A Study of the Narrations and Opinions of the Rijālī Scholars about Abdullah ibn Khidāsh; evaluating his position among the narrators accused of exaggeration in the Najāshī’s Rijāl

Abdullah Ibn Khidāsh Al-Mahrī (Al-Basrī) was one of the compiler narrators whose narrations have been reflected in Al-Kāfī, Tahzīb Al-Ahkām and other hadith collections. He was accused of exaggeration by Najāshī, while was authenticated by Sheikh Kashī. In addition, he was among hadith masters of Safwān Ibn Yahyā, being consequently subject to common authenticity. Evaluating Ibn Khidāsh’s position among the narrators accused of exaggeration in Najāshī’s Rijāl, this study carefully examined the rijālī scholars’ statements about him and analyzed the sanads and texts of his narrations. It concluded that Ibn Khidāsh belongs to those narrators directly accused of exaggeration by Najāshī. In contrast, in terms of Ibn Khidāsh’s narrations, there is no sentence of exaggeration. So it may conclude that his narrations, if we accept his exaggeration, were not been well selected and refined. In addition, considering the existence of jurisprudential narrations from him, which is against allowance (ibāhi), as well as some of his doctrinal narrations that are in opposition to the beliefs of exaggerators, it may cast doubt on his accusation of exaggeration. Finally, his narrations also have confirmations, i.e. the presence of Ibn Khidāsh in the sanad of these narrations does not cause rejecting such narrations.