Ibn Mājah also narrated it in his Sunan (1), with the wording: “He gains nothing.” However, Imam Ahmad and others classified this hadith as weak. Imam Ahmad said (2): “It is among the reports transmitted solely by Sālih, the freedman of al-Taw’amah.” Al-Bayhaqī said (3): “This hadith is counted among Sālih’s singular reports. The hadith of ‘Ā’ishah is more authentic, and Sālih’s uprightness is disputed; Mālik used to criticize his reliability (4).” He then mentioned that the funeral prayers for Abū Bakr and ‘Umar were offered in the mosque.
I say: Sālih himself is trustworthy, as ‘Abbās reported (5) from Ibn Ma‘īn: “He is trustworthy.” Ibn Abī Maryam and Yahyā said: “He is trustworthy and an authority. I then said (6) to him, ‘Mālik abandoned his narrations.’ He replied, ‘Mālik encountered him after he had become senile. Al-Thawrī likewise encountered him only after he had become senile and heard hadith from him then, whereas Ibn Abī Dhi’b heard from him before he became senile.’” ‘Alī ibn al-Madīnī said: “He is trustworthy, except that he