Our Shaykh, here is a question. Abdullah ibn Ahmad asked his father, "How was your hearing from Hafs ibn Ghiyath?" This is in Ahmad's *Kitab al-'Ilal*. How was your hearing from Hafs ibn Ghiyath?

The questioner : Our Shaykh, here is a question. Abdullah ibn Ahmad asked his father, "How was your hearing from Hafs ibn Ghiyath?" This is in Ahmad's *Kitab al-'Ilal*. How was your hearing from Hafs ibn Ghiyath? He said, "The hearing from Hafs was difficult." I said, "Did he not dictate to you?" He said, "No." I said, "Was it a marginal note?" He said, "We did not write anything except as a marginal note." I wanted to know the meaning of this phrase. May Allah reward you.

The Shaykh : It appears, and Allah knows best, that this Hafs did not sit in the manner of the hadith scholars for dictating hadith. Rather, he would sit in a gathering and mention a hadith from his hadiths on the occasion of a relevant topic. Imam Ahmad would be sitting in these gatherings and pick up these hadiths from him. And the reality is thatThe Shaykh : Hafs did not sit for dictating hadith as is the custom of hadith scholars.

The questioner : Yes, meaning he did not sit to dictate to people while they were writing, as is the custom. Perhaps they would take copies of his hadith.

The Shaykh : According to the occasions.

The questioner : According to the occasions, according to the gatherings.

The Shaykh : Yes, indeed.

The questioner : Perhaps he clarifies in that that the hearing from him was difficult. Hafs was difficult, meaning he did not give the hadith.

The Shaykh : When he says about some of them that he was stingy.

The questioner : Yes.

The Shaykh : In dictating hadith.

The questioner : He was difficult in narration. Yes, may Allah reward you.

The Shaykh : May Allah bless you.