his brother’s honor, Allah will shield his face from the Fire on the Day of Resurrection.” Al-Tirmidhī said, “A good hadith.”

I say: It is as he stated, Allah willing, for the narrators in its chain are trustworthy narrators used by Muslim, with the exception of this Marzūq. Al-Dhahabī said, “No one narrated from him except Abū Bakr al-Nahshalī.”

I say: However, al-Hāfiz stated in al-Tahdhīb, “I believe he is the person in the following entry.” He then said:

“Distinction: Marzūq, Abū Bakr al-Taymī al-Kūfī, the muezzin of Taym. He narrated from Sa‘īd ibn Jubayr, Ikrima, and Mujāhid. Those who narrated from him include Layth ibn Abī Sulaym, Isrā’īl, Umar ibn Muhammad ibn Zayd al-Umarī, al-Thawrī, and Sharīk. Ibn Hibbān mentioned him in al-Thiqāt and said, ‘He was originally from Kufa and later settled in Rayy.’”

In his entry in al-Taqrīb, he described him as “trustworthy,” while in the first entry he said, “acceptable”—meaning when corroborated. If the two are one and the same, as appears likely, then he is trustworthy and the hadith is authentic. If they are two separate individuals, then it is good, because it is corroborated by the narration of Shahr, as previously mentioned.

I have also found another route for it from Abū al-Dardā. Al-Kharā’itī narrated it in Makārim al-Akhlāq (2/225/8), as did Ibn Asākir (2/501/8), through Ibn Abī Laylā, from al-Hakam, from Ibn Abī al-Dardā, from his father: A man disparaged another man in the presence of the Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—and someone defended him. The Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—then mentioned the hadith with the wording: “Whoever defends his brother’s honor will have a barrier protecting him from the Fire.”

This chain is adequate for use as supporting evidence and corroboration. Its narrators are trustworthy except Ibn Abī Laylā—namely, Muhammad ibn Abd al-Rahmān, the jurist—whose memory was poor. Ibn Abī al-Dardā’s name was Bilāl, and al-Hakam was Ibn Utayba.

Concerning this hadith, al-Mundhirī said (3/302)—and al-Haythamī followed him (8/95):

“Ahmad narrated it with a good chain, as did al-Tabarānī.”

That is what they both said, but you now know the defects in Ahmad’s chain!