The hadith was also reported by Ahmad, al-Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah, and al-Hakim through another route from Abu Salam. Al-Hakim graded it authentic, and al-Dhahabi concurred; however, there is a break in its chain, which I have explained in my source-documentation of Mishkat (5592). It also has a corroborating report in Ahmad (2/132), through the route of Umar ibn Amr, Abu Uthman al-Ahmusi (1): al-Mukhariq ibn Abi al-Mukhariq narrated to me from Abd Allah ibn Umar, whom he heard say: “The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said”—and he then cited it.

I say: Its narrators are trustworthy apart from this al-Mukhariq. Ibn Abi Hatim mentioned him in connection with this narration (4/1/352), but did not record either criticism or endorsement concerning him. Ibn Hibban, however, included him in The Trustworthy Narrators. Al-Mundhiri (4/209) said: “Its chain is good!” He then mentioned another corroborating report, similar to it, from the hadith of Abu Umamah, and said: “Al-Tabarani reported it, and its chain is good for purposes of corroboration.”

1083 — “The believers, in their mutual love, mercy, and compassion, are like one body: when one limb suffers, the rest of the body responds with sleeplessness and fever.”

Muslim (8/20), Ahmad (4/70), and al-Tayalisi (no. 790) reported it from al-Sha‘bi, from al-Nu‘man ibn Bashir, as a hadith attributed to the Prophet. Al-Bukhari also reported it (10/360–361, Fath) through this route, with the wording: “You see the believers ...” It has a second route from al-Nu‘man, reported by al-Tayalisi (no. 793) and Ahmad (4/274), from Simak ibn Harb, from him, with an abbreviated wording. Its chain is authentic according to Muslim’s criteria. It has a third route with the wording: “The Muslims are like a single man ...” It will appear under no. 2526.