“…and this black seed”—Ibn Buraydah said: “That is, the shūnīz found in salt”—“is a remedy for every illness except death.”

Aḥmad reported it (5/346): Aswad ibn ʿĀmir narrated to us; Zuhayr narrated to us, from Wāṣil ibn Ḥibbān, through the same chain. He added at its beginning: “Truffles are a remedy for the eye, ajwah dates are among the fruits of Paradise, and this seed …” This is an authentic chain of transmission meeting Muslim’s criteria. Zuhayr is Ibn Muʿāwiyah ibn Ḥudayj.

The hadith is corroborated by a report from Abū Hurayrah, attributed to the Prophet: “Use this black seed, for it contains a cure for every illness except al-sām.” Sufyān said: “Al-sām means death, and it is shūnīz.” Aḥmad reported it (2/241): Sufyān narrated to us, from al-Zuhrī, from Abū Salamah—from him, if Allah wills. This is an authentic chain of transmission meeting the criteria of both al-Bukhārī and Muslim. Muslim (7/25) and al-Tirmidhī (2/3) reported it, and al-Tirmidhī authenticated it, through Sufyān—namely, Ibn ʿUyaynah—and others, from al-Zuhrī, with similar wording. Al-Tirmidhī and al-Bukhārī also reported it by another route from al-Zuhrī, from Abū Salamah and Saʿīd ibn al-Musayyib together, from Abū Hurayrah, with similar wording.

Aḥmad then reported it (2/268) through Maʿmar, from al-Zuhrī, who said: Abū Salamah informed me, from Abū Hurayrah, who said: “I heard the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—say regarding shūnīz: ‘Use this seed …’” the hadith. Its chain of transmission is authentic according to both their criteria.

Al-Tirmidhī then reported (2/8), through Qatādah, who said: “I was informed that Abū Hurayrah said:”