“It is a good, authentic hadith.”

I say: It meets the criteria of both al-Bukhārī and Muslim. Muslim narrated it from Sufyān, except that he did not cite its wording, but rather referred to the wording of ʿUqayl from Ibn Shihāb, which has passed shortly before with the wording: “Concerning the black seed ...” no. 859. Aḥmad (2/268), as did Muslim, then narrated it from Maʿmar, from al-Zuhrī, with the same chain.

Al-Zuhrī also has another chain for it, which he narrated from Saʿīd ibn al-Musayyib, from Abū Hurayrah, with this wording. It was narrated by Muslim and Aḥmad (2/510). It also has a corroborating report from the hadith of ʿĀʾishah with this wording. Aḥmad (6/138) narrated it: Wakīʿ narrated to us; he said: Abū ʿAqīl narrated to me, from Bahiyyah, from her. Abū ʿAqīl was named Yaḥyā ibn al-Mutawakkil al-Madanī; he is weak, and Bahiyyah is unknown.

It has another corroborating report from the hadith of Ibn ʿUmar with this wording. Ibn Mājah (2/342) narrated it through ʿUthmān ibn ʿAbd al-Malik, who said: “I heard Sālim ibn ʿAbd Allāh narrating from his father that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said...” He then mentioned it. This ʿUthmān is somewhat weak as a hadith narrator, while the rest of its narrators are trustworthy narrators of Muslim.

It has a third corroborating report with the wording: “Make use of this black seed, which is shūnīz, for it contains a cure.” Aḥmad (5/354) narrated it: Zayd narrated to us; Ḥusayn narrated to me; ʿAbd Allāh narrated to me, saying: “I heard my father—