(90) “Allah will never unite this Ummah upon misguidance, and Allah’s hand is over the community—like this. Therefore hold fast to the greater body, for whoever breaks away will break away into the Fire.” The Shaykh—may Allah have mercy on him—said in the introduction to al-Ṣaḥīḥah, vol. 4, pp. K–L: It was narrated by Ibn Abī ʿĀṣim in al-Sunnah with a weak chain, as I clarified in Ẓilāl al-Jannah no. 80; however, it is ḥasan when all its routes are combined, as I explained in al-Ṣaḥīḥah 1331 and elsewhere. See Hidāyat al-Ruwāt 171.

(91) “O Protector of Islam and its people, keep me firm upon Islam until I meet You while adhering to it.” al-Ṣaḥīḥah 1476. The Shaykh said: The commentator on al-Ṭaḥāwiyyah cited the ḥadīth on p. 358, transmitting it through Abū Ismāʿīl al-Anṣārī in his book al-Fārūq with a chain from Anas. When I edited that commentary I wrote: “I have not located its chain, and I do not think it is authentic.” Later I found the ḥadīth in Taʾrīkh Baghdād … In sum, I now judge the chain to be ḥasan. It appears in the 8th edition of al-Ṭaḥāwiyyah, p. 373; see also al-Ṣaḥīḥah 1823.

(92) “Whoever does not ask Allah, He becomes angry with him.” al-Ṭaḥāwiyyah (8th ed.) p. 459, no. 653; Mishkāt 2238; al-Tirmidhī 3373. See al-Ḍaʿīfah under ḥadīth 21, p. 76; it is in al-Ṣaḥīḥah 2654 with the wording: “Whoever does not supplicate to Allah, He becomes angry with him.”

(93) “Set her free, for she is a believer”—meaning the slave-girl who testified that Allah is above the heaven. Mukhtaṣar al-ʿUlū 81–82; al-Īmān by Ibn Abī Shaybah 85; Ḍaʿīf Abī Dāwūd 716; see al-Ṣaḥīḥah 3161.

(94) “Allah created Adam, then wiped across his back and brought forth his offspring. He said, ‘I have created these for Paradise, and they will act with the deeds of the people of Paradise.’ He then wiped his back again, drew forth another group, and said, ‘I have created these for the Fire, and they will act with the deeds of the people of the Fire…’” al-Ḍaʿīfah 3070; Ḍaʿīf al-Jāmiʿ 1602; see al-Ṣaḥīḥah 1623. The Shaykh remarked that he traced ʿUmar’s version in al-Ḍaʿīfah 3070 and declared it sound by corroboration in his verification of al-Ṭaḥāwiyyah 266, adding in al-Ṭaḥāwiyyah (9th ed.), p. 240: “It is ṣaḥīḥ through supporting narrations, except for the detail ‘He wiped the back’; I have found no corroboration for that.” See al-Ḍaʿīfah 3070.

(95) “Allah, Mighty and Majestic, says: ‘I am the best of partners; whoever associates a partner with Me, his share is altogether for that partner. O people, make your deeds sincere, for Allah accepts only what is done purely for Him. Do not say, “This is for Allah and for the blood-ties,” for it is for the blood-ties and none of it is for Allah. And do not say, “This is for Allah and for your faces,” for it is for your faces and none of it is for Allah.’” Ṣaḥīḥ al-Targhīb 7. The Shaykh said: Al-Haythamī noted concerning al-Bazzār’s route, “In it is Ibrāhīm ibn Mujshir,” who was declared reliable by Ibn Ḥibbān and others, though some weakness remains. The Shaykh added: “Saeed ibn Sulaymān al-Wāsiṭī, who is trustworthy, supported him, so I hastened to include it in al-Ṣaḥīḥah 2764. Accordingly I moved it from Ḍaʿīf al-Targhīb to Ṣaḥīḥ al-Targhīb (al-Maʿārif); consult whichever printing of Ḍaʿīf al-Targhīb you have.”

(96) He used to recite: “Indeed, it was an unrighteous deed.” The Shaykh wrote in the introduction to Ḍaʿīf Abī Dāwūd (al-Maʿārif), p. 10: “When a ḥadīth is not documented in any of my works, I grade it according to the principles of the science, weak or sound. Later, fuller verification may surface through other chains, altering the ruling. Among such cases is the report of Umm Salamah that the Prophet ﷺ recited it with the wording ‘Indeed, it was an unrighteous deed.’ Al-Tirmidhī recorded it with a weak chain, as I noted, yet in Sunan Abī Dāwūd I graded it ṣaḥīḥ; see al-Ṣaḥīḥah 2809.”

(97) “Alter the distinctive appearance of the Jews, but do not do so with black dye.” al-Ṣaḥīḥah 3324. The Shaykh said: I had earlier attributed it to al-Ṭabarānī in al-Awsat, based on the microfilm copy, in my book Jilbāb al-Marʾah al-Muslimah, p. 191, as corroboration for ʿĀʾishah’s report on dyeing. Now, with this strong supporting chain, the ḥadīth is sound, and praise belongs to Allah.

(98) “He performed the funeral prayer over a deceased person after three days.” al-Ṣaḥīḥah 3031. The Shaykh stated: Al-Dāraqutnī and al-Bayhaqī indicated that the phrase “after three” is irregular, and al-Ḥāfiẓ made this explicit in al-Fatḥ. I had traced some supporting routes in al-Irwāʾ 3/183 and 2/736 that confirm their view. Yet I maintain that the ḥadīth is buttressed by other reports, the strongest being the narration of Abū Hurayrah—may Allah be pleased with him—about the black woman who used to sweep the mosque and died; the Prophet ﷺ missed her, was informed of her death days later, and went to her grave to pray over her, doing so several days after her demise.

(99) “The prophets—may Allah’s blessings be upon them—are alive in their graves, engaged in prayer.” al-Ṣaḥīḥah 621. The Shaykh said: For a time I considered this ḥadīth weak; therefore, dear reader, if you find anything in my writings contrary to this conclusion, strike it out and rely on the present ruling. See also Ṣaḥīḥ al-Jāmiʿ 2790; al-Āyāt al-Bayyināt p. 78; al-Tawassul p. 64; and Aḥkām al-Janāʾiz p. 272.