1240 — “Treat your children fairly; treat your children fairly; treat your children fairly.”

Al-Bukhari recorded it in al-Tarikh al-Kabir (2/1/73), as did Abu Dawud (2/110), al-Nasa’i (2/132 and 133), and Ahmad (4/275, 288, and 375), through Hammad ibn Zayd, from Hajib ibn al-Mufaddal ibn al-Muhallab, from his father, who said: I heard al-Nu‘man ibn Bashir say—then he cited it as a statement attributed to the Prophet. This is a good chain of transmission: its narrators are reliable, apart from al-Mufaddal ibn al-Muhallab, who is truthful, as stated in al-Taqrib. Another wording will appear in the forthcoming report beginning, “You are obliged to …”

In Tuhfat al-Mawdud (p. 75, Hind edition), Ibn al-Qayyim attributed this hadith to Ibn Hibban’s Sahih, but al-Haythami did not include it in Mawarid al-Zam’an. And Allah knows best.

1241 — “Blessedness to the one who saw me and believed in me; and blessedness—repeated seven times—to the one who did not see me and believed in me.”

Ahmad (5/248, 257, and 264) recorded it from Hammam ibn Yahya and Hammad ibn al-Ja‘d, from Qatadah, from Ayman, from Abu Umamah, who said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said it.

I say: This chain of transmission is weak. Its narrators are reliable, apart from this Ayman. Ibn Abi Hatim mentioned him (1/1/319), but added nothing beyond what occurs in this chain: that he narrated from Abu Umamah and that Qatadah narrated from him. This means that he is unknown. Al-Dhahabi explicitly stated this in al-Mizan, where he cited this hadith in connection with him and said: “Ibn Hibban mentioned him in al-Thiqat and said: ‘He is Ayman ibn Malik al-Ash‘ari.’”

Al-Hafiz said in al-Lisan: “I say: The hadith was transmitted from Hammam with differing chains. Ubayd Allah ibn Musa and Abu