with hope on the Day of Resurrection. Whoever walks with his brother to fulfil a need until it is met, Allah will make his feet firm on the Day when feet slip.”

“Indeed, bad character corrupts deeds just as vinegar spoils honey.”

Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Muʿjam al-Kabir (3/209/2), and Ibn ʿAsakir in al-Tarikh (18/1/2), through ʿAbd al-Rahman ibn Qays al-Dubbi, who said: Sakin ibn Abi Siraj informed us; ʿAmr ibn Dinar informed us, from Ibn ʿUmar: “A man came to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, which people are most beloved to Allah, and which deeds are most beloved to Allah?’ The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said…”—and then mentioned it.

It does not contain the sentence enclosed in brackets. Nor does Ibn ʿAsakir include the words, “For me to walk…” and so on.

I say: This is a very weak chain of transmission. Ibn Hibban accused this Sakin, saying, “He narrates fabricated reports.” Al-Bukhari said: “His hadith is rejected.” ʿAbd al-Rahman ibn Qays al-Dubbi is like him, or worse. Al-Hafiz said in al-Taqrib: “Abandoned; Abu Zurʿah and others declared him a liar.”

However, it has also been transmitted with a better chain of transmission. Ibn Abi al-Dunya narrated it in Qadaʾ al-Hawaʾij (p. 80, no. 36); Abu Ishaq al-Muzakki in al-Fawaʾid al-Muntakhabah (1/147/2)—part of it only—and Ibn ʿAsakir (11/444/1), through several routes from Bakr ibn Khunays, from ʿAbd Allah ibn Dinar, from one of the Companions of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. This is how Ibn Abi al-Dunya related it; the other two, however, said: from ʿAbd Allah ibn ʿUmar. He said: “It was said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, who are the people most beloved to Allah…?’” It includes the additional wording.

I say: This is a good chain of transmission, for Bakr ibn Khunays was truthful, though he made errors, as al-Hafiz stated. ʿAbd Allah ibn Dinar was trustworthy and among the narrators relied upon by al-Bukhari and Muslim.