‘Muhammad has strayed and erred, favored his own household (1), and inclined toward his cousin, Alī ibn Abī Tālib—may Allah be pleased with him.’ At that point, this surah was revealed:

‘By the star when it descends—your companion has neither strayed nor erred.’ (2)

[Surah al-Najm: 1–2].”

Abū al-Faraj (3) said: “This is undoubtedly a fabricated hadith. How dull-witted its fabricator was, and how far-fetched his claim! Its chain of transmission is shrouded in darkness: it contains Abū Sālih, as well as (4) al-Kalbī and Muhammad ibn Marwān al-Suddī. Al-Kalbī is the one suspected of fabricating it. Abū Hātim ibn Hibbān (5) said: ‘Al-Kalbī was among those who claimed that Alī had not died and that he would return to this world. Whenever they saw a cloud, they would say, “The Commander of the Faithful is in it.” It is impermissible to cite him as evidence.’

“He continued: ‘What is astonishing (6) is the utter folly (7) of the person who fabricated this hadith: how could he contrive something that is untenable (8) to reason (9)—that a star could fall into a house and remain there until it was seen (10)? Another sign of his stupidity is that he falsely attributed this hadith to Ibn Abbās, even though Ibn Abbās, at the time (11) of the Ascension, was only two years old. How, then, could he have witnessed that event (12) and related it?’”