whose name was Muḥammad ibn Khāzim, and Abū Saʿīd al-Ashajj, whose name was ʿAbd Allāh ibn Saʿīd. Both were trustworthy narrators relied upon by al-Bukhārī and Muslim, and there is no basis for criticism of either of them. However, as mentioned above, they were contradicted by Jarīr ibn ʿAbd al-Ḥamīd, Ibn Numayr, whose name was ʿAbd Allāh, and Yaʿlā ibn ʿUbayd al-Ṭanafisī. All three were likewise trustworthy narrators relied upon by al-Bukhārī and Muslim.

One is thus faced with whether to give preference to their narration over that of the two trustworthy narrators because they are more numerous, or to give preference to the latter’s narration over theirs because it contains an additional wording—and the additional wording of a trustworthy narrator is accepted. The proper course for the examiner would have been to stop at this point without any hesitation, were it not for three considerations:

First: Aḥmad (2/444) also narrated it from Wakīʿ, from al-Aʿmash, through the same chain, but without the addition. Wakīʿ thus contradicted Imam Abū Saʿīd al-Ashajj, and Wakīʿ had stronger retention than he did.

Second: Muslim, al-Bukhārī in al-Adab al-Mufrad (209 and 210), Aḥmad (2/423, 444, 463, 484, 491, and 508), and others recorded the hadith through other chains from Abū Hurayrah, without the addition. Some of their wordings will be cited below.

Third: Hammām ibn Munabbih said: Abū Hurayrah narrated to us that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “Let none of you say, ‘Give your lord something to drink,’ ‘Feed your lord,’ or ‘Light the lamp for your lord.’ Nor should any of you say, ‘My lord’; rather, let him say, ‘My master, my mawlā (master).’ Nor should any of you say, ‘My male slave’ or ‘my female slave’; rather, let him say, ‘My young man, my young woman, my boy.’”

It was recorded by al-Bukhārī (3/124), Muslim, and Aḥmad (2/316). This version adds “my mawlā (master),” while Aḥmad’s wording is: “and my mawlā (master).” This addition conflicts with the first addition in a manner that cannot be reconciled except by giving preference to one over the other, as was previously cited from al-Qurṭubī. This one is stronger, since it has no opposing report.

Fourth: It is established in hadith that “The Master is Allah,” whereas it has not been established in any hadith attributed to the Prophet that