“Authentic according to the conditions of the two Shaykhs.” Al-Dhahabi concurred with him, and they were correct. Abu Nuʿaym likewise indicated that it was authentic when he said after it: “It is well-known from the hadith of Abu al-Siddiq, from Abu Saʿid.” By saying “well-known,” he meant the multiplicity of routes from Abu al-Siddiq, as noted above. Abu al-Siddiq’s name was Bakr ibn ʿAmr. He was unanimously regarded as trustworthy and was relied upon by the two Shaykhs and by all hadith scholars. Whoever among the later scholars declares this hadith of his weak has opposed the way of the believers.

For this reason, Ibn Khaldun was unable to declare it weak, despite his excessiveness in weakening most of the hadiths concerning the Mahdi. Rather, he accepted al-Hakim’s authentication of this route and of the following one. Thus, whoever attributes to him the view that he weakened all the hadiths concerning the Mahdi has lied about him, whether inadvertently or deliberately.

The second: Sulayman ibn ʿUbayd narrated to us from Abu al-Siddiq al-Naji, from Abu Saʿid, attributing it to the Prophet, with the wording: “The Mahdi will emerge among my ummah. Allah will grant him rain; the earth will bring forth its vegetation; he will distribute wealth equally; livestock will become abundant; and the ummah will become great. He will live for seven or eight”—meaning years.

Al-Hakim recorded it (4/557–558) and said: “Its chain of transmission is authentic.” Al-Dhahabi and Ibn Khaldun also concurred. For Ibn Khaldun said after it in the Muqaddimah (chapter 53, p. 250): “Although none of the six compilers narrated from Sulayman ibn ʿUbayd, Ibn Hibban mentioned him among the trustworthy narrators, and it is not known that anyone criticized him.”

I say: Ibn Maʿin also declared him trustworthy, while Abu Hatim said: “Truthful.” Thus, its chain of transmission is authentic, as al-Hakim, al-Dhahabi, and Ibn Khaldun have stated. I have cited the remaining routes and corroborating reports in al-Rawd al-Nadir under the hadith of Ibn Masʿud (647), through the routes of