(no. 126), al-Bayhaqi (1/96), al-Tayalisi (no. 679), and Ahmad (4/369–373), through Shu'bah, from Qatadah, who heard al-Nadr ibn Anas narrating from Zayd ibn Arqam, who attributed it to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. This is an authentic chain of transmission meeting the conditions of both al-Bukhari and Muslim, although some scholars have deemed it defective, as will follow. Qatadah also has another chain for it, narrated by Sa'id ibn Abi Arubah from him, from al-Qasim ibn Awf al-Shaybani, from Zayd ibn Arqam, with the same wording. It was recorded by Ibn Majah, Ibn Hibban (no. 126), al-Bayhaqi, and Ahmad. This is an authentic chain of transmission meeting Muslim’s conditions.

Al-Tirmidhi (1/11) referred to the hadith and declared it defective, saying: “There is inconsistency in its chain of transmission.” Hisham al-Dastuwa'i and Sa'id ibn Abi Arubah narrated it from Qatadah. Sa'id said: “From al-Qasim ibn Awf al-Shaybani, from Zayd ibn Arqam,” whereas Hisham al-Dastuwa'i narrated it from Qatadah, from Zayd ibn Arqam. Shu'bah and Ma'mar also narrated it from Qatadah, from al-Nadr ibn Anas. Shu'bah said: “From Zayd ibn Arqam,” while Ma'mar said: “From al-Nadr ibn Anas, from his father, from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him.” Al-Tirmidhi said:

“I asked Muhammad—that is, al-Bukhari—about this, and he said: ‘It is possible that Qatadah narrated it from both of them.’”

I say: What al-Bukhari, may Allah have mercy on him, mentioned is what we affirm with confidence: Qatadah narrated it from al-Nadr ibn Anas and from al-Qasim ibn Awf al-Shaybani, both of whom narrated it from Zayd ibn Arqam. This is because Qatadah was trustworthy, retentive, and dependable; someone of his standing may well have two or more chains for a single hadith. If this is the case, we do not consider the hadith defective on account of something that is possible, especially since this actually occurs in many hadiths, as anyone experienced in this field can attest.

Moreover, we do not concede that the hadith should be judged inconsistent merely because of the differences mentioned above. For a hadith to be deemed inconsistent, its various reports must be equally balanced, such that none can be preferred over another on any ground of preference, such as the narrator’s memory, precision, greater association with his shaykh, or other such considerations. If one narration is shown to outweigh another, the ruling is in its favor, and it is not then described as inconsistent—or, at the very least, it does not carry the ruling of inconsistency—as Ibn al-Salah stated in his Introduction. In this hadith, the preference—if one must be made—is clear: Sa'id ibn Abi Arubah and Hisham al-Dastuwa'i were the most reliable narrators from Qatadah