Third: From Qays ibn Zayd: “The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, divorced Hafsa, daughter of ‘Umar. Her two maternal uncles, Qudamah and ‘Uthman, sons of Maz‘un, entered upon her, and she wept, saying: ‘By Allah, he did not divorce me because he had tired of me.’ Then the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, came and said: ‘Gabriel, peace be upon him, said to me: “Take Hafsa back, for she fasts frequently and stands often in prayer, and she is your wife in Paradise.”’”

It was recorded by Abu Nu‘aym in al-Hilyah (2/50) and by al-Hakim, through the route of Hammad ibn Salamah: Abu ‘Imran al-Jawni informed us from Qays ibn Zayd.

I say: Al-Hakim, and then al-Dhahabi, remained silent about it, perhaps because its flaw was evident—namely, this Qays ibn Zayd. Ibn Abi Hatim said (3/2/98): “He narrated from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, as a mursal report. I do not know him to have been a Companion. Abu ‘Imran al-Jawni narrated from him.”

Fourth: From al-Hasan ibn Abi Ja‘far, from ‘Asim, from Zirr, from ‘Ammar ibn Yasir, who said: “The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, intended to divorce Hafsa, but Gabriel came and said: ‘Do not divorce her, for she fasts frequently and stands often in prayer, and she is your wife in Paradise.’” Abu Nu‘aym recorded it.

I say: Its narrators are trustworthy, except for al-Hasan ibn Abi Ja‘far—the Ja‘fari. Al-Hafiz said: “He is weak in hadith, despite his worship and virtue.”

I say: Thus, when joined to the preceding mursal report, this hadith rises to the rank of good, Allah willing. On another occasion, he narrated it from Thabit, from Anas, may Allah be pleased with him: “The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, divorced Hafsa with a single pronouncement of divorce. Then Gabriel, peace be upon him, came to him and said: ‘O Muhammad, you divorced Hafsa, though she fasts frequently and stands often in prayer, and she is your wife in Paradise?’”