Note / Corruption: In the handwritten manuscripts this word had been corrupted into "al-Haqq"; the correct word has been taken from the sources that transmit the hadith.

Grading: This hadith is hasan, and all the narrators of this chain are trustworthy (thiqah). Technical note / Defect ('illah): There is disagreement about the Companionship of Ibn Hazzal (whose name is Nu'aym bin Hazzal bin Yazid al-Aslami). Ibn Abd al-Barr, in "al-Isti'ab", held the correct view to be that Companionship belongs to his father Hazzal (may Allah be pleased with him), not to Nu'aym. His son Yazid is alone in narrating from Nu'aym. Also, there is disagreement from Yahya bin Sa'id (al-Ansari) in the chain of this hadith, as will come. Shu'bah was contradicted, since he related it as "mawsul" (connected) while a group of trustworthy narrators related it as "mursal", and Imam al-Bayhaqi held the mursal version to be correct. However, Sa'id bin al-Musayyab also narrated it as mursal, through which the status of this hadith is improved (to hasan).

Details of the narration / Disagreement: The hadith of Shu'bah, narrated from him by Abu Dawud al-Tayalisi, is found in Musnad Ahmad (36/21895), al-Nasa'i (7235) and al-Hakim (in the present narration). Abd al-Samad bin Abd al-Warith also narrated it from Shu'bah, in Musnad Ahmad (21894). (But) Shu'bah was contradicted by Hammad bin Zayd [in Abu Dawud: 4378], Abdullah bin al-Mubarak [in al-Nasa'i: 7236] and Sulayman bin Bilal [in al-Bayhaqi: 8/331]. These three narrators narrate it from Yahya bin Sa'id, from Muhammad bin al-Munkadir: "Hazzal ordered Ma'iz to go to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)", and so they related it as "mursal" (without mention of a Companion as intermediary or of hearing). Imam al-Bayhaqi preferred this (mursal) narration.

Reference / Source: Abd al-Razzaq narrated it after (no. 13342) from Sufyan bin Uyaynah, from Yahya bin Sa'id, from Nu'aym bin Abdullah bin Hazzal, that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to Hazzal: "Had you covered him (Ma'iz) with your garment (concealed his fault), it would have been better for you." Technical note: Here Sufyan made it "mu'dal" (with two or more consecutive narrators dropped from the chain).

Reference / Source: Imam Malik narrated it in "al-Muwatta'" (2/821), and through his route al-Nasa'i (7237), from Yahya bin Sa'id, from Sa'id bin al-Musayyab, as "mursal". Grading: Its chain up to Sa'id bin al-Musayyab is sahih, and this mursal narration of his improves the status of the original hadith (i.e., strengthens it), because the mursal narrations of Sa'id bin al-Musayyab are considered "the most sound of the mursal narrations", as Ibn Ma'in and Imam Ahmad said.

Details of the narration: The story of the gathering of Yazid bin Nu'aym was narrated by Imam Malik in "al-Muwatta'" (2/821), and through his route al-Nasa'i (7237), by al-Layth bin Sa'd in al-Nasa'i (7238), and by Sulayman bin Bilal in al-Bayhaqi (8/331). These three narrate it from Yahya bin Sa'id, from Yazid bin Nu'aym.

Note / Clarification: This hadith will come in detail below at no. (8281) through the route of Yazid bin Nu'aym, who narrates it from his father Nu'aym.