“I saw myself using a toothstick when two men came to me, one older than the other. I handed the toothstick to the younger of them, but I was told: ‘Give it to the elder.’ So I gave it to the older of them.”

I say: This chain of transmission is authentic, and its apparent meaning indicates that the incident took place in a dream, contrary to Usamah’s narration. However, al-Hafiz reconciled the two by saying: “When this occurred while he was awake, the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, told them of what he had seen in the dream, indicating that he had been commanded to do so by prior revelation. Thus, some narrators retained what others did not.”

Supporting Ibn al-Mubarak’s narration is what Abu Dawud recorded with a good chain from Aishah, who said: “The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, was using a toothstick while two men were with him, when he was inspired: ‘Give the toothstick to the elder.’” Ibn Battal said: “It establishes giving precedence to the older person regarding the toothstick, and the same applies to food, drink, walking, and speech.” Al-Muhallab said: “This applies so long as the people have not arranged themselves in their seating. If they have done so, then the sunnah is to give precedence to the one on the right, and this is correct. The hadith concerning it will follow.”

I say: In my view, Abu Dawud’s hadith has an authentic chain of transmission, as I have explained in Sahih Abi Dawud, no. (45). Also supporting the hadith is what al-Bukhari and Muslim, al-Nasai, and others recorded in the hadith concerning qasamah (the oath procedure in homicide cases), from the narration of Rafi ibn Khadij and Sahl ibn Abi Hathmah. They said: “Abd al-Rahman ibn Sahl—who was the youngest of the people—went to speak before his two companions. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said to him: ‘Let the elder speak—the elder in age.’” In a version recorded by al-Nasai: “The elder; let the eldest begin,” and so they spoke—meaning Rafi and Sahl.

I say: This is specific to speech, whereas the hadith under discussion and similar reports concern the toothstick. As for drinking