“This is a false hadith!” Yet it is well known in hadith terminology that a trustworthy narrator’s sole transmission of a hadith does not render it irregular, much less false. Strangely, al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar, in al-Isabah, did not mention this strong corroborating report for the hadith; al-Suyuti did likewise in al-Ziyadah ʿala al-Jamiʿ (fol. 63/2). Rather, they confined themselves to citing it through the first, weak route.

1575 — “The Scrolls of Abraham were sent down on the first night of Ramadan; the Torah was sent down after six nights of Ramadan had elapsed; the Gospel was sent down after thirteen nights of Ramadan had elapsed; the Psalms were sent down after eighteen nights of Ramadan had elapsed; and the Quran was sent down after twenty-four nights of Ramadan had elapsed.”

Ahmad (4/107), al-Nuʿali in his Hadith collection (131/2), ʿAbd al-Ghani al-Maqdisi in Fadaʾil Ramadan (53/1), and Ibn ʿAsakir (2/167/1) narrated it from ʿImran al-Qattan, from Qatadah, from Abu al-Malih, from Wathilah, attributed to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him.

I say: This is a good chain of transmission. Its narrators are trustworthy, though there is some minor criticism concerning al-Qattan. It has a corroborating report with similar wording from Ibn ʿAbbas, attributed to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. Ibn ʿAsakir recorded it (2/167/1 and 5/352/1) through the route of ʿAli ibn Abi Talhah, from him. This chain is interrupted, because this ʿAli did not see Ibn ʿAbbas.

1576 — “Go, Abu Masʿud! And do not let me find you, on the Day of Resurrection, coming with a camel from the charity camels upon your back, bellowing, which you have misappropriated.”

Abu Dawud recorded it (2/25—Taziyah edition) through Mutarrif, from Abu al-Jahm, from Abu Masʿud al-Ansari, who said: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, sent me out as an alms collector, then said—then he mentioned it. He said: “Then I shall not go.” He said: