that enjoins him to do what is right and urges him toward it, and an entourage that enjoins him to evil and urges him toward it. The one safeguarded is the one whom Allah safeguards.”

It was recorded by al-Bukhari (4/255/401), al-Nasa’i, al-Tahawi (3/22), and Ahmad (3/39 and 88). A number of narrators also corroborated him: al-Bukhari cited their reports in suspended form, and al-Tahawi with connected chains of transmission; all of them narrated it from al-Zuhri.

It appears to me, from the agreement of both groups—all of whom are trustworthy—that Abu Salamah had two teachers for this report: Abu Hurayrah and Abu Sa‘id. He would at times narrate it from one and at other times from the other. Al-Zuhri received both versions from him, and each of the two teachers received it from al-Zuhri through one of the two routes. This is the view favored by al-Hafiz in al-Fath (13/166). The first route is further strengthened by ‘Abd al-Malik ibn ‘Umayr’s corroboration of al-Zuhri in it. Allah knows best.

He had a third teacher as well. ‘Ubayd Allah ibn Abi Ja‘far said: Safwan narrated to me from Abu Salamah, from Abu Ayyub, who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, say—then he mentioned something similar to it. Al-Bukhari cited it in suspended form, while al-Nasa’i and al-Tahawi also recorded it with a connected chain—though a confusion occurred in its chain of transmission—as did al-Tabarani in al-Mu‘jam al-Kabir (3895).

1642 — “Had Allah willed that He not be disobeyed, He would not have created Iblis.”

It was narrated by al-Lalaka’i in al-Sunnah (1/141) and al-Bayhaqi in al-Asma’ (157), from Isma‘il ibn ‘Abd al-Salam, from Zayd ibn ‘Abd al-Rahman, from ‘Amr ibn Shu‘ayb, from his father, from his grandfather, who said: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said to Abu Bakr: “O Abu Bakr, if …”

I say: This is an unknown chain of transmission. Al-Hafiz said in al-Lisan: