“Ahmad and al-Bazzār narrated it in full through the first route, as did al-Ṭabarānī in al-Muʿjam al-Awsaṭ. It contains Layth ibn Abī Sulaym, who practised tadlīs (!), while the rest of the narrators in Aḥmad’s chain are narrators of the authentic collections, apart from his shaykh, Ibn Abī ʿĀʾishah, who is trustworthy. The narrators of the second route are narrators of the authentic collections, though it contains an unnamed narrator!”

Third: From ʿUthmān ibn ʿAffān: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “On the Day of Resurrection, the hornless animal will take retribution from the horned one.” Aḥmad recorded it (1/72) through Ḥajjāj ibn Nuṣayr: Shuʿbah narrated to us from al-ʿAwwām ibn Murājim—of Banū Qays ibn Thaʿlabah—from Abū ʿUthmān al-Nahdī, from him.

I say: This chain contains trustworthy narrators, apart from Ḥajjāj ibn Nuṣayr, who is weak, as stated in al-Taqrīb.

Fourth: From ʿAbd Allāh ibn Abī Awfā, attributed to the Prophet, with the wording: “Such is Allah’s justice on the Day of Resurrection that retribution will be exacted for the hornless animal from the one with horns.”

Al-Ṭabarānī recorded it in al-Muʿjam al-Awsaṭ (9582) through ʿAlī ibn Sinān: Bishr ibn Muḥammad al-Wāsiṭī informed us; ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿImrān al-Wāsiṭī narrated to us from ʿAṭāʾ ibn al-Sāʾib, from ʿAbd Allāh ibn Abī Awfā. He said: “No one narrated it from ʿAṭāʾ except ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿImrān, and no one narrated it from him except Bishr ibn Muḥammad; ʿAlī ibn Sinān alone narrated it.” Al-Haythamī said: “Al-Ṭabarānī narrated it in al-Muʿjam al-Awsaṭ, and it contains narrators whom I do not know; moreover, ʿAṭāʾ ibn al-Sāʾib became confused.”

Fifth: From Thawbān, attributed to the Prophet, with wording similar to the preceding hadith. Al-Ṭabarānī recorded it in al-Muʿjam al-Kabīr (1421). Its chain contains Zayd ibn Rabīʿah, whom a number of scholars deemed weak. Ibn ʿAdī said: “I hope there is no harm in him.” The rest of its narrators are trustworthy.