On the basis of this investigation, I say: if we set aside these two narrations—because we do not know the state of the chains leading to them—we are left with two known narrations for each version: the one with a continuous chain to the Prophet and the mursal. If we recall that the two narrations with continuous chains are authentic, whereas of the two mursal narrations only one is authentic and the other is weak—namely, Ayyub’s defective narration through al-Dabari—it becomes plainly and unmistakably more probable that the hadith is narrated with a continuous chain from Abu Hurayrah and Abu al-Darda. Indeed, I can affirm the preponderance of the connected version even if we were to assume that Ayyub’s mursal narration is also authentic, because the connected version contains an addition transmitted by two reliable narrators, and such an addition is accepted in cases such as this by consensus.

Let us now consider how this offender against the Sunnah—who declares authentic hadiths weak—has distorted the facts and concealed knowledge in order to present himself as an investigator, rather than a mere follower, in this noble field:

First: he concealed Ma'mar’s first narration from Ayyub, which al-Mizzi mentioned.

Second: he concealed the weakness of Ma'mar’s other narration from Ayyub, even though he knows that it comes through al-Dabari from him. Yet he habitually declares weak narrators far more reliable than al-Dabari when they transmit something that does not suit his inclinations.

Third: he ignored the authenticity of the chain of the connected narration from Abu al-Darda, merely attributing it to al-Nasa'i and leaving it at that.

Fourth: he disregarded the authentication, by those whom we have mentioned, of Abu Hurayrah’s narration, as well as the fact that scholars adduced it as proof—as was previously indicated—which necessarily entails the authenticity of the report so adduced, as is evident. Imam al-Nawawi said in his Commentary on Muslim:

“Scholars have cited it as proof for the disapproval of this innovated prayer known as the Ragha'ib prayer. May Allah destroy the one who instituted and invented it, for it is a reprehensible innovation...”

And so forth from his fine remarks. Al-San'ani, al-Shawkani, and others quoted this from him and endorsed it.

What is striking and draws the researcher’s attention is that, in most of the hadiths which this man declared weak, he concludes his discussion by mentioning that Shaykh Shu'ayb agreed with him in declaring them weak. This made me suspicious of him