“Authentic according to Muslim’s criteria.” Al-Dhahabi concurred.

I say: It is as they said, provided that the name “Nasr” has been accurately preserved. Allah knows best.

690 — “Allah and the believers refuse to differ over you, Abu Bakr.”

It was recorded by Ahmad (6/47), al-Hasan ibn ʿArafah in his booklet (2/2), and—through his route—Ibn Balban in The Gift of the Truthful One: On the Virtues of Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (50/1), through ʿAbd al-Rahman ibn Abi Bakr al-Qurashi, from Ibn Abi Mulaykah, from ʿA’ishah, who said: “When the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, became seriously ill, he said to ʿAbd al-Rahman ibn Abi Bakr: ‘Bring me a shoulder blade or a tablet, so that I may write a document for Abu Bakr that will not be disputed.’ When ʿAbd al-Rahman went to rise, he said…” He then mentioned it.

Ibn Balban said: “Abu Muhammad, who was also called Abu Bakr al-Qurashi, was alone in narrating it from Ibn Abi Mulaykah.”

I say: He is weak, but he was not alone in narrating it. Ahmad (6/106) said: Mu’ammal narrated to us; he said: Nafiʿ—that is, Ibn ʿUmar—narrated to us, from Ibn Abi Mulaykah, with a similar report. This is a good chain for purposes of corroboration. This Nafiʿ was a trustworthy, exceptionally precise narrator, while Mu’ammal was Ibn Ismaʿil, who was truthful but had poor retention, as stated in al-Taqrib.

It also has another chain, through ʿUrwah from ʿA’ishah, who said: During his illness, the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said to me: “Call Abu Bakr and your brother for me, so that I may write a document; for I fear that someone may wish for it and another may say, ‘I am more entitled to it.’ Yet Allah and the believers will accept no one but Abu Bakr.” It was recorded by Muslim (7/110) and Ahmad (6/144).

It has a third chain, narrated by al-Qasim ibn Muhammad from her, with similar wording. Its wording is: “I had considered sending for Abu Bakr and his son, and appointing him, lest people should say, or someone should wish…”