Aban b. Abi Ayyash: Difference between revisions

  | Companion of = [[Imam al-Sajjad (a)]], [[Imam al-Baqir (a)]] and [[Imam al-Sadiq (a)]]

There are not enough information on the time and place of birth of Aban b. Abi 'Ayyash, it is only said that he was a slave of 'Abd al-Qays.<ref>Bukhārī, ''Tārīkh al-ṣaghīr'', vol. 2, p. 50.</ref> He passed away about 140/757 or 128/746.<ref>Ibn Ḥajar, ''Tahdhīb al-tahdhīb'', vol. 1, p. 31; Dhahabī, ''Mīzān al-iʿtidāl'', vol. 1, p. 14.</ref>

There are not any decisive evidence to reject acceptance of Aban b. Abi 'Ayyash as thiqa (reliable hadith narrator). Mirza Husayn Nuri believed Abi 'Ayyash was a Shi'ite narrator, his opponents tried to marginalize him,<ref>Nūrī, ''Mustadrak al-wasāʾil'', vol. 3, p. 32.</ref> but such statement is not accurate according to Shi'ite [[rijal]] books.

A number of Sunni rijal scholars did not accept Abi 'Ayyash a reliable narrator, as he was weak at memorizing hadiths<ref>Mizzī, ''Tahdhīb al-kamāl'', vol. 2, p. 22.</ref> and had a habit of forgetting the name of narrators and content of hadiths.<ref>Dhahabī, ''Mīzān al-iʿtidāl'', vol. 1, p. 12.</ref>

Aban b. Abi 'Ayyash is unanimously accepted as a virtuous and a true believer, especially among Sunnis. According to Ibn Habban, Abi 'Ayyash was a devoted believer who fasted during the day and worshiped God during the night.<ref>Ibn Ḥibbān, ''al-Majrūḥīn'', vol. 1, p. 96.</ref> He paid attention to his appearance and wore decent and pure clothes. Accordingly, Sufyan b. 'Uyayna narrated that Malik b. Dinar entitled Aban b. Abi 'Ayyash as "Tawus al-Qarra'" (a magnificently attractive man).<ref>Ibn ʿUday, ''al-Kāmil fī al-ḍuʿafā al-rijāl'', vol. 1, p. 374.</ref>

Aban b. Abi 'Ayyash is well-known among Shi'ites because of narrating hadiths from [[Sulaym b. Qays]]. Sulaym was a [[List of Companions of Imam 'Ali (a)|companion]] of [[Imam 'Ali (a)]] and lived in the time of [[Hajjaj b. Yusuf al-Thaqafi]] (d. 95/714). As Sulaym was a Shi'a, Hajjaj was perusing him but he fled to Fars and Aban provided shelter for him. When Sulaym was on the verge of death he gave Aban a book which included the events happened after the demise of [[Prophet Muhammad (s)]].<ref>Ḥillī, ''al-Rijāl'', p. 99.</ref>

As stated by [[Al-Shaykh al-Tusi]], Aban b. Abi 'Ayyash thought [[Sulaym b. Qays]] had read this book to [[Imam al-Sajjad (a)]] and he had approved it.<ref>Ṭūsī, ''Ikhtiyār maʿrifat al-rijāl'', p. 321.</ref> But as [[al-'Allama al-Hilli]] stated, it should be taken into account that this book was narrated only by Aban b. Abi 'Ayyash<ref>Ḥillī, ''al-Rijāl'', p. 99.</ref> which represents the harsh situation of Shi'ites in [[Iraq]] in the time of [[Hajjaj b. Yusuf]]; it must be the only original copy of the book. Regardless of the content of the book, it was the first book written by a Shi'a Muslim on Shi'ite thoughts including political thoughts of Shi'ites.<ref>Ibn al-Nadīm, ''al-Fihrist'', p. 275.</ref>