1176 — “Indeed, among the best remedies people use is cupping.”

Ahmad (5/9, 15, and 19) and al-Hakim (4/208) transmitted it through several routes from Abd al-Malik ibn Umayr, from Husayn ibn Abi al-Hurr, from Samurah, that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said this. Al-Hakim said: “Authentic according to the criteria of the two Shaykhs.” Al-Dhahabi agreed with him.

I say: This is one of their errors, for this Husayn, who is Ibn Malik, was not narrated from by either of the two Shaykhs. Thus, it is simply authentic.

Al-Hakim then transmitted a supporting report through Zayd ibn Abi Unaysah, from Muhammad ibn Qays, who said: Abu al-Hakam al-Bajali—namely Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Nim—narrated to us:

“I visited Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, while he was being cupped. He said to me, ‘O Abu al-Hakam, have yourself cupped.’ I replied, ‘I have never been cupped.’ He said, ‘Abu al-Qasim, peace and blessings be upon him, told me that Gabriel, peace be upon him, informed him: “Cupping is the best remedy people use.”’”

He said: “Authentic according to the criteria of the two Shaykhs.” Al-Dhahabi again agreed with him.

I say: This is open to question, because Muhammad ibn Qays—al-Asadi, al-Walibi, al-Kufi—was narrated from by al-Bukhari only in al-Adab al-Mufrad. Thus, it is according to Muslim’s criteria alone.

1177 — “Give one sa' of wheat, shared between two people, or one sa' of dates, or one sa' of barley, on behalf of every free person and slave, child and adult.”

Al-Daraqutni (223 and 224) and Ahmad (5/432) transmitted it from al-Zuhri, from Abdullah ibn Thalabah ibn Su'ayr—or from Thalabah—from his father, that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said this.

I say: The narrators in this chain are trustworthy, though they differed over whether Abdullah ibn Thalabah was a Companion. Yet in this narration and others, he said: “From his father.” It is therefore with a continuous chain to the Prophet. Al-Diya al-Maqdisi also transmitted it in al-Ahadith al-Mukhtarah, as stated in Zawa'id al-Jami al-Saghir (folio 9/2).