What does Munkar al hadeeth for a narrator mean to Imam Ahmad?

[Abu Zahra]

Assalamu alaikum

I understand that the term Munkar al-Hadeeth means one thing to Imaam al-Bukhari but another meaning to his contemporary, Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal. Question:

What does Munkar al hadeeth for a narrator mean to Imam Ahmad according to the books of Mustalah? Any examples on narrators would be very helpful.

Wassalam

[Abu_Abdallah]

Hafidh Ibn Hajar said (Hadi al-Sari p.436):

"The Munkar is called by Ahmad and a group of Ahl al-Hadith about the singular, the one who has no follow-up for him."

And elsewhere the Hafidh said (idem. p.392), in comment upon Ahmad's statement: He narrated Manâkir.

"I say: All of the Imams have made use of him. Ahmad and others call the Manâkir the absolute singular."

al-San'ani said the same (Tawdih al-Afkar 2:270), i.e. that if a narrator relates something alone:

"The technical use of Ahmad is other than the technical use of others, so one should take notice of it!"

Ahmad b. Hanbal means by Munkar al-Hadith not always something different, as some might think. He utilizes also in the classical way, i.e. the technical usage of others.

When he criticized Aban b. Abi 'Ayyash, the famous weak narrator, he said: "He was Munkar al-Hadith." But this instance it is a Jarh shadid.

When he referred to the Manakir of Muhammad b. Ibrahim al-Taymi, the trustworthy lone transmitter of the Hadith al-A'mal bi'l-Niyya, the narrator is not considered Munkar al-Hadith as in the usage of most scholars. So in this instance, Munkar al-Hadith is not bad.

Another example I remember is Yazid b. Abdallah al-Madani, a trusty narrator: but called Munkar al-Hadith by Ahmad.

wa-Allahu A'lam.