It also states in al-Lisān: “ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Nuʿaym ibn Quraysh. He lived in the time of al-Dāraqutnī. In al-Muʾtalif wa’l-Mukhtalif, he said that he has rare hadiths.” End quote. It further states: “He said: ‘I asked Abū Zurʿah about him, and he said: He was a Kūfan whom I know only through one hadith from Ibn ʿUmar. Ṭalḥah ibn Muṣarrif narrated from him.’”

I say: This is a gross conflation of two biographical entries. Abū Zurʿah’s statement pertains only to ʿAbd al-Raḥmān al-Aʿrajī, the transmitter of this hadith, who was a Successor, as you can see. How, then, could he be the one who lived in the time of al-Dāraqutnī? It is most likely that the manuscript contains an omission between the words “End quote” and “It further states.” One should then determine who is the grammatical subject in the phrase, “He said: ‘He said.’”

Nevertheless, taken together, the two chains render the hadith good; and it is authentic on account of its numerous corroborating reports from Abū Hurayrah, Jābir ibn Samurah, and Thawbān, the freedman of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him.

1 - As for the hadith of Abū Hurayrah, it has several routes and wordings. The wording closest to that of the hadith under discussion is Khallās’s report from him, traced back to the Prophet: “Before the Hour there will be nearly thirty lying impostors, each of them saying: ‘I am a prophet! I am a prophet!’” Ahmad recorded it (2/429) with an authentic chain meeting the criteria of al-Bukhārī and Muslim. Al-Bukhārī (2/406 and 4/380), Muslim (8/189), al-Tirmidhī (2/34), and Ahmad as well (2/236–237, 313, and 530) recorded it through other routes from him with the wording: “The Hour will not come until nearly thirty lying impostors are sent forth, each claiming to be the Messenger of Allah.” Al-Tirmidhī said: “This hadith is good and authentic.”

2 - As for the hadith of Jābir ibn Samurah, Simāk narrated it from him, traced back to the Prophet, with the wording: