so that he may inflict injury upon an enemy in Your cause or walk to a prayer.”

(1)

Abu Dawud recorded it (2/166–167, al-Halabiyyah edition), as did Ibn Hibban (715) and al-Hakim (1/344), through the route of Ibn Wahb, who said: Huyayy ibn Abd Allah narrated to us, from Abu Abd al-Rahman al-Hubuli, from Abd Allah ibn Amr, who said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said—then he cited it.

Al-Hakim said: “Authentic according to the conditions of Muslim.” Al-Dhahabi concurred with him.

I say: It is not as they said, for Muslim did not narrate anything from this Huyayy. Moreover, he was criticised on account of his retention, as al-Hafiz indicated in his biographical notice of him, saying: “Truthful, but makes mistakes.” A narrator such as him may have his hadith graded good, but not authentic. I then saw that al-Dhahabi himself included him in al-Duafa, saying: “Good in hadith.” Ahmad said: “Rejected in hadith.”

Moreover, one version in Abu Dawud has “funeral procession” in place of “prayer.” In my view, this is an anomalous version. Ibn Lahi'ah likewise narrated it with the first wording, saying: Huyayy ibn Abd Allah told me. Ahmad recorded it (2/172). Ibn Hibban also recorded it (715) through another route from Ibn Wahb with the same report, except that he presented it as an account of the Prophet’s practice, worded: “Whenever he came to visit a man, he would say…”—then he cited it.

The expression means to inflict many wounds and killings upon the enemy, so that they are weakened thereby. Al-Nihayah.

1366 — “When the sun sets, keep your children indoors, for it is an hour in which the devils spread about.”

Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir (3/26/2) through the route of Layth