Hurayra (1): “Hell will continue to have people cast into it, saying, ‘Is there any more?’ until the Lord of Might places His foot in it. Its parts will then draw together, and it will say (2), ‘Enough! Enough!’ As for Paradise, Allah will create other beings for it.” One of the narrators reversed the wording, saying: “As for the Fire, Allah will create other beings for it.”
I say: Another comparable example is the hadith of ‘Ā’isha: “Bilāl gives the call to prayer at night, so eat and drink until Ibn Umm Maktūm gives the call to prayer.” This is recorded in the two Sahīh collections (3). One of the narrators reversed the wording, saying: “Ibn Umm Maktūm gives the call to prayer at night, so eat and drink until Bilāl gives the call to prayer.”
In my view, another comparable example is the hadith of Abū Hurayra: “When any of you prays, let him not kneel down as a camel does, and let him place his hands before his knees.” I think its wording is (4)—and Allah knows best what (5) His truthful and trusted Messenger said—“Let him place his knees before his hands,” as Wā’il ibn Hujr said: “When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ prostrated, he would place his knees before his hands.” Al-Khattābī said
(1) Reported by al-Bukhārī (4850) and Muslim (2846). The version with reversed wording was reported by al-Bukhārī (7449). This was discussed in detail earlier in the section on placing the hands before the knees in prostration.
(2) The main text of م read “yada‘u al-Rahmān” (the All-Merciful places). An insertion mark was placed before “al-Rahmān” (the All-Merciful), and “rabb al-‘izza, sahh” (Lord of Might; correct) was written in the margin. This accounts for the reading “rabb al-‘izza al-Rahmān” (the Lord of Might, the All-Merciful) in the main text of ق.
(3) Al-Bukhārī (622, 1918), on the joint authority of ‘Ā’isha and Ibn ‘Umar, and Muslim, following (1092/38). Ibn ‘Umar’s narration was cited earlier. The version with reversed wording was reported by Abū Ya‘lā (4385), Ibn Khuzayma (406, 407), and Ibn Hibbān (3473), and was also cited earlier. In Fath al-Bārī (2/102–103), al-Hāfiz attempted to refute the view of Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr and other leading scholars that the wording of ‘Ā’isha’s hadith had been reversed. This was discussed earlier in the section on placing the hands before the knees in prostration.
(4) The printed editions add “wahima” (he erred) after this. This addition was made by a publisher or copyist who failed to understand the context.
(5) Al-Fiqī changed it to “fīmā” (concerning what) so that it would be syntactically dependent on the interpolated verb “wahima” (he erred)! The al-Risāla edition does likewise.