The first: Hassan ibn Ghalib narrated to us: Ibn Lahiʿah narrated to us, from Abu al-Nadr al-Madani, from Ziyad, the client of Ibn ʿAbbas (!), from Ibn ʿAbbas. Hassan ibn Ghalib is abandoned and accused of fabrication, as may be seen in al-Lisan. Ibn Yunus was unaware of his true status and declared him reliable. This may be the basis for al-Haythami’s statement: “Its narrators have been deemed reliable,” for this suggests that the reliability assessments of at least some of them were somewhat weak. The same may be said of Ibn Lahiʿah, although he was far better than Hassan; indeed, al-Haythami sometimes classed his hadith as good. He deserves such a ruling when corroborated, and corroboration is present here, as in the preceding supporting reports and in the following corroborating route:

The other route: He said: ʿUmar ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAziz ibn Miqlas narrated to us; my father narrated to us; Ibn Wahb narrated to us; ʿAmr ibn al-Harith informed me that Abu al-Nadr related to him, from Ziyad, the client of Ibn ʿAyyash, from Ibn ʿAbbas. This is a chain whose narrators are trustworthy and are among the narrators of the two Sahihs, apart from Ziyad, the client of Ibn ʿAyyash, who is among the narrators of Muslim alone. However, I was unable to find any biographical entry for ʿUmar ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAziz or his father.

Moreover, I have developed serious doubt that this hadith belongs to the Musnad of Ibn ʿAbbas, for they did not mention that this Ziyad narrated from him. Rather, al-Hafiz al-Mizzi stated in al-Tahdhib that he narrated from his master, ʿAbd Allah ibn ʿAyyash ibn Abi Rabiʿah al-Makhzumi. Al-Hasan ibn Sufyan narrated from this Ziyad, from ʿAbd Allah ibn ʿAyyash, a hadith concerning the death of ʿUthman ibn Mazʿun, as found in the biography of Ibn ʿAyyash in al-Isabah. There, “the client of Ibn ʿAyyash” was corrupted into “the client of Ibn ʿAbbas”; this likewise occurs in al-Tabarani’s first route, and it is perhaps a typographical error. Similarly, “Ibn ʿAyyash” was corrupted into “Ibn ʿAbbas” in both routes, causing the hadith to be included in the Musnad of Ibn ʿAbbas, whereas I believe it is actually from the Musnad of Ibn ʿAyyash. And Allah knows best.

In sum, the hadith is authentic beyond doubt when all its routes and supporting reports are taken together. We therefore ask Allah Most High to make the squeeze of the grave easy for us. Indeed, He is the Best of those who answer supplication.