its chain is interrupted; he included it because it contains al-Zuhrī’s comments explaining that the hadith refers to the natural disposition of Islam. Al-Bukhārī also narrated it with a connected chain through Yūnus, from al-Zuhrī, from Abū Hurayrah, as mentioned above. Muslim narrated a similar report through al-Zuhrī, from Saʿīd ibn al-Musayyab, from Abū Hurayrah. It ends: “Then Abū Hurayrah would say, ‘Read, if you wish: The natural disposition Allah has instilled in mankind.’”

Muslim also narrated through al-Aʿmash, from Abū Sālih, from Abū Hurayrah, who said that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

“No child is born except upon the natural disposition. Then his parents make him a Jew, a Christian, or a polytheist.”

A man asked, “O Messenger of Allah, what if he dies before that?”

He replied, “Allah knows best what they would have done.”

In Ibn Numayr’s narration from