thereby, nor any good deeds by which they could surpass others and thus become among the kings of Paradise?” The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, replied: “They are the servants of the people of Paradise.”

Abu Yaʿla also narrated its final statement in his Musnad (1011–1012), as did al-Kalabadhi in Miftah al-Maʿani (276/1), through the route of al-Aʿmash, from Yazid al-Raqashi, from Anas, with the same wording. Mubarak ibn Fudalah also corroborated him, from ʿAli ibn Zayd, from Anas, with the same wording. Al-Bazzar narrated it (232). It is further supported by what al-Bazzar narrated in his Musnad (232—its supplementary narrations), through the route of ʿAbbad ibn Mansur, from Abu Rajaʾ, from Samurah ibn Jundub, attributed to the Prophet, with the same wording. He said: “ʿAbbad alone narrated it with this wording.”

I say: ʿAbbad ibn Mansur is weak. Al-Haythami said (7/219): “Al-Tabarani narrated it in al-Kabir and al-Awsat, as did al-Bazzar. Its chain includes ʿAbbad ibn Mansur, whom Yahya al-Qattan declared trustworthy, though he has weakness; the rest of its narrators are trustworthy.” In sum, the hadith is authentic in my view through all these routes and corroborating reports.

1469 — “Seek the answer to supplication when armies meet, when the prayer is established, and when rain falls.”

Al-Shafiʿi narrated it in al-Umm (1/223–224): “Someone whom I do not suspect informed me: ʿAbd al-ʿAziz ibn ʿAmr narrated to me, from Makḥul, from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him,” and then mentioned it.

I say: This is a weak chain of transmission. In addition to being mursal, the identity of al-Shafiʿi’s shaykh is unknown, since he did not name him. He need not have been trustworthy, for among al-Shafiʿi’s shaykhs was one who was accused: Ibrahim ibn Muhammad ibn Abi Yahya al-Aslami. How could it be otherwise, when it is established in the science of hadith terminology that a trustworthy narrator’s statement, “A trustworthy person narrated to me,” cannot be used as proof until the person whom he deemed trustworthy is identified. ʿAbd al-ʿAziz ibn ʿAmr—Abu Muhammad al-Umawi—was truthful but made errors.