The substance of this report was also transmitted by Abū Dāwūd, al-Nasā’ī, and Ibn Mājah (1) through several chains from Muḥammad ibn Hilāl ibn Abī Hilāl, the client of Banū Kaʿb, from his father, from Abū Hurayrah, with similar wording.

Yaʿqūb ibn Sufyān said:

“ʿUbayd Allāh ibn Mūsā narrated to us; Shaybān narrated to us; al-Aʿmash narrated to us, from Thumāmah ibn ʿUqbah, from Zayd ibn Arqam, who said:

‘A man from the Anṣār used to visit the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and enjoy his trust. He tied several knots for him and threw them into a well, and that afflicted the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. Two angels came to visit him and informed him, “So-and-so has tied knots for you and cast them into the well of so-and-so; the water has turned yellow because of the severity of the spell.” The Prophet ﷺ sent for the knots to be brought out and found the water indeed yellow. He then untied the knots, and the Prophet ﷺ fell asleep peacefully. I later saw that man enter upon the Prophet ﷺ, yet I noticed nothing on the Prophet’s face toward him until the day the man died.’ (2)

Al-Ṭabarānī also related this through the route of ʿAlī ibn al-Madīnī, from Jarīr, from al-Aʿmash, with the same content, adding: ‘He did not reproach him.’ (3)

I say: What is well-known in the sound collections is that the one who bewitched the Prophet ﷺ was Labīd ibn al-Aʿṣam, a Jew. He used a comb, hair removed by the comb, and a male date-palm sheath, placed beneath the well of Dhurwān. The condition lasted for about six months, until Allah revealed the two chapters of seeking refuge (al-Muʿawwidhatayn). It is said that they comprise eleven verses, and that the spell consisted of eleven knots. We have treated this fully in our work Tafsīr (4), which suffices on the subject. Allah knows best.

Yaʿqūb ibn Sufyān also said:

“Abū Nuʿaym narrated to us; ʿImrān ibn Zayd Abū Yaḥyā al-Mulāʾī narrated to us; Zayd al-ʿAmmī narrated to us, from Anas ibn Mālik, who said:

‘When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ shook hands—or when a man shook hands with him—he would not withdraw his hand until the other man withdrew his. If someone faced him, he would not turn his face away until the man turned away first. He was never seen advancing his knees in front of a companion who was seated with him.’ (5)

Al-Tirmidhī and Ibn Mājah (6) likewise transmitted it through ʿImrān ibn Zayd al-Thaʿlabī, Abū Yaḥyā al-Ṭawīl al-Kūfī, from Zayd ibn al-Ḥawārī al-ʿAmmī, from Anas with the same wording.