Abu Hamza al-Thumali

Thābit ibn Abī Ṣafiyya famously known as Abū Ḥamza al-Thumālī Thābit ibn Dīnār (Arabic: أبو حمزة الثمالي) formerly disciple of Ali al-Sajjad, was also among Muhammad al-Baqir's followers. He is regarded as a trustworthy transmitter by Shias but untrustworthy by Sunni hadith scholars.

Life

Abu Hamza al-Thumali claimed to be a companion of Ali al-Sajjad. He also claimed to be a companion of Muhammad al-Baqir and Ja'far al-Sadiq. Al-Najashi said: “He was the best of our companions and the most reliable of them in narration and tradition.” It was reported that Ali al-Rida said: “Abu Hamza at his time is like Salman at his time.” Shia rijal books say that Abu Hamza consumed prohibited intoxicants.[1] His sons died martyrs with the great revolutionist, Zayd ibn Ali.[2]

He died in the year 150 A.H.

Status as a narrator

The Sunni Hadith scholars have made several remarks about him:

Umar ibn Hafs ibn Ghiyath (d. 222): “My father abandoned the hadith of Abu Hamzah Al-Thumali.”

Ibn Sa'd (d. 230): “He was weak.”

Yahya ibn Ma'in (d. 233): “He is worthless.”

Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal (d. 241): “He is weak, he is worthless.”

‘Amr Al-Fallas (d. 249): “He is not reliable.”

Al-Jawzajani (d. 259): “He was extremely weak (wahi) in hadith.”

Abu Zur’ah (d. 265): “He is weak.”

Abu Hatem (d. 277): “He is weak in hadith. His hadith should be written but it cannot be relied upon.”

Ya’qub b. Sufyan (d. 277): “He is weak.”

Imam Al-Nasa'i (d. 303): “He is not reliable.”

Al-‘Uqayli (d. 322), Al-Dulabi (d. 310), and Ibn Al-Jarud (d. 307) and others weakened him.

Ibn Hibban (d. 354): “He was very delusional in his transmission such that he cannot be relied upon whenever he exclusively transmits anything, along with his extremism in Shi’ism.”

Ibn ‘Adiyy (d. 365): “His weakness is apparent in his transmission, and he is closer to weakness.”

al-Daraqutni (d. 385): “He is abandoned (matruk).”

Ibn ‘Abdilbarr (d. 463): “He is not strong according to them. There was weakness in his hadith.”[3]

The Shia hadith scholars consider him a reliable narrator. [4]

Works

• Kitab fi Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim (An exegesis of the Quran).
• Kitab al-Nawadir (A Book on the rare things).
• Kitab al-Zuhd (A Book on Asceticism).

Supplication of Abu Hamza al-Thumali

Main article: Supplication of Abu Hamza al-Thumali

Abu Hamza al-Thumali has related that during the month of Ramadhan, Ali Zayn al-Abidin used to spend a greater part of the night in prayers and when it used to be the time of beginning of the fast he recited a supplication which later known as Du'a Abi Hamzah al-Thumali (The supplication of Abi Hamzah al-Thumali). This supplication has been recorded in the book Misbah al-Mutahijjid of Shaykh Tusi.

See also

• List of Shi'a Muslim scholars of Islam
• Sayyid Murtadhā
• Sayyid Radhī
• Shaykh al-Mufīd
• Shaykh al-Tūsī
• Shaykh al-Sadūq
• Muhammad al-Kulaynī
• Allāmah Majlisī
• Shaykh al-Hur al-Āmilī
• Zakaria ibn Idris Ash'ari Qomi
• Ahmad ibn Ishaq Ash'ari Qomi
• List of Shia books

References

• Lalani, A.R. (2000). Early Shī'ī Thought: The Teachings of Imam Muḥammad al-Bāqir. I.B. Tauris. ISBN 1850435928.

1. Rijāl al-Kashshī, 2/455: no. 353.
2. Tanqih al-Maqal, vol.1, p.189.
3. Tahdib Al-Tahdhib 2/7-8.
4. Mo’jam Rijal Al-Hadith 4/293-295.