Ibn Majah (3457) and al-Hakim (4/201) narrated it through Amr ibn Bakr al-Saksaki: Ibrahim ibn Abi Ulaybah narrated to us, saying: I heard Abu Ubayy ibn Umm Haram—who had prayed with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, facing both directions of prayer—say: I heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say it. Amr said: Ibn Abi Ulaybah said: “Sanut is dill.” Others said, rather, it is the honey found in a skin of clarified butter, as the poet said:

“They are like clarified butter with sanut; I do not falsely praise them,
and they protect their neighbour from humiliation.”

Al-Hakim said: “Its chain of transmission is authentic.” Al-Dhahabi rebutted him, saying: “I say: Ibn Hibban accused Amr, and Ibn Adi said: ‘He has objectionable reports.’” Al-Hafiz said in al-Taqrib: “Abandoned.”

I say: Nevertheless, the hadith has corroborating reports of similar meaning that strengthen it.

The first is from Umm Salamah, who said: “The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, entered upon me and said: ‘Why do I see you looking so weak?’ I replied: ‘I drank a medicine to induce a bowel movement.’ He asked: ‘What is it?’ I said: ‘Saram.’ He said: ‘What have you to do with saram? It is hot—like fire. Take senna and sanut, for they contain a remedy for every ailment except death.’” Al-Haythami said (5/90): “Al-Tabarani narrated it through the route of Waki ibn Abi Ubaydah, from his father, from his mother, and I do not know them.”

The second is from Asma bint Umays, attributed to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, with the wording: “If there were anything that contained a cure for death, it would be senna.” Its chain contains an unidentified narrator and a break in transmission. It is cited in al-Mishkat (4537).