Grading: Its chain is weak because it is "munqati'" (disconnected). Technical note / Defect ('illah): Its narrators are, overall, thiqah, but "'Abd Allah bin Muhayriz" did not live in the time of Mu'adh bin Jabal. Moreover, there is disagreement over Makhul in its chain and in whether it is marfu' or mawquf. Thus al-Bukhari narrated it as "mawquf", like the author's (al-Hakim's) narration, in "al-Tarikh al-Kabir" (5/ 193) as mu'allaq from Ibn Mundhir (Ibrahim bin al-Mundhir al-Hizami), from al-Walid (Ibn Muslim), from Ibn Jabir, from Makhul, from Ibn Muhayriz, from Mu'adh.

Details of the narration: Abu Usamah (Hammad bin Usamah) differed, as found with Ibn Abi Shaybah (15/ 40); he narrated it from 'Abd al-Rahman bin Yazid bin Jabir, from Makhul, that "Mu'adh bin Jabal said…", thus dropping "Ibn Muhayriz" from the chain.

Details of the narration: Imam Ahmad (36/ 22023) narrated it as "marfu'" to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) from Zayd bin al-Hubab, from 'Abd al-Rahman bin Thabit bin Thawban, from his father, from Makhul, from Mu'adh bin Jabal. Here Zayd made the chain "mu'dal" (with two or more consecutive narrators missing) between Makhul and Mu'adh.

Details of the narration: Zayd was contradicted by Abu al-Nadr (Hashim bin al-Qasim), as found in Musnad Ahmad (22121) and Abu Dawud (4294); by 'Ali bin al-Ja'd, as found in al-Baghawi's "al-Ja'diyyat" (3405) and al-Tahawi's "Mushkil al-Athar" (520); and by al-Haytham bin Jamil, as found with al-Tahawi (519). These three and others narrated it from 'Abd al-Rahman bin Thabit, from his father, from Makhul, from Jubayr bin Nufayr, from Malik bin Yukhamir, from Mu'adh bin Jabal as "marfu'". Thus they narrated the chain as "mawsul" (connected). Technical note / Defect ('illah): There is disagreement about the narrator "'Abd al-Rahman bin Thabit bin Thawban"; his hadith falls in the category of "hasan" provided there is nothing objectionable (munkar) in it. al-Dhahabi mentioned this hadith in his biography in "Mizan al-I'tidal", as if indicating that he considered it munkar. And Allah knows best.

Grading: Hafiz Ibn Kathir mentioned this hadith from the narration of Ahmad and Abu Dawud in his book "al-Bidayah wa al-Nihayah" (19/ 108-109) and said: "This chain is jayyid and the hadith is hasan; upon it is the light of truthfulness and the majesty of prophethood." Then he discussed its interpretation.

Note / Clarification: For more detail see hadith number (8518) ahead.

Note / Clarification: This refers to the hadith of Abu Hurayrah that al-Walid bin Muslim mentioned after the hadith that passed shortly before at number (8500).