against the polytheists. (1)
It was also narrated by al-Shashi (2) in his Musnad.
Aḥmad, in the Musnad, recorded: Ḥusayn al-Juʿfī related to us, from Zāʾida, from ʿAbd al-Malik ibn ʿUmayr, who said:
“ʿUmar appointed Abū ʿUbayda over Syria and dismissed Khālid. Abū ʿUbayda then said, ‘I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: “Khālid is one of Allah’s swords; what an excellent youth of his clan! (3)”’”
Ḥumayd ibn Hilāl, on the authority of Anas, reported:
“The Prophet ﷺ announced the death of the commanders (4) on the day of Muʾtah and said: ‘They were all struck down; then the banner was taken by a sword from among the swords of Allah—Khālid.’ He then began informing the people while his eyes streamed with tears (5).”
Ismāʿīl ibn Abī Khālid, from Qays, related that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Indeed Khālid is but a sword…”
(1) All the transmitters are reliable except Abu al-Ajmaʿ, concerning whom opinions differ: he is rated trustworthy by Ibn Maʿin, al-Darqutni, and Ibn Hibban, whereas al-Bukhari remarks that “his hadith requires scrutiny,” and al-Hakim Abu Ahmad judges that “his reports are not firmly established.”
(2) Al-Haytham ibn Kulayb al-Shashi, Abu Saʿid, was a dependable hadith scholar, author of the great Musnad; originally from Marw. Abu ʿIsa al-Tirmidhi was among those who studied with him. He died in 335 AH. See Tadhkirat al-Huffaz, pp. 848–849.
(3) Reported by Ahmad, 4/90. Al-Haythami cites it in Majmaʿ al-Zawaʾid, 9/348–349, saying: “Ahmad transmits it and its narrators are those of the Sahih, except that ʿAbd al-Malik ibn ʿUmayr did not live to meet Abu ʿUbayda.”
(4) The printed edition corruptly reads “imraʾa”; the correct word is as given above.
(5) Related by al-Bukhari (no. 3757) in the chapter on the merits of Khalid ibn al-Walid, through the chain: Hammad ibn Zayd → Ayyub → Humayd ibn Hilal → Anas. Al-Hakim also records it (3/298) via ʿAbd al-Razzaq → Maʿmar → Ayyub → Anas ibn Malik, who said: “The Messenger of Allah, ﷺ, announced from the pulpit the death of the army at Muʾta, then said: ‘The banner was taken by Khalid ibn al-Walid; he is one of Allah’s swords.’” Al-Hakim comments: “This is an elevated, sound, and singular hadith through Ayyub which the two Shaykhs did not include.” Al-Dhahabi responds: “I say: Ayyub did not hear directly from Anas.”