“Mu‘adh ibn Jabal died at the age of twenty-eight, yet he was ahead of the scholars by a stone’s throw.” Al-Tabarani likewise narrated it, as cited in Majma‘ al-Zawa’id. Imam Abu ‘Ubayd al-Qasim ibn Sallam said in his book Faith (p. 73), after mentioning Mu‘adh—may Allah be pleased with him: “The Prophet gave him precedence over many of his Companions in knowledge of what is lawful and forbidden.” He then said: “He precedes the scholars by a stone’s throw.” Thus, he stated decisively that the hadith is attributable to the Prophet, and that is what is intended.

1092 — “When you are present with those who are dying, close their eyes, for the eye follows the soul. And speak only what is good, for the angels say amen to what the members of the household say.”

Ibn Majah (1/444), al-Hakim (1/352), and Ahmad (4/125) narrated it through Qaz‘ah ibn Suwayd, from Humayd al-A‘raj, from al-Zuhri, from Mahmud ibn Labid, from Shaddad ibn Aws, who said: The Messenger of Allah said this. Al-Hakim said: “Its chain of transmission is authentic!” Al-Dhahabi agreed with him. This was an error on both their parts, for al-Dhahabi himself included this Qaz‘ah in al-Du‘afa’ and said: “Ahmad said: ‘His hadith are inconsistent.’ Al-Nasa’i said: ‘He is weak.’ And Abu Hatim said: ‘He is not to be used as evidence.’” Al-Hafiz said in al-Taqrib: “Weak.” So how could it be authentic?

It may, however, possibly be graded good. Al-Busiri said in al-Zawa’id (1/91): “This is a good chain of transmission. There is disagreement concerning Qaz‘ah ibn Suwayd, while the remaining narrators in the chain are trustworthy.” I say: The majority declared him weak, and no one declared him trustworthy other than Ibn Ma‘in in one of the two reports from him