However, Khallaf ibn Hisham differed from him: Hammad ibn Zayd narrated it to us through the same chain with the wording: “When the servant reaches—or he said: when the servant is granted—a lifespan of sixty years, Allah has brought the proof home to him and has left him no excuse with respect to his lifespan.”

1090 — “When a man relates something and then looks around, it is a confidence.”

It was recorded by Abu Dawud (2/297), al-Tirmidhi (1/355), al-Tahawi in Mushkil al-Athar (4/335–336), Ahmad (3/324, 352, 379–380, and 394), and Abu Ya‘la (2/591), through two routes from ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn ‘Ata, from ‘Abd al-Malik ibn Jabir ibn ‘Atik, from Jabir ibn ‘Abd Allah, attributed to the Prophet, with this wording. Al-Tirmidhi said: “It is a good hadith, and we know it only through the hadith of Ibn Abi Dhi’b.”

I say: Sulayman ibn Bilal corroborated him, as reported by Ahmad and al-Tahawi. The hadith has a good chain of transmission, for its narrators are reliable, though Ibn ‘Ata has been criticised. Al-Bukhari said: “He has objectionable narrations.” Abu Hatim considered him stronger and said: “He should be removed from al-Bukhari’s Book of Weak Narrators.” Al-Nasa’i and Ibn Sa‘d declared him trustworthy, while al-Taqrib states: “Truthful, though somewhat weak.” Al-Diya’ also recorded it in al-Mukhtarah through his route.

It also has a supporting narration from Anas, attributed to the Prophet, with the same wording. Abu Ya‘la recorded it in his Musnad (3/1030), and Ibn ‘Asakir narrated it from him (16/92/1): Jubarah ibn Mughalis informed us; Hafs ibn Subh related to me—Jubarah said: “One of the most devout of people”—from Malik ibn Dinar, from him. Al-Haythami said (8/98): “Abu Ya‘la narrated it from his shaykh Jubarah ibn Mughalis, who is very weak. Ibn Numayr said that he was truthful, and the rest of its narrators are reliable.”

1091 — “Indeed, when the scholars come before their Lord, the Exalted, there will be