[insoneeri]

Salam,

I've tried to authenticate this Hadith in which Malik compliments Abu Hanifa, so God help me as I've no experience at all in 'Ilm al-Rijal:

محمد بن أيوب بن الضريس، حدثنا أحمد بن الصباح، سمعت الشافعي قال: قيل لمالك: هل رأيت أبا حنيفة؟ قال: نعم. رأيت رجلا لو كلمك في هذه السارية أن يجعلها ذهبا لقام بحجته. Muhammad ibn Ayyoub bin al-Darees said: Ahmad bin al-Sabah told us: I heard Imam al-Shafi’i rahmatullahi ‘alaih say: Imam Malik rahmatullahi ‘alaih was asked whether he saw Imam Abu Hanifah rahmatullahi ‘alaih whereupon he replied: “Yes, I saw him and I found him to be a man of such caliber that if he claims that this pillar is made of gold, he will prove it to you.”

1- Ibn Ayyoub seems to be very trustworthy according to Siyar al-A'alam al Nubalaa here:
http://www.islamweb.net/newlibrary/d..._no=60&ID=2484

2- Ahmad bin al-Sabah is hopefully Abu al-Hassan Ali ibn abi Tahir Ahmad bin al-Sabah al-Qazwini who is also trustworthy according to Siyar al-A'alam al Nubalaa here:
http://www.islamweb.net/newlibrary/d..._no=60&ID=2611

There are a couple of sources for the narration, such as:
-al-Khatib al-Baghdadi in tareekh Baghdad.
-al-Dhahhabi in Siyar al-A'alam al Nubalaa.

[ptolerezort]

I only typed out excerpts from Uqudul Jamman from the English version, the one which bro verdana posted as a link.

The book is originally in Arabic, I think. It should be on the net somewhere for free.