Famous trustworthy narrators: Some narrators are so well known and so trusted that their names appear again and again in the Hadith books. Three of the most famous are:
- Zurara ibn A'yan — a close companion and student of Imam al-Baqir (as) and Imam al-Sadiq (as). He asked the Imams many questions and passed on their answers. Scholars count him among the most trustworthy narrators.
- Muhammad ibn Muslim al-Thaqafi — another great student of Imam al-Baqir (as) and Imam al-Sadiq (as). He is famous for the large number of Hadith he narrated.
- Abu Basir al-Muradi — a devoted companion of Imam al-Sadiq (as), known for his knowledge and his questions about the Quran and about faith.
The Companions of Consensus: These three, together with Burayd ibn Mu'awiya al-Ijli, are known as the Ashab al-Ijma' — the Companions of Consensus. That means the scholars agreed: whatever these men narrated from the Imams (as) is accepted as sound, even if the rest of the chain is not fully known. — to be checked.
A good place to start: Their names are a good place for a beginner to start. When you see one of these names in a chain, you know you are reading words passed on by a trusted student of the Imams (as).
Example
Students every teacher trusts: In a school, some students are so honest and so careful that every teacher trusts their notes. If a teacher is away, the class copies the notes of those students without worry.
The trusted note-takers: Zurara, Muhammad ibn Muslim, and Abu Basir were like those students — the trusted note-takers of the Imams (as).
Key Terms
- Ashab al-Ijma' (اصحاب الاجماع) — the Companions of Consensus; narrators whose reliability scholars agreed upon
- Zurara ibn A'yan (زرارہ بن اعین) — a famous trustworthy companion of Imam al-Baqir (as) and Imam al-Sadiq (as)
- Muhammad ibn Muslim (محمد بن مسلم) — a famous narrator from Imam al-Baqir (as) and Imam al-Sadiq (as)
- Abu Basir al-Muradi (ابو بصیر المرادی) — a devoted companion of Imam al-Sadiq (as)
Quran or Hadith
None used in this topic. All names and the Ashab al-Ijma' claim are flagged — to be checked.
Fresh diagram to be drawn: A family-tree style diagram: Imam al-Baqir (as) and Imam al-Sadiq (as) at the top, with four trusted students below — Zurara, Muhammad ibn Muslim, Abu Basir, and Burayd — each with one line about him.
- Zurara ibn A'yan, Muhammad ibn Muslim, and Abu Basir were trusted students of Imam al-Baqir (as) and Imam al-Sadiq (as).
- Together with Burayd ibn Mu'awiya, they are known as the Ashab al-Ijma' — the Companions of Consensus. — to be checked.
- When you see one of these names in a chain, you are reading words passed on by a trusted student of the Imams (as).