Biography of Abul-Hasan Ahmad Al-'Ijli
30-5-2016 | IslamWeb
Question:
Who was Abul-Hasan Ahmad Al-Ijli, the author of Ath-Thiqat, and to what extent did the people of Hadith rely on his criticisms?
Answer:
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah and that Muhammad 
is His slave and Messenger.
Imaam Ath-Thahabi wrote a biography of Abul-Hasan Ahmad Al-‘Ijli in Siyar A’laam an-Nubalaa’ and said about him, “He is the Imaam, the Haafith, the unique, the ascetic, Abul-Hasan Ahmad ibn ‘Abdullaah ibn Saalih ibn Muslim Al-‘Ijli, from Koofa. He settled in Tripoli, in the Maghrib (North Africa), which is the first city in the Maghrib; at a one month traveling distance from Alexandria (in Egypt). It is from this city that one goes west to Tunisia, which today is the base of the African region.
His birth: he was born in Koofa in 182 AH. He wrote a useful volume in Al-Jarh wat-Ta’deel. I read it, and I found many benefits in it which prove that he had abundant knowledge (in hadeeth) and great memorization [of religious texts].
Al-‘Ijli was mentioned to ‘Al-‘Abbaas ibn Muhammad Ad-Doori, so he said about him: We used to consider him to be like Ahmad ibn Hanbal and Yahya ibn Ma’een ... Some scholars said, 'There was no rival and no equivalent in the Maghrib to Abul Hasan Ahmad ibn ‘Abdullaah in his time regarding the knowledge of the ghareeb (strange) hadeeth, his mastering (this science), and his asceticism and piety.'
Besides, the historian scholar Abu al-‘Arab Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Tameem al-Qayrawaani said, 'I asked Maalik ibn ‘Eesa Al-‘Afsi al-Haafith, 'Who was the most knowledgeable scholar in hadeeth that you have seen?' He said, 'From the senior scholars, it is ‘Abdullaah ibn Ahmad al-‘Ijli.'
Besides, Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Ghaanim Al-Haafith said, 'I heard Ahmad ibn Mu’attib – a trustworthy North African scholar – say, 'Yahya ibn Ma’een was asked about Ahmad ibn ‘Abdullaah ibn Saalih, and he replied, 'He is a trustworthy person, son of a trustworthy person.'''” [Abridged]
However, despite Imaam Al-Ijli being a great Imaam and having a grounded knowledge in hadeeth, some scholars criticized him for his leniency in authenticating the narrators (classifying them as trustworthy); this was stated about him by the great scholar ‘Abdur-Rahmaan ibn Yahya Al-Mu’allimi Al-Yamaani 
in Talee’at At-Tankeel when speaking about one of the narrators, who was Abu Sinaan ‘Eesa ibn Sinaan Al-Qasmali; he said, “Abu Sinaan is classified as weak by Imaam Ahmad himself and Ibn Ma’een and others.” Abu Zur’ah said, “He is confused and his hadeeth is weak, and being mentioned by Ibn Hibbaan in Ath-Thiqaat (the trustworthy ones) does not benefit him, as Ibn Hibbaan was known to be lenient. Also, the statement of Al-‘Ijli, 'He is acceptable,' does not benefit him, because Al-‘Ijli is also lenient like Ibn Hibbaan or even more; I have known this by investigation.”
On the other hand, Al-Albaani said in Silsilatul-Ahaadeeth Adh-Dha’eefah, “The state of Yazeed ibn ‘Abdur-Rahmaan Al-Awdi and the authentication of Al-‘Ijli and Ibn Hibbaan considering him as trustworthy does not upgrade them as far as I am concerned, as they are lenient in authentication as known to the scholars; it is for this reason that Al-Haafith (Ibn Hajar) did not consider him as trustworthy in at-Taqreeb.”
Allaah knows best.