1338 — Abū Abdullāh Ahmad ibn al-Hasan ibn Abd al-Jabbār al-Sūfī ⦗1869⦘ informed us, saying: Yahyā ibn Ma‘īn narrated to us, saying: Ibn Abī Zā’idah narrated to us, from Mujālid, who said: I bear witness that Abū al-Waddāk testified that Abū Sa‘īd al-Khudrī reported from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, who said: “Indeed, the people of Paradise will see those who occupy the highest ranks just as you see a radiant star on the horizon of the sky. Indeed, Abū Bakr and Umar are among them—and what excellent men they are!” Ismā‘īl—meaning Ibn Abī Khālid—who was with Mujālid on the rug, then said: “And I too bear witness that Atiyya testified that Abū Sa‘īd al-Khudrī heard the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, say that.”

1339 — Abū Abdullāh ibn Makhlad narrated to us, saying: Muhammad ibn Alī ibn Ma‘dān narrated to us, saying: I heard Dāwūd ibn Amr say: I heard Ahmad ibn Hanbal say: I heard Sufyān ibn Uyayna say: “The words ‘and what excellent men they are!’ mean: ‘And they are well worthy of it!’” ⦗1870⦘ Muhammad ibn al-Husayn, may Allah have mercy on him, said: The same has been reported from Yazīd ibn Hārūn: he was asked about the meaning of “and what excellent men they are!” and replied: “And they are well worthy of it!” Ibn Makhlad also narrated it to us, saying: Al-Daqīqī, Muhammad ibn Abd al-Malik, narrated to us, saying: I heard Yazīd ibn Hārūn when he was asked about the meaning of “and what excellent men they are!” He replied: “And they are well worthy of it!”