431 — (The hadith states: “Whoever defends his brother’s honor in his absence, Allah is bound to free him from the Fire.” Ahmad, with a good chain of transmission.) p. 311.

Authentic. Ahmad (6/461) narrated it, as did Abū al-Shaykh in al-Fawā’id (fol. 80/2), Ibn Abī al-Dunyā in al-Samt (1/4/2), al-Kharā’itī in Makārim al-Akhlāq (1/226/8), Sakhtām al-Faqīh in al-Fawā’id al-Muntaqāh (1/44/2, 2/54/2), Ibn Adī in al-Kāmil (fol. 236/2), and Abū Nuaym in al-Hilya (6/67), all through Ubayd Allah ibn Abī Ziyād al-Qaddāh, who said: Shahr ibn Hawshab informed us, from Asmā bint Yazīd ibn al-Sakan, attributing it to the Prophet with this wording.

I say: This is a weak chain containing two defects:

The first is the weakness of Shahr ibn Hawshab. Al-Hāfiz said in al-Taqrīb: “Truthful, though given to many errors.”

The other is Ubayd Allah ibn Abī Ziyād al-Qaddāh. Al-Hāfiz said: “He is not strong.”

I say: Layth—namely, Ibn Abī Sulaym—differed with him, narrating it from Shahr ibn Hawshab, from Umm al-Dardā, from Abū al-Dardā, from the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—with similar wording. Ahmad (6/449), Ibn Abī al-Dunyā, and al-Kharā’itī in Makārim al-Akhlāq (2/225/8) narrated it. Layth is also weak, so this discrepancy may be due to him and al-Qaddāh differing over Shahr, or to Shahr himself. Whatever the case, the latter route has independent support: al-Tirmidhī (1/351), Ahmad (6/450), and Ibn Abī al-Dunyā (2/5/2) narrated it through Abū Bakr al-Nahshalī, from Marzūq, Abū Bakr al-Taymī, from Umm al-Dardā, with the wording: “Whoever defends