816 — “The greeting comes before asking; whoever begins by asking you before greeting you, do not answer him.”

Ibn ʿAdī recorded it in al-Kāmil (303/2), through al-Sarī ibn ʿĀṣim: Ḥafṣ ibn ʿUmar al-Aylī narrated to us; ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz ibn Abī Rawād narrated to us, from Nāfiʿ, from Ibn ʿUmar, who said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said it. Ibn ʿAdī included it in Ibn Abī Rawād’s biographical entry and said of him: “Among some of his narrations are reports for which he is not corroborated.”

I say: This is mild criticism. A number of scholars declared him trustworthy, and Muslim relied on him. Had there been no one else in the chain besides him, it would have been good; but the defect lies with those below him. Regarding Ḥafṣ ibn ʿUmar, Ibn ʿAdī himself said: “All his hadiths are rejected, either in their text or their chain, and he is closer to being weak.”

Abū Ḥātim said: “He was an aged shaykh and a liar.”

Ibn ʿAdī declared al-Sarī ibn ʿĀṣim weak and said: “He steals hadiths.” Ibn Khirāsh declared him a liar.

Al-Dhahabī cited some rejected hadiths of his and said: “They are among his calamities and misfortunes.”

I say: Had Ibn ʿAdī included this hadith in the biographical entry of either of those two, that would have been closer to what is correct.