who specialize in hadith narrators, quite apart from the abundant evidence of Ma‘mar’s lapse of memory. Hadith experts agree that Ma‘mar frequently erred when narrating from al-Zuhrī. Regarding the report Muhammad ibn Ja‘far Ghundar narrated to him from Ma‘mar, from al-Zuhrī, from Sālim, from his father—that Ghaylān ibn Salamah embraced Islam while married to eight women—Imam Ahmad, may Allah be pleased with him, said:

“This is how Ma‘mar narrated it in Basra. He narrated it to them in Basra from memory, whereas in Yemen he narrated it correctly from al-Zuhrī.”

Abū Hātim al-Rāzī said: “The reports Ma‘mar ibn Rāshid narrated in Basra contain errors, though he is an acceptable hadith narrator.”

Most of those who narrated this hadith from Ma‘mar, from Sa‘īd ibn al-Musayyib, from Abū Hurayrah were Basrans, such as ‘Abd al-Wāhid ibn Ziyād and ‘Abd al-A‘lā ibn ‘Abd al-A‘lā al-Shāmī. The inconsistency in the wording is evident. One narrator says:

“If it is melted or liquid, it must not be eaten.”

Another says:

“If it is liquid, do not make use of it, and burn it in lamps.”

Another says:

“Do not go near it.”

Yet another says:

“He ordered that it be removed, together with what surrounded it, and discarded.”

Thus, he gave an unqualified answer without mentioning any distinction.

This shows that he did not narrate it from a written text with precisely preserved wording. Rather, he narrated it according to what he thought it meant, and so erred. Even assuming that this wording is authentic, namely his statement:

“And if