Seereen, his kunya was Abu 'Amrah, was one of the prisoners of war under the custody of the eminent companion, Anas bin Maalik who later freed him for a fee. This is the reason why the offspring of Seereen are referred to as the ‘Mawla of Anas ibn Maalik’ and ‘Al-Ansaree’ because the ‘mawla of a people is from them.’
Muhammad bin Seereen said: 'Abu Qatadah came to us and while he was on a terrace of ours – and we were ten from the children of Seereen - a star swooped down from the sky and our eyes followed it so Abu Qatadah prohibited us from that.'
They were from different mothers.
It was narrated that Yahya bin Ma'een said: 'Seereen had six children, the most trustworthy of them is Muhammad, Anas is inferior to him but he has no problem, Ma'bad is known and disliked, Yahya is weak in hadeeth and same with Kareemah, and Hafsah is more reliable than her.'
'Alee bin Madeenee said: 'None narrated from Yahya except his brother Muhammad and none narrated from Ma'bad except his brother Anas.'
Amr bin 'Alee said: 'They were five brothers and their sister was Hafsah; he added Khaalid bin Seereen. The eldest was Ma'bad and the youngest Anas. It was reported that narrations were not recorded from Khaalid.'
Abul Qaasim At-Tabaraanee said: 'They all narrated hadeeths except Khaalid.'
But those who were known with knowledge and narrations will be described briefly.
Anas bin Seereen Al-Ansaree
Aboo Moosaa and it was said that is kunya was also Abu 'Abdillaah and Abu Hamzah Al-Basaree.
After his birth, it was said that his father took him to Anas bin Maalik who gave him his name and kunya. He was born a year to the end of the khilaafah of Uthman.
Yahya bin Ma'een said: 'He is trustworthy in narrations.' This is affirmed by Abu Haatim, An-Nasaa'ee and Ibn Hajar.
Khalifah bin Khiyaat said he died 118, some said 120.
The historian, Ibn Sa'd, said: 'He died after his brother Muhammad, he was trustworthy, with a small number of hadeeth.'
He narrated from Anas bin Maalik, Jundub bin Sufyaan Al-Bajalee, Abdullaah bin Abbaas, Abdullaah bin Umar, Al-Qaasim bin Muhammad bin Abi Bakr, Ma'bad bin Seereen, Abu Ubaidah bin Abdillaah bin Masus.
Abaan bin Yazeed Al-Ataar, Ayuub As-Sakhtiyaanee, Hammaad bin Zayd, Hammaad bin Salamah, Humaid At-Taweel, Shu'bah, Abdullaah bin Awn and others narrated from him.
You can find his narrations in the six classical books of hadeeth.
Muhammad, Abu Bakr
He was born two years to the expiration of the khilafah of Uthman, may Allaah be pleased with him.
Al-Haafiz ibn Hajar said: 'He is trustworthy, honest; extremely eminent, he does not narrate hadeeth contextually (i.e. he narrates the exact words he heard).'
Al-Imaam Adh-Dhahabee said: 'Trustworthy, proof, one of the notables, possessor of immense knowledge, Shaykul Islaam, it reached me that his mother was Safiyah, the freed slave of Abi Bakr As-Sideeq.'
Hishaam bin Hassaan said he met 30 companions.
Abdullaah bin ‘Awn said: Muhammad used to narrate hadeeth with the exact wordings.
Hishaam bin Hassaan said: 'The truest of those I met, Muhammad bin Seereen narrated to me...'
Al-Imaam Ahmad said: 'He is one of the trustworthy narrators.'
Yahya bin Ma'een said: 'Trustworthy.'
Al-‘Ajulee said: 'His siblings Ma'bad, Yahya, Anas and Hafsah are all Taabieen and trustworthy.' The historian, Ibn Sa'd, said: 'He was trustworthy, dependable, of high status, exalted, eminent, jurist, Al-Imaam, possessor of immense knowledge and pious.'
Mawrooq Al-Ajulee said: 'I have not seen a man who has better understanding in his piety and who is not swayed by piety in his fiqh than Muhammad bin Seereen.'
Ibn Awn said: 'I have not seen the like of three men in this world, Muhammad bin Seereen in Iraq, Qaasim bin Muhamad in Hijaaz and Rajaa bin Aiwah in Shaam and there is none like ibn Seereen amongst them.'
Umm 'Abaad, the wife of Hishaam bin Hassaan said: 'We were staying with Ibn Seereeen in the house. So we hear his crying at night and his laughing and joking in the day.'
Muhamad bin Seereeen said: 'Verily, this knowledge is religion, be wary of whom you take it from.'
The Al-Imaam, Ibn Hibbaan said: 'His birth was two years to the end of the khilaafah of Uthmaan. Anas manumitted his father for 20,000 dirham. Muhammad was from the most pious of the people of Basrah, a jurist, virtuous, a great memorizer, exquisite, he used to interpret dreams and saw 30 companions. He died in Shawwal 110 AH, 100 days after the death of Al-Hasan Al-Basree at age 77 and An-Nadr bin Amr Ash-Shamee led his janazah.'
He narrated from Anas bin Maalik, Jundub bin 'Abdillaah Al-Bajalee, Hudhaifah binl Yamman, Al-Hasan bin 'Alee bin Abi Taalib, Humaid bin AbdirRahman Al-Himyaree, Khaalid Al-Hadhaa, Raafi bin Khudaij, Zayd bin Thaabit, Samurah bin Jundub, Abdullaah bin Zubayr, Abdullaah bin Shaqeeq, Abdullaah bin Abbaas, Abdullaah bin 'Umar, 'Abeedah Al-Salmanee, 'Ikrimah the freed slave of Ibn 'Abbaas, Muawiyyah bin Abi Sufyaan, Ma'bad bin Seereen, Naafi the freed slave of Ibn Umar, Yahya bin Seereen, Abu Saeed Al-Khudree, Abu Hurairah, Hafsah bint Seereen, our mother 'Aishah, Umm 'Atiyaah Al-Ansariyyah among other nobles.
Among his students were: Ayyub As-Sakhtiyaanee, Thaabit Al-Bunanee, Al-Hasan bin Dhakwaan, Khaalid bin Al-Hadhaa, Sulaiman At-Taymee, 'Aamir Ash-Sha'bee, Al-Awza'ee, Qataadah bin Di'aamah, Maalik bin Deenaar, Hishaam bin Hasaan and Yoonus bin 'Ubayd to mention a few.
His narrations are recorded in the six canonical books of hadeeth.
Ma'bad
He was the oldest.
Al-Haafiz ibn hajar said he was reliable. Al-Imaam Ibn Hibbaan mentioned him in his book on trustworthy narrators.
The historian, Ibn Sa'd. said: 'He was trustworthy and narrated hadeeths.'
His hadeeths are found in Al-Bukhaaree, Muslim, Abu Dawood and An-Nasaa'ee.
He has narrations from 'Umar and Abu Saeed Al-Khudree and his brothers. Muhammad and Anas narrated from him.
He died in the year 100AH
Yahya, Abu 'Amr
Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar said he was trustworthy and Ibn Hibbaan mentioned him in his book on reliable narrators and said: 'It was reported from Hishaam bin Hassaan that he was given precedence (by some) over his brother Muhammad and sister, Hafsah.'
An-Nasaa'ee narrated from him in his Musnad of Alee.
Al-Ajulee said: 'A taabiee' and trustworthy.'
He narrated from Anas bin Maalik and ‘Abeedah Al-Salmaanee while his siblings; Muhammad and Hafsah, and Yahya bin Al-Ateeq Al-Basree narrated from him.
Ibn Sa'd said: 'It got to me that Seereen sent his sons to Abu Hurairah. When they arrived, Yahya had the best memory; he was reliable with few hadeeths and died before Muhammad.'
He died close to 90AH.
Hafsah, Ummul-Huzayl
Ibn Sa'd said: Hafsah was the oldest child of Seereen, males and females, and she was the daughter of Safiyyah. The children of Safiyyah include Muhammad, Yahya, Hafsah, Kareemah and Umm Sulaim (Tabaqaat 8/484).
Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar said she was trustworthy.
Al-Imaam Adh-Dhahabee said: 'A jurist, Iyaas bn Mu'awiyyah said: 'I did not meet anyone who had any virtues over her.' I (Al-Imaam Adh-Dhahabee) say: 'She was without equals among the women of her time.'
Yahya bin Ma'een said: 'She was trustworthy, a proof.'
Al-Ajulee said: 'She was from Basrah and trustworthy.'
Abu Dawood: 'Her son's name was Huzail and her husband's name was AbdurRahman.'
Abu Bakr ibn Abi Dawood narrated that Iyaas bin Mu'awiyyah said: 'I did not meet anyone who had any virtues over her. It was said to him: what of Al-Hasan and (Muhammad) Ibn Seereen? He said: As for me I won’t give anyone precedence over her. She memorized the Qur’an at age 12 and died at age 70.'
Al-Imaam Ibn Hibbaan mentioned her in his book on trustworthy narrators.
She narrated from Anas bin Maalik, Yahya bin Seereen, Khayrah, the mother of Al-Hasan Al-Basree, Umm 'Atiyyah Al-Ansariyyah and others.
Those who learnt from her include: Iyaas bin Mu'awiyyah, Ayuub As-Sakhtiyaanee, Khaalid Al-Hadhaa, 'Aasim Al-Awl, 'Abdullaah bin 'Awn, Qataadah, Muhammad bin Seereen, Hishaam bin Hassaan, 'Aishah bin Sa'd Al-Basariyah among others.
Her narrations are recorded in the six classical books of hadeeth. Ibn Hajar said she died in the year 101 while Al-Bukhaaree mentioned her as one of those who died in 110AH.
Kareemah
Al-Imaam ibn Hibaan said in Ath-Thiqaat, his book on trustworthy narrators: 'She narrated from Ibn Umar. She was the sister of Muhammad, and Aasim Al-Hawal narrated from.'
‘Aasim narrated from her that she narrated from Ibn ‘Umar.
Source: Tahdheebul Kamaal of Al-Imaam al-Haafidh Al-Mizee – may Allâh bestow mercy on him.