“I was with the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him.” A similar wording occurs in Ibn Abī Ḥātim’s narration from Ibn Abī Fudayk, from more than one narrator, in which he says: “I was sitting with the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him.” Likewise, Mūsā ibn Ayyūb narrated it from Ibn Abī Fudayk, as recorded in al-Iṣābah. Ibn Ḥajar then remarked: “This establishes his status as a Companion.”

I say: This is what we deem more likely. Once this is known, the chain of transmission is authentic in my view, as al-Ḥākim said, for al-Saʿdī was not alone in narrating it; rather, a group corroborated him, including ʿAmr ibn Abī ʿAmr, who is trustworthy. And Allah knows best.

Al-Suyūṭī cited the hadith in al-Jāmiʿ with this wording, on the authority of al-Tirmidhī and al-Ḥākim; and with the wording: “Abū Bakr is to me as hearing and sight are to the head,” as narrated by Abū Yaʿlā from al-Muṭṭalib ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn Ḥanṭab, from his father, from his grandfather. Ibn ʿAbd al-Barr said: “He has no other [hadith].” Al-Ḥilyah narrated it from Ibn ʿAbbās, and al-Khaṭīb from Jābir.