about Yahyā’s practice of concealing intermediaries in transmission and his not explicitly stating that he had heard the report directly, this poses no difficulty here. At most, he may have taken it from Zayd ibn Sallām’s book, just as he is reported to have narrated from Abū Sallām’s book, either because he recognized his handwriting or because the person who gave him the book said, “This is his handwriting.”

This further strengthens the hadith, since it was committed to writing. That is why, as transmitted through this route, both its chain and text were complete, unlike the other. Relying on a written record as evidence in such a case is permissible, as with the written record of ‘Amr ibn Hazm and that of ‘Abd Allāh ibn ‘Amr, which ‘Amr ibn Shu‘ayb transmitted, just as the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace)