Ismāʿīl, however, gives the wording differently:

“Uncover your stomach so that I may kiss the very spot where I saw the Messenger of Allah ﷺ kiss.” He uncovered his stomach, and Abū Hurayrah kissed it.

There is probably no real divergence between this version of Ismāʿīl and the wording reported by the other transmitters: Ismāʿīl’s account is concise, the others are detailed, and the detailed clarifies the concise. This is supported by Ismāʿīl’s own phrase, “I saw the Messenger of Allah kiss it.” The other narration makes explicit that the place kissed was the navel.

The isnād of the ḥadīth is ḥasan. Its transmitters are trustworthy and belong to the ranks of the Six Books, with the exception of this ʿUmayr. Al-Dhahabī states in al-Mīzān: “Everyone who narrated from him considered him reliable—apart from Ibn ʿAwf.” Yaḥyā ibn Maʿīn said, “His ḥadīth is worth nothing, though it may be written down.”

That statement is what ʿAbbās relates from him; ʿUthmān, on the other hand, reports from Yaḥyā that he judged him reliable. Al-Nasāʾī and others said, “There is nothing wrong with him.” He narrated from al-Miqdād ibn al-Aswad, ʿAmr ibn al-ʿĀṣ, and a number of others.

Moreover, Yaḥyā ibn Yaḥyā’s version from Azhur is contradicted: al-Khadr ibn Abān al-Hāshimī narrated, “Azhur ibn Saʿd al-Sammān told us; Ibn ʿAwn narrated from Muḥammad, from Abū Hurayrah,” with wording similar to Ismāʿīl’s.

Al-Ḥākim recorded it, saying: “Abū al-ʿAbbās Muḥammad ibn Yaʿqūb related to us; al-Khadr ibn Abān al-Hāshimī related it to us …” and he added: