A corroborating narration was also reported by Shuayb ibn Maymūn al-Wāsitī, from Husayn ibn Abd al-Rahmān, from Abd Khayr, from Ali, as a statement of Ali himself. Although Shuayb was weak, this narration stopping at Ali is sounder than the version traced back to the Prophet, because it is corroborated. Al-Bukhārī transmitted it in al-Adab al-Mufrad (1321), by way of Muhammad ibn Ubayd al-Kindī, from his father, who said: I heard Ali say to Ibn al-Kawwā: “Do you know what one of old said? Love…”

I say: Regarding Ubayd al-Kindī, al-Dhahabī said: “He is unknown.” I say: The same applies to his son Muhammad. Neither of them was declared trustworthy by anyone other than Ibn Hibbān, and al-Hāfiz said of each: “Acceptable.”

Ibn Asākir also transmitted it (1/359) by way of al-Hajjāj ibn Dīnār, from Abū Mashar, from al-Nakhaī, from Alqama, who said: Ali ibn Abī Tālib addressed us from this pulpit. He then related it as a statement of Ali. At (2/358), he transmitted it by way of Shuayb ibn Maymūn al-Wāsitī, from Husayn ibn Abd al-Rahmān, from Abd Khayr, from Ali, stopping at Ali. I say: Although Shuayb was weak, this narration of his stopping at Ali is sounder than al-Hasan ibn Abī Jafar’s narration traced back to the Prophet, because it has corroborating evidence—especially the narration of al-Hajjāj ibn Dīnār, whose chain is good. Al-Hasan’s hadith, by contrast, has no supporting evidence among the narrations from Ali, unless one counts a wholly worthless narration. Ibn Asākir transmitted it (1/57) from Abū Amr Uthmān ibn al-Khattāb, who said: I heard Ali ibn [Abī Tālib] say: I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, say—and he related the hadith. Ibn Asākir then said:

“This has the shortest chain among the reports from Ali ibn Abī Tālib that have reached me, and I have fourteen hadiths through this chain. However, hadith scholars do not regard al-Ashajj’s transmission from Ali as authentic. This hadith has also been narrated from Ali through another chain, stronger than this one, and traced back to the Prophet; but the sound version is that it stops at Ali as his own statement.”

I say: This does not preclude its being authentically traced back to the Prophet through someone other than Ali, as is evident.

Third: Abd Allāh ibn Umar. It is narrated by Abd al-Salām ibn Sālih, Abū al-Salt: Abbād narrated to us—