What is the nature of the subtle criticism in Ahmad’s statement regarding Ruh ibn al-Qasim: “He is trustworthy, but he narrated from the lesser ones”?

The questioner : All right, Ahmad said here about Ruh ibn al-Qasim that he is trustworthy, but he narrated from the lesser ones. It is well known from the words of Ibn 'Adi that a man is not considered among the people of hadith unless... [the text trails off]... Ibn 'Adi’s words are about when he writes, but as for when he narrates from the lesser ones, from someone greater than him, from someone lesser than him, or from his equal, and so on. However, the word “but” in “but he narrated from the lesser ones” implies an accusation that he did not travel for hadith, or an accusation of tadlis (concealment of a defect in a chain), or an accusation of what? What is the nature of the subtle criticism in this statement: “Trustworthy, but he narrated from the lesser ones”?

The Shaykh : It means a soft, subtle criticism that does no harm.

The questioner : Yes, what is the origin or cause of this subtle criticism?

The Shaykh : It is that he does not rise high; he does not narrate from the great ones.

The questioner : Yes.

The Shaykh : A subtle criticism means it has no effect on the narration.

The questioner : Yes, he means...

The Shaykh : It means, as they used to seek high chains of narration (isnad) and then sometimes descend for one reason or another, but the principle for them was not descending, but rather rising and elevation. So when such a phrase is used, “he used to narrate from the lesser ones,” it means that he is not among those who were concerned with elevation in the chain of narration. It is not a jarh (criticism of a narrator’s reliability), but rather a soft and gentle subtle criticism. However, it does not lower the subject of the biography from the rank of the trustworthy to the rank of the trustworthy.

The questioner : Yes, may Allah reward you. This is what I intended to know. As for the fact that my mind went to the idea that it was a jarh, but I said, what is the basis for it? Is it because he did not travel? Is it because of this or that?