-Harazi.
Arabic:
وقال أحمد بن صالح العجلي: تابعي ثقة
Translation:
“Ahmad bin Salih al-‘Ijli said: a reliable Tabi‘i.”
Reference:
Ibn Hajar, Tahdhib al-Tahdhib, biography of Azhar al-Harazi.
Comment:
A narrator described as Nasibi and one who used to curse Ali was still called “truthful” and “reliable Tabi‘i.”
5. Khalid bin Salamah al-Fa’fa’
Arabic:
كان خالد بن سلمة الفأفاء رأسا في المرجئة، وكان يبغض عليا
Translation:
“Khalid bin Salamah al-Fa’fa’ was a leader among the Murji’ah, and he used to hate Ali.”
Reference:
Al-Mizzi, Tahdhib al-Kamal, biography of Khalid bin Salamah.
Arabic:
قال أبي: خالد بن سلمة المخزومي ثقة
Translation:
“My father said: Khalid bin Salamah al-Makhzumi is reliable.”
Reference:
Abdullah bin Ahmad from Ahmad bin Hanbal, quoted in rijal sources.
Arabic:
الرتبة عند ابن حجر: صدوق، رمي بالإرجاء وبالنصب
Translation:
“Rank according to Ibn Hajar: truthful; accused of Irja’ and Nasb.”
Reference:
Ibn Hajar, Taqrib al-Tahdhib, biography of Khalid bin Salamah.
Comment:
Again, the issue is clear: “he used to hate Ali,” yet Sunni rijal still gave him reliability.
6. Isma‘il bin Sumi‘ al-Kufi
Arabic:
كان ممن يبغض عليا
Translation:
“He was from those who used to hate Ali.”
Reference:
Ibn Hajar, Tahdhib al-Tahdhib, biography of Isma‘il bin Sumi‘.
Arabic:
كوفي قليل الحديث ثقة
Translation:
“A Kufan, with little hadith; reliable.”
Reference:
Abu Ali al-Hafiz, quoted by al-Hakim and in rijal sources.
Arabic:
وقال أبو داود: ثقة
Translation:
“Abu Dawud said: reliable.”
Reference:
Ibn Hajar, Tahdhib al-Tahdhib, biography of Isma‘il bin Sumi‘.
Arabic:
وقال ابن نمير والعجلي: كوفي ثقة
Translation:
“Ibn Numayr and al-‘Ijli said: a Kufan, reliable.”
Reference:
Ibn Hajar, Tahdhib al-Tahdhib, biography of Isma‘il bin Sumi‘.
Comment:
Even when the wording says “he used to hate Ali,” he was still graded reliable by several Sunni authorities.
7. Imran bin Hittan — Khariji example, not technically Nasibi
Important note:
Imran bin Hittan is technically a Khariji example, not just a Nasibi example. But he is very important because he praised Ibn Muljam, the killer of Imam Ali a.s, and al-Bukhari narrated from him.
Arabic:
عمران هو السدوسي كان أحد الخوارج من العقدية بل هو رئيسهم وشاعرهم، وهو الذي مدح ابن ملجم قاتل علي بالأبيات المشهورة
Translation:
“Imran is al-Sadusi. He was one of the Kharijites in creed; rather, he was their leader and poet. He is the one who praised Ibn Muljam, the killer of Ali, in the famous verses.”
Reference:
Ibn Hajar, Fath al-Bari, commentary on Sahih al-Bukhari.
Arabic:
وإنما أخرج له البخاري على قاعدته في تخريج أحاديث المبتدع إذا كان صادق اللهجة متدينا
Translation:
“Al-Bukhari only narrated from him according to his principle of narrating from an innovator if he was truthful in speech and religious.”
Reference:
Ibn Hajar, Fath al-Bari.
Arabic:
الرتبة عند ابن حجر: صدوق إلا أنه كان على مذهب الخوارج
Translation:
“Rank according to Ibn Hajar: truthful, except that he was upon the doctrine of the Khawarij.”
Reference:
Ibn Hajar, Taqrib al-Tahdhib, biography of Imran bin Hittan.
Comment:
This shows the principle clearly: even a Khariji who praised the killer of Imam Ali a.s could still enter Sunni hadith transmission if they considered him truthful.
Final point:
So the issue is not that every Sunni narrator was Nasibi. That would be false.
The real issue is double standard.
Sunni polemicists attack Shia books because some narrators are accused of weakness, exaggeration, or sectarian leaning.
But their own Sunni rijal books contain narrators who were:
called Nasibi,
accused of Nasb,
known for hating Imam Ali a.s,
known for cursing Imam Ali a.s,
known for attacking Imam Ali a.s,
or even Khariji figures who praised Ibn Muljam, the killer of Imam Ali a.s.
And despite this, some of them were still graded:
ثقة
reliable
صدوق
truthful
لا بأس به
no problem with him
So before using “problematic narrators” as a weapon against Shia hadith books, apply the same standard to Sunni hadith and rijal books first.
The truth is simple:
If Shia narrators can be rejected because of alleged sectarian bias, then Nasibi and anti-Ali narrators should also be rejected because of their hatred toward Imam Ali a.s.
Otherwise, this is not hadith science.
This is double standard.
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