In most standard editions of Rijal al-Kashī, report #176 falls within the section discussing narrators linked to theological deviations (ghuluww) or those scrutinized for fabrications. The report typically contains:
(Note: The exact subject of report 176 varies slightly by manuscript. In the authoritative Muʿjam Rijāl al-Ḥadīth referencing system, it frequently addresses a transmitter named ʿAlī ibn Abī Ḥamzah or Abū Baṣīr—but verify against your edition.)
Universities including the University of Tehran and the Aga Khan University (London) have digitized early lithograph prints of Rijal al-Kashi. Search Google Scholar for: "Ikhtiyar Ma‘rifat al-Rijal al-Tusi manuscript 176" Filter by "Free PDF" – several scanned copies from the Malek National Library (Tehran) are available via Internet Archive (archive.org). rijal+al+kashi+report+176+free
Over the centuries, leading scholars have proposed various interpretations to reconcile Report 176 with Zurarah’s established reliability:
Before analyzing Report 176, one must understand the source. The original author was Abu ‘Amr Muhammad ibn ‘Umar al-Kashi (d. circa 951 CE / 340 AH), a prominent Shi’a scholar from the town of Kesh (modern-day Shahrisabz, Uzbekistan). In most standard editions of Rijal al-Kashī ,
Al-Kashi’s original work, titled Ma‘rifat Akhbar al-Rijal (Knowledge of Narrators’ Reports), was not a simple alphabetical list of names. Instead, it was a mas’ala-based (topic-based) collection of traditions from the Imams regarding the praise (madh) or condemnation (dhamm) of specific companions and narrators.
However, the version available to us today—including Report 176—is not al-Kashi’s original manuscript. It is an abridgment and rearrangement by the legendary scholar Shaykh al-Ta’ifah Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Tusi (d. 1067 CE). Al-Tusi reorganized al-Kashi’s material into a standard rijal dictionary format, naming his recension Ikhtiyar Ma‘rifat al-Rijal. (Note: The exact subject of report 176 varies
Why this matters for Report 176: When scholars cite "Rijal al-Kashi," they are technically citing al-Tusi’s Ikhtiyar. Report 176 exists within the framework of al-Tusi’s arrangement, and understanding the redactional layers helps interpret its authority.