Addenda

1—508— “O heralds of the Arabs’ deaths …”

I then found for it a strong corroborating report attributed to the Companion. Al-Husayn al-Marwazi recorded it in Zawa'id al-Zuhd (393/1114), saying:

Sufyan ibn Uyaynah reported to us, from al-Zuhri, from Mahmud ibn al-Rabi', from Shaddad ibn Aws, who, when death came upon him, said it. Salih ibn Kaysan likewise reported it from al-Zuhri.

Al-Bayhaqi recorded it in Branches of Faith (5/333/6829).

This is an authentic chain of transmission, and it is sounder than the version attributed to the Prophet. Ibn Abi Hatim alluded to this in Hidden Defects (2/124/1864), reporting from his father. Perhaps it may be said that it carries the ruling of a report attributed to the Prophet, especially since Shaddad said it when death came upon him.

In The Lofty Aims, al-Hafiz attributed the version ascribed to the Prophet to Abu Ya'la, through the chain mentioned there above, from the paternal uncle of 'Abbad ibn Tamim, with the same report.

It is not found in the published collection of Abu Ya'la, nor did al-Haythami attribute it to him in his Majma'. It must therefore be in Abu Ya'la’s larger collection.

Al-Bayhaqi recorded it in Branches of Faith (5/332/6824) through this chain. He then narrated it (6825) through Ishaq ibn Ibrahim ibn Juti: Abd al-Malik ibn Abd al-Rahman al-Dhimari reported to us; Sufyan al-Thawri, from Ibn Abi Dhi'b, from al-Zuhri, with the same report.