and al-Khatib, in al-Tarikh (2/133), from Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn ʿAbd Allah al-Ardabili, who said: Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Jaʿfar al-Halabi narrated to us; Mujahid ibn Musa informed us; Maʿn informed us; Malik informed us, from Nafiʿ, from Ibn ʿUmar, attributed to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. Al-Hakim said: “We have not recorded it among Malik ibn Anas’s narrations from Nafiʿ except through this chain of transmission.”

I say: It is weak. Al-Khatib cited it in the biography of this Muhammad ibn Jaʿfar, describing him as al-Bazzar, and said: “Abu Bakr al-Mufid narrated from him an objectionable hadith.” He then cited this report. Al-Dhahabi said: “He is unknown; al-Mufid narrated from him a fabricated report...” and then mentioned it. Al-Hafiz concurred with him in al-Lisan.

I do not consider their judgment that the hadith is fabricated to be correct, for it has a corroborating report from the hadith of Musʿab ibn Shaybah, as mentioned above. Although its chain of transmission is weak, it is sufficient to preclude declaring it fabricated. And Allah knows best. Then I found another corroborating report that strengthens and supports it—and al-Dhahabi himself considered it strong! Al-Harith ibn Abi Usamah narrated it from Abu Shaybah al-Khudri, attributed to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, with the same wording, as cited in al-Jamiʿ al-Saghir. Its commentator, al-Manawi, said: “Al-Dhahabi said: ‘It is a good hadith,’ and the author indicated that it is good.”

1322 — “When three people set out on a journey, they should appoint one of them as their leader.”

It was narrated by Abu Dawud (2608/2609) and Abu ʿAwanah in his Sahih (8/18/1), from Ibn ʿAjlan, from Nafiʿ, from Abu Salamah, from Abu Saʿid, attributed to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. Abu Dawud then narrated it through this same chain, except that he placed Abu Hurayrah in place of Abu Saʿid. Abu Yaʿla al-Mawsili also narrated it in his Musnad (1/295) through the first route.

I say: This is a good chain of transmission. It also has a corroborating report from Ibn Lahiʿah, who said: ʿAbd Allah ibn Hubayrah narrated to us, from Abu Salim al-Jayshani, from ʿAbd Allah ibn ʿUmar, that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said—then he mentioned it with the wording: “It is not lawful for three people who are in an open land unless they appoint one of them as their leader.”