and Muḥammad ibn al-Munkadir were among some people from the mosque who visited ʿUmar ibn al-Ḥakam ibn Rāfiʿ al-Anṣārī. They said, “Abū Ḥafṣ, narrate to us.” He replied, “I heard Jābir ibn ʿAbd Allāh narrate it.”

The difference is that Khālid ibn al-Ḥārith inserted between ʿAbd al-Ḥamīd and ʿUmar ibn al-Ḥakam ʿAbd al-Ḥamīd’s father, namely Jaʿfar ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn al-Ḥakam, who was ʿUmar ibn al-Ḥakam’s nephew, whereas Hushaym omitted him from between them. Moreover, Khālid named ʿUmar ibn al-Ḥakam’s grandfather Rāfiʿ, while Hushaym named him Thawbān. Perhaps because of this discrepancy, it was said that they were one and the same person. In either case, both men were trustworthy, so this does not affect the hadith’s authenticity.

Khālid ibn al-Ḥārith’s narration, which adds the mention of Jaʿfar ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn al-Ḥakam, is perhaps the more correct, for an addition reported by a trustworthy narrator is accepted. Jaʿfar, too, was trustworthy and was among Muslim’s narrators; thus, the hadith is authentic in any event. I then found a supporting narrator for Hushaym: the trustworthy ʿAbd Allāh ibn Ḥumrān, though he did not name ʿUmar ibn al-Ḥakam’s grandfather. Al-Bazzār recorded it (775).

Abū Maʿshar narrated it from ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn ʿAbd Allāh al-Anṣārī, who said: “Abū Bakr ibn Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr ibn Ḥazm entered upon ʿUmar ibn al-Ḥakam ibn Thawbān and said, ‘Abū Ḥafṣ, narrate to us a hadith from the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, concerning which there is no discrepancy.’ He said, ‘Kaʿb ibn Mālik narrated to me, attributed to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him: “Whoever visits a sick person wades through mercy, and when he sits with him, he becomes immersed in it.”’ He added: ‘And, if Allah wills, you have become immersed in mercy.’”