“The compiler did not assign it any symbol, and whoever claims that he marked it as good has erred.” Al-Haythami said: “Its narrators are those of the authentic collections, apart from al-Tabarani’s shaykh, Miqdam ibn Dawud, who has been declared trustworthy despite some weakness in him.”
I say: Ibn Hibban’s chain is free of this Miqdam. To be sure, it does not contain the additional wording, but its meaning is established in the two Sahih collections and elsewhere. I have found another chain for it with nearly similar wording:
“Lawful is clear, forbidden is clear, and doubtful matters lie between them. Whoever leaves what he suspects to be sinful will be even more apt to leave what has become clear to him; and whoever ventures into what he doubts will soon commit what is forbidden. Every king has a protected preserve, and Allah’s protected preserve on earth is acts of disobedience to Him—or, he said, what He has forbidden.”
Ahmad (4/271) narrated it: Sufyan narrated to us, saying: “I first memorized it from Abu Farwah, then from Mujalid: I heard al-Sha‘bi say: I heard al-Nu‘man ibn Bashir say: I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, say”—and he then mentioned it.
I say: This is an authentic chain according to the conditions of the two Shaykhs. Abu Farwah was Muslim ibn Salim al-Nahdi al-Kufi. A number of narrators reported from him, including the two Sufyans; the Sufyan here is Ibn ‘Uyaynah. Al-Thawri also narrated it from him. Ahmad (4/275) said: Mu’ammal narrated to us; Sufyan narrated to us, from Abu Farwah, from al-Sha‘bi, with it, but without his words: “Every king has a protected preserve ...”
However, Mu’ammal—who is Ibn Isma‘il—had poor retention. Thus, it does no harm that one such as he did not retain the addition, for the trustworthy narrators did retain it.
- “Place a shield between yourselves and the Fire, even if only with half a date.”
Al-Tabarani narrated it in al-Kabir from Fudalah ibn ‘Ubayd, attributed to the Prophet. Al-Haythami said in al-Majma‘ (3/106): “Its chain contains Ibn Lahi‘ah, concerning whom there has been criticism.”