I say: al-Hafiz made no comment on it. I have not identified Abu ‘Imran al-Kufi. Among the narrators known by this kunyah is Ibrahim ibn Yazid al-Nakha‘i al-Kufi, the jurist, but he preceded this narrator in time. Allah knows best.

Al-Khara’iti related in Makarim al-Akhlaq (p. 85), through Shahr ibn Hawshab, from Ibn ‘Abbas, who said: “Thunder is an angel driving the clouds, just as a camel-driver drives camels with his chant.” Shahr is weak because of his poor memory. In sum, the hadith is, in my view, good at the very least. There are many other reports on this subject, which al-Suyuti cited in al-Durr al-Manthur; whoever wishes may consult them.

1873 — “The angels do not accompany a travelling party carrying a bell.”

Al-Nasa’i (2/291) and Ahmad (2/27) related it through several routes from Nafi‘ ibn ‘Umar al-Jumahi, from Abu Bakr ibn Musa, who said: I was with Salim ibn ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar when a travelling party belonging to Umm al-Banin passed by, carrying bells. Salim then narrated from his father, from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, that he said:

“Then he cited it. So how many bells do you see among these people?!”

I say: Its narrators are trustworthy and are narrators of the two Sahihs, apart from Abu Bakr ibn Musa, whose name was Bukayr ibn Musa. He was Abu Bakr ibn Abi Shaykh and is counted among the unknown narrators: no one other than this Nafi‘ ibn ‘Umar narrated from him, and no one declared him trustworthy. It also has another route, related by ‘Asim ibn ‘Umar from ‘Abdullah ibn Dinar, from Ibn ‘Umar, with similar wording.