What is the opinion of the people of knowledge concerning Isma'il ibn 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Karimah al-Suddi al-Kabir, and is his opinion to be taken as an authority?

Al-Suddi al-Kabir, who is Isma'il ibn 'Abd al-Rahman al-A'war al-Kufi, was a trustworthy Tabi'i (successor to the Companions), a Mufassir (exegete), and knowledgeable in the exegesis of the Qur'an. Imams transmitted from him and relied on his statements in their commentaries. His own personal exegesis, which he did not attribute to anyone else, is accepted. It is like other commentaries of the Tabi'in, to which reference is made unless evidence contradicts it.

As for his narrations from others, the Imams differed in their assessment of his precision, but the difference concerning him is not severe. It lies between authentication and slight softening, and it does not reach the level of abandonment. There is no proven accusation against him of lying or of insulting the two Shaykhs, Abu Bakr and 'Umar, may Allah be pleased with them. He himself narrated what refutes extremism in Shi'ism.

As for the version of the tafsir (definition) narrated from him by Asbat ibn Nasr, the Imams spoke about it due to the presence of unusual elements and confusion in its chains of transmission. However, this discussion is not about Al-Suddi himself, but rather about how the narrations were collected and how to distinguish the sound from the weak in that particular version.