Imam adh-Dhahabi [may Allah have mercy upon him] mentioned that the students of Imam Abdur-Razzaaq as-San’aani [may Allah have mercy upon him] knocked on his door in a hard manner and he came out to them angry. He said: “I swear by Allah I will not give you Hadeeth for a month.”
The students went through his neighbors to get him [to come back to giving them the Hadeeth class], he refused. They went to his companions to get him [to come back to giving them the Hadeeth class], he refused. They went to his wife and gave her a gift and they sought from her to intercede [with the Shaykh on their behalf]. The following day the Shaykh called them for the Hadeeth [class] and the students were amazed at his acceptance and vastness of his chest. The Shaykh looked at them smiling and he said:
The intercessor who comes to you with an Izaar on is not like the intercessor who comes to you naked.”
[Siyaar ‘Alaam an-Nubalaa 9/567]
Ash Shaykh Yahya was asked about this story and he said:
The story has the narrator Fayaad Ibn Zuhayr and Fayaad Ibn Zuhayr, we haven’t seen anyone consider him trustworthy other than Ibn Hibban and he is from the teachers of Ibn Hibban, thus upon the statement of Imam Al Mualimee Rahimahullah that the teachers of Ibn Hibban are on the second level in accordance to trustworthiness, and that his statement that he is upright or that him considering one trustworthy is like other than him from the people of knowledge. Hence those who are from his teachers whom their narrations have proceeded and he knew of them he will accept this story but that which we see and Allah knows best is that Ibn Hibban is from those who are easy going in considering one trustworthy and this is what the scholars stand upon. Therefore, the defect of this story is Fayaad Ibn Zuhayr.
[Question Number 14 Of The first Part of the Questions of Abi Rawaahah to the Shaykh]
Note:
When one goes back to the original page in Siyar A’alaam, he will not find this full story rather it’s very summarized. As for this full story, I have only seen it from Ayid Al Qarni, may Allaah guide him, and Allah knows best.
Translated by
Majeed al-Afghaani
Abu Layl