reports transmitted by trustworthy narrators on the basis of such a misconception is wholly unacceptable.
Abū Muhammad said (1): “The safest interpretation of the two aforementioned hadiths from ‘Ā’ishah—meaning the two (2) that he rejected—is to understand her statement, ‘Those who entered consecration for Hajj, or for Hajj and ‘umrah together, did not leave consecration until the Day of Sacrifice, when they completed the rites of Hajj,’ as referring only to those who had brought sacrificial animals with them. This removes what is objectionable in these two hadiths and reconciles (3) all the reports. For al-Zuhrī, narrating from ‘Urwah, relates something contrary to what Abū al-Aswad related from ‘Urwah, and al-Zuhrī undoubtedly had a better memory than Abū al-Aswad (4).
“Moreover, Yahyā ibn ‘Abd al-Rahmān’s report from ‘Ā’ishah on this matter is contradicted by narrators with whom Yahyā ibn ‘Abd al-Rahmān cannot be compared (5) in memory, reliability, standing, or close association (6) with ‘Ā’ishah. These include al-Aswad ibn Yazīd, al-Qāsim ibn Muhammad ibn Abī Bakr, Abū ‘Amr (7) Dhakwān, ‘Ā’ishah’s client, and ‘Amrah bint ‘Abd al-Rahmān, who was raised in ‘Ā’ishah’s care. These were the people who enjoyed a special relationship with her and belonged to her inner circle. Indeed, even had they not enjoyed that standing, their report—or the report of any one of them alone—would have to be accepted, because it contains information additional to that in the reports of Abū al-Aswad and Yahyā; and one who was unaware or forgetful is not