al-Faḍl ibn Muḥammad al-Shaʿrānī—Ismāʿīl's grandfather—was among the teachers of Ibn Khuzaymah and other scholars. Ibn Abī Ḥātim said in his book (3/2/69): "I wrote from him in Rayy, and they spoke about him." I said: This is an ambiguous and unexplained criticism, so it does not harm; because it is possible that they spoke about him due to his school of thought, and this is apparent; for al-Dhahabī said after him in "Siyar Aʿlām al-Nubalāʾ" (13/318): "Abū ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn al-Akhram said: He is truthful but extreme in his Shīʿism. al-Ḥākim said: I did not see any disagreement among the imams who heard from him regarding his trustworthiness and truthfulness, may Allāh be pleased with him, and he was a cultured jurist, a knowledgeable worshipper... Masʿūd al-Sijzī said: I asked al-Ḥākim about al-Faḍl ibn Muḥammad? He said: Trustworthy and reliable, his ḥadīth was not criticized with any evidence." I said: Moreover, he was corroborated as I will explain. Ismāʿīl ibn Muḥammad ibn al-Faḍl ibn Muḥammad al-Shaʿrānī; al-Samʿānī provided his biography under the entry (al-Shaʿrānī); (3/433) and said: "al-Ḥākim Abū ʿAbd Allāh said: He had extensive narrations from his grandfather and father, and was one of the diligent worshippers, and I used to seek Allāh's guidance in including him in 'al-Ṣaḥīḥ', and the guidance led to that, and the discussion about him is lengthy." al-Dhahabī summarized this in "Tārīkh al-Islām" (25/373-374), and added: "al-Ḥākim narrated from him and said: I did not doubt anything about him except his narration from ʿUmayr ibn Mirdās, so Allāh knows best! I asked him: Where did you write from ʿUmayr? He said: When I traveled to Egypt (!) Ibn Ayyūb; so perhaps it is as he said."