It has two supporting narrations. One is the hadith of Ibn Abbas, with the wording: “Indeed, the best women ...” The hadith will appear under no. 2522. The other is from Muawiyah, and it has also appeared in the hadith, “O Allah, none can withhold what You give”; it will also appear under no. 2523.

1053 — “The best remedy with which you treat yourselves is cupping.”

Al-Hakim (4/208) and Ahmad (5/9, 15, and 19) recorded it through several routes from Abd Allah ibn Umayr, who said: “I heard Husayn ibn Abi al-Hurr narrate from Samurah, attributing it to the Prophet.” Al-Hakim said: “It is authentic according to the criteria of al-Bukhari and Muslim,” and al-Dhahabi agreed with him.

That is what they both said. Yet Husayn ibn Abi al-Hurr—namely, Husayn ibn Malik ibn al-Khashkhash—was not narrated from by either al-Bukhari or Muslim, though he was trustworthy. Thus, the hadith is authentic, but not according to their criteria. It has an authentic supporting narration:

“The best remedy with which you treat yourselves is cupping and sea costus; and do not torment your children by pressing their uvulas.”

1054 — “The best remedy with which you treat yourselves is cupping and sea costus; and do not torment your children by pressing their uvulas.”

Ahmad (3/107) recorded it: Ibn Abi Adi narrated to us from Humayd, from Anas, attributing it to the Prophet. This is an authentic three-narrator chain of transmission meeting both their criteria. They both recorded it with the wording, “Among the most exemplary ...,” adding: “You should use costus.”

Al-Thaqafi also recorded the hadith in al-Thaqafiyyat (vol. 3, no. 9, in my copy), through another route from Humayd, with the same chain. He said: “Hammad ibn Salamah narrated it from Humayd.”

Costus is a well-known medicinal substance with a pleasant fragrance; it is used as a fumigant for women after childbirth and for children. Pressing refers to pressing a child’s uvula with a finger when it droops.

1055 — “What you would dislike people seeing, do not do when you are alone.”

It was narrated by Ibn Hibban in The Garden of the Intelligent (pp. 12–13) and Abu Abd Allah