Abu Sa‘id al-Shurayhi informed us; Abu Ishaq al-Tha‘labi informed us; Abu Bakr ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn ‘Abd Allah al-Hamshawi informed us; Ahmad ibn Ja‘far ibn Hamdan al-Qati‘i informed us; ‘Abd Allah ibn Ahmad ibn Hanbal narrated to us; my father narrated to me; ‘Abd Allah ibn Numayr narrated to us; Hajjaj ibn Dinar al-Wasiti narrated to us, from Abu Ghalib, from Abu Umamah, who said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “No people go astray after having been upon guidance except that they are given to disputation.” He then recited: “They put this example to you only for argument’s sake. Indeed, they are a quarrelsome people.” (1)
“He was but a servant upon whom We bestowed favor, and We made him an example for the Children of Israel. (59) Had We willed, We could have made angels among you to succeed one another on the earth. (60)”