the faith, and perhaps he will correct his position regarding it in light of the foregoing clarification, seeking the aid of the statements of the scholars who preceded us in this matter and adhering to their principles—especially those early and later scholars whose outstanding mastery in this field has been acknowledged by all, near and far, such as Ibn Taymiyyah, Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah, Ibn Kathir, al-Dhahabi, al-Asqalani, and others. If he does so, his knowledge will be beneficial, provided it is accompanied by sincerity to Allah.

Despite all this, I have no hesitation in acknowledging that, during his discussion with me, the man was courteous and pleasant. At its outset, he frankly stated what would have been more fitting for him to declare in the introduction to his Weak Hadith Collection, so that he might be closer to sincerity to Allah and further removed from favouritism and dissembling. After some introductory and cordial remarks, he said:

“I learned this knowledge—if I possess even a little of it—only through you. It was you who opened this door for us through your books. By Allah, were it not for your books, and for our benefiting from and studying them, we would not have attained what we have attained today. Shaykh Shu'ayb was with me some time ago and testified to this, saying that he had benefited greatly from your books.”

This is what he said. I hope these words came from his heart, so that we may soon see their good effects in his return to what is correct, if Allah Most High wills.

14-959—“My ummah is a community shown mercy.”

I had previously cited it there through a group of narrators from al-Mas'udi, from Sa'id, from Abu Burdah, from Abu Musa, may Allah be pleased with him, and I identified al-Mas'udi’s later confusion as its defect.

Then I saw that al-Ruyani recorded the hadith in his Musnad (23/3/2), saying: “Muhammad ibn Ma'mar narrated to us; Mu'adh ibn Mu'adh narrated to us; al-Mas'udi narrated it through the same chain.”

I therefore say: This is an authentic chain of transmission. All its narrators are trustworthy and are narrators of the two Sahih collections, except al-Mas'udi; yet he is trustworthy in this instance. The hadith master said: