severely. Thus he narrated it in this manner. On another occasion, he said, “From his father,” attributing it to the Prophet, without saying, “From someone who heard the Prophet.” Ibn Abī Shaybah narrated it in his Musnad (2/1/2, Rabat edition), al-Ṭaḥāwī in Sharḥ al-Maʿānī (2/202), and al-Ṭabarānī in al-Kabīr, as cited in al-Majmaʿ (4/83). On another occasion, he said, “My father narrated to me,” instead of, “From someone who heard the Prophet.” Aḥmad also narrated it, as cited in al-Majmaʿ, as did al-Ṭabarānī, except that he said, “From his father, from his grandfather.”

Al-Ḥāfiẓ mentioned these and other forms of variation in the biography of Abū Yazīd in al-Iṣābah, then said: “The inconsistency in it is from ʿAṭāʾ ibn al-Sāʾib, for he became confused in his later years.”

I say: Therefore, al-Saffārīnī’s statement in Sharḥ al-Thulāthiyyāt (1/162), “Al-Ṭabarānī narrated it with an authentic chain of transmission,” is incorrect. Nevertheless, the hadith is authentic on account of supporting evidence, for I found a corroborating report in the hadith of Jābir (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: The Messenger of Allah said: “Leave the people alone, and Allah will provide some of them through others …” and so on. Al-Bayhaqī narrated it (5/347) from him through a weak chain. However, its first sentence is authentically reported from him: Muslim and others narrated it through another route from Jābir, attributed to the Prophet, and it has been documented in Aḥādīth Buyūʿ al-Mawsūʿah.

Its other sentence has a corroborating report in the narration of Abū Hurayrah, at the end of his hadith: “The rights of one Muslim over another Muslim are six … and if he asks you for counsel, give him sincere counsel …” Muslim and others narrated it, and its documentation has already preceded under no. 1832.