In another wording recorded by Ahmad: “until redress is taken for the hornless sheep from the horned sheep that butted it.” Its chain of transmission is also authentic, meeting Muslim’s criteria.

It has another route: Ibn Lahīʿah narrated from Darrāj Abū al-Samḥ, from Abū Ḥujayrah, from Abū Hurayrah, in a report traced back to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, with the wording: “Indeed, by Him in Whose Hand is my soul, all things will surely contend on the Day of Resurrection, even the two sheep over what they butted one another for.” Ahmad recorded it (2/290) with a chain that al-Mundhirī described as good.

I say: Perhaps he meant good due to supporting evidence, for Ibn Lahīʿah had poor retention, as did Darrāj Abū al-Samḥ.

Al-Ṭabarānī also narrated it in al-Awsaṭ with similar wording. Al-Haythamī said: “Its chain includes Jābir ibn Yazīd al-Juʿfī, who is weak.”

ʿAbd ibn Ḥumayd, Ibn Jarīr, Ibn al-Mundhir, Ibn Abī Ḥātim, and al-Bayhaqī in al-Baʿth also recorded from Abū Hurayrah that he said: “All created beings will be gathered on the Day of Resurrection—livestock, animals, birds, and everything. Allah’s justice will reach such a point that He will take redress for the hornless animal from the horned one. Then He will say, ‘Become dust,’ whereupon the disbeliever will say: ‘Oh, would that I were dust!’” Al-Suyūṭī cited it in al-Durr al-Manthūr (6/310), but did not discuss its chain of transmission, as was his custom. Its chain in Ibn Jarīr (30/17) is strong, as noted shortly before. The relevant portion of it is, however, unquestionably authentic from him as a report traced back to the Prophet, owing to the preceding routes and the corroborating reports that follow: