“Authentic according to Muslim’s criteria,” whereas Abdullah ibn Salih is not among his narrators, to begin with; moreover, he is deemed weak; and, thirdly, Abdullah ibn al-Mubarak differs from him in its chain of transmission, making it a report from Suraqah, while in his version it is a report from Abdullah ibn Amr.

Indeed, Imam Ahmad said (4/175): Abdullah ibn Yazid al-Muqri narrated to us: Musa ibn Ali narrated to us, saying: “I heard my father say: It reached me from Suraqah ibn Malik ibn Juʿshum al-Mudliji that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said to him...” He then cited it. Abdullah ibn Yazid al-Muqri is trustworthy and among the narrators relied upon by al-Bukhari and Muslim; thus, he preserved the report correctly and clarified that its chain is interrupted between Ali ibn Rabah and Suraqah. And Allah knows best.

I then saw that al-Hakim narrated it (1/60–61) through the route of Zayd ibn al-Hubab, who said: Musa ibn Ali narrated to me, with the same report, except that he did not say, “It reached me.” Al-Hakim said: “Authentic according to Muslim’s criteria,” and al-Dhahabi agreed with him. Yet Ibn al-Hubab was inferior to al-Muqri in retention and precision.

The hadith also has a supporting report from Muʿadh ibn Jabal, attributed to the Prophet, with the wording: “Shall I not inform you of the kings of Paradise?” I said, “Certainly.” He said: “A weak and downtrodden man, clad in two worn garments and given no regard—were he to swear by Allah, He would fulfill his oath.” Ibn Majah narrated it (4115) from Suwayd ibn Abd al-Aziz, from Zayd ibn Waqid, from Busr ibn Abdullah, from Abu Idris al-Khawlani, from him.

I say: The narrators in this chain are trustworthy, except for Suwayd ibn Abd al-Aziz, who is weak. Al-Hafiz said: “He is somewhat weak in hadith.”

Muhammad ibn Jabir narrated from Amr ibn Murrah, from Abu al-Bakhtari, from Hudhayfah, in a report attributed to the Prophet with the wording: “Shall I not inform you of the worst of Allah’s servants? The coarse and arrogant man. Shall I not inform you of the best of Allah’s servants? The downtrodden man clad in two worn garments—were he to swear by Allah, Allah would fulfill his oath.” Ahmad narrated it (5/407). Muhammad ibn Jabir was the Hanafi of Yamamah; he was weak because he became confused and was susceptible to having reports suggested to him.