Al-Tahawi also recorded it through two other routes from Ibn al-Sa‘di, with the same wording. There are also reports on this subject from ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn ‘Awf and Thawban, recorded by al-Bazzar and others.

1675 — “The affairs of this Ummah will remain harmonious—or close-knit—until they begin discussing children and divine decree.”

Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu‘jam al-Kabir (no. 12764) and al-Awsat (2442, according to my numbering); and from him, Abu Musa al-Madini recorded it in Muntaha Raghbat al-Sami‘in (1/248/1), as did al-Hakim (1/33), through Muhammad ibn Aban al-Wasiti, who said: Jarir ibn Hazim informed us. He said: I heard Abu Raja al-‘Ataridi say: I heard Ibn ‘Abbas narrating from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, who said; then he cited it.

I say: This is an authentic chain of transmission. All its narrators are among al-Bukhari’s narrators. There is some criticism of al-Wasiti, but it does not affect this report. Moreover, he was corroborated: al-Bazzar recorded it in his Musnad (p. 130, Zawa’id Ibn Hajar), as did Ibn Hibban (1824) and al-Hakim, through other routes from Jarir ibn Hazim, attributing it to the Prophet. Al-Bazzar said: “A number of narrators related it as a report attributed to the Companion.”

I say: Nevertheless, it has the ruling of a report attributed to the Prophet, since, as is apparent, this is not something that can be said on the basis of personal opinion. Its chain is authentic according to the criteria of the two Shaykhs, as al-Hakim stated, and al-Dhahabi concurred with him. Al-Haythami said (7/202): “It was recorded by al-Bazzar and al-Tabarani in al-Kabir and al-Awsat, and al-Bazzar’s narrators are the narrators of the Sahih.” Al-Dulabi also recorded it in al-Kuna (1/174), through Abu Usamah, who narrated it from Jarir as a report attributed to Ibn ‘Abbas.