is evident from the ḥadith reported by Abū Hurayrah—may Allah be pleased with him—concerning the story of Māʿiz. He relates that a man came to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, while the Prophet was in the mosque and called out: “O Messenger of Allah, I have committed adultery.” The Prophet turned away from him until the man repeated his confession four times. When he had testified against himself four times … the ḥadith continues, and within it the Prophet said: “Take him away and stone him.” Jābir ibn ʿAbd Allah adds: “So we stoned him at the prayer-ground (musallā).” This abbreviated version is found in al-Bukhārī, Muslim, and Aḥmad.

Ibn ʿAbbās—may Allah be pleased with them both—narrates: “The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, ordered that the Jewish man and woman be stoned at the gate of the mosque …” the ḥadith. Aḥmad and al-Ḥākim transmitted it through the route of Ibn Isḥāq, who said: “Muḥammad ibn Ṭalḥah ibn Yazīd ibn Rukānah told me, from Ismāʿīl ibn Ibrāhīm al-Shaybānī, from him.” Al-Ḥākim commented, “Sound according to Muslim’s criteria,” and added, “Someone unversed in the discipline may imagine that this Ismāʿīl al-Shaybānī is unknown, but that is not the case, for ʿAmr ibn Dīnār narrated from him.” Al-Dhahabī concurred.

I say: This al-Shaybānī is indeed known, as al-Ḥākim affirmed, yet he is not among Muslim’s narrators; so how can the report be deemed sound by Muslim’s standards? None of the compilers of the Six Books transmit from him. He is listed only among the narrators of “Taʿjīl.” His biographical notice states: Abū Zurʿah said, “Reliable; counted among the Kufans,” and Ibn Ḥibbān listed him among the trustworthy.