(1) Imam al-Dhahabi states in al-Mizan: “Musa ibn Abd Allah al-Tawil— Ibn Hibban said: he reports fabricated material from Anas. Ibn Adi said: he transmits objectionable reports from Anas and is an unknown narrator.” Al-Dhahabi then quotes from Ibn Hibban the very hadith cited through Ishaq ibn Shahin, as well as other reports proving his mendacity, followed by the story in which Musa claims he saw Aisha—may Allah be pleased with her—in Basra on a grey camel in a green howdah. Commenting, al-Dhahabi writes: “Consider this suspect creature who, in about the year 200, claims that he saw Aisha! Who could believe him?” He adds: “I had imagined that this al-Tawil died shortly after 200, until I came across his notice in Ibn al-Najjar’s Tarikh: he was the client of Anas ibn Malik, a Persian whom al-Rashid brought to Baghdad, where he began to relate traditions.” (Al-Mizan, 4/209–210). I (Shuayb) remark: The hadith is nevertheless sound through other chains. Al-Tabarani and al-Hakim (4/86) recorded it from Abd Allah ibn Busr with the wording: “Blessed is he who sees me and believes in me; blessed is he who sees the one who has seen me, and the one who sees the one who has seen the one who has seen me and believes in me,” though its chain contains Jami ibn Thawb, a weak narrator. Abd ibn Humayd transmitted it from Abu Sa id al-Khudri, and Ibn Asakir from Wathila, with the wording: “Blessed is he who sees me, and he who sees the one who has seen me, and he who sees the one who has seen the one who has seen me.” Al-Tayalisi and Abd ibn Humayd narrated it from Ibn Umar in the form: “Blessed is he who sees me and believes in me; blessed is he who believes in me without seeing me” (repeated three times). Ahmad (3/71) reported it from Abu Sa id al-Khudri: “Blessed is he who sees me and believes in me; then blessed, then blessed, then blessed is he who believes in me without seeing me”; Ibn Hibban (no. 2302) judged this chain sound, although it is through Daraj from al-Haytham. Ahmad (5/248, 257, 264) also recorded it from Abu Umamah with the wording: “Blessed is he who sees me and believes in me once, and blessed is he who believes in me without seeing me seven times”; Ibn Hibban (no. 2303) declared it authentic. It is further transmitted from Abu Hurayra, and appears in the Musnad (3/155) from Anas ibn Malik. (*) His career is detailed in the comprehensive chronicles of his period, and several authors devoted separate entries to him: al-Sibt, Mirat 8/246; al-Dhahabi, Tarikh al-Islam, fol. 96 (MS Ahmed III 2917/14) and al-Ibar 4/246; al-Safadi, al-Wafi 3/154; Ibn Kathir, al-Bidaya 12/316.