does not impugn the authenticity of the hadith, since its first part is established in al-Bukhārī, as noted above. As for the other part, it has further corroborating reports, which will come, Allah willing, under no. 2036.

I then saw that al-Ṭabarānī transmitted the hadith in al-Muʿjam al-Kabīr (20/25/30), from his trustworthy shaykh Mūsā ibn Hārūn, through the chain of transmission of the son of Imam Aḥmad: from ʿAbd Allāh ibn Jaʿfar, from Umm Bakr bint al-Miswar, from Jaʿfar ibn Muḥammad, from ʿUbayd Allāh ibn Abī Rāfiʿ. This is how he stated it: “from Jaʿfar,” in place of “and Jaʿfar” in the chain of transmission of the son of Imam Aḥmad. This is closer to what is correct, since they did not mention that Umm Bakr bint al-Miswar narrated from Jaʿfar.

Moreover, in this narration of al-Ṭabarānī, Jaʿfar is identified as the son of Muḥammad; thus, it may be regarded as supporting the likelihood that he is Jaʿfar ibn Muḥammad al-Ṣādiq, as I mentioned at the beginning of the source documentation. This is further supported by the narration of Isḥāq ibn Muḥammad al-Farawī: “ʿAbd Allāh ibn Jaʿfar al-Zuhrī narrated to us”—the original reads al-Zāhirī, which is an error—“from Jaʿfar ibn Muḥammad,” with the same report but without the other part.

Al-Ḥākim transmitted it (3/154) and said:

“The chain of transmission is authentic.”

Al-Dhahabī agreed with him.

I say: Thus, in light of the foregoing investigation, it is more likely that the narrator of this hadith from ʿUbayd Allāh ibn Abī Rāfiʿ is Jaʿfar ibn Muḥammad al-Ṣādiq, may Allah be pleased with him. The hadith therefore returns to the sound status we had previously assigned it on account of its chain of transmission. We have also learned from it that this Jaʿfar was among the shaykhs of ʿAbd Allāh ibn Jaʿfar al-Miswarī al-Zuhrī—an invaluable point not recorded in his biographical entry in the books on narrators. It should therefore be added there. With Allah lies success.