The first is that the actual wording in al-Dhahabi’s Weak Narrators is: “Trustworthy and well-known. Abu Dawud said: ‘Weak.’” One manuscript adds: “And he also said: ‘Trustworthy.’” Thus, the words “trustworthy and well-known” make it very clear that, in al-Dhahabi’s view, he was trustworthy rather than weak. Al-Manawi’s omission of this explicit attestation of trustworthiness is therefore plainly problematic. What I have said is further supported by the fact that al-Dhahabi included him in his book Knowledge of Narrators Criticized in a Manner Not Warranting Rejection (p. 137/212), where he said: “A shaykh of al-Bukhari; Abu Dawud declared him weak.”

The other objection is that what al-Manawi cited from Ibn Hibban was stated in Weak Narrators (2/138) concerning Ibn Zabalah, who is not the narrator of this hadith. Rather, its narrator is al-Darawardi, who is deemed trustworthy by Ibn Hibban and others. He had slight weakness in his retention, but his hadith does not fall below the rank of good; Muslim cited him as evidence.

2219 — “Whoever’s feet become dusty in the cause of Allah, Allah has forbidden him to the Fire.”

It was recorded by al-Bukhari (2/390, al-Salafiyyah edition), al-Tirmidhi (1632), al-Nasa’i (2/56), Ibn Hibban (4586), and Ahmad (3/479), on the authority of ʿAbayah ibn Rifaʿah, who said: “Abu ʿAbs caught up with me while I was going to the Friday prayer and said: ‘Rejoice, for these steps of yours are in the cause of Allah.’ I heard the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say”—and he then mentioned it. Al-Tirmidhi said: “A good, singular, authentic hadith. Abu ʿAbs was named ʿAbd al-Rahman ibn Jabr.”

ʿUtbah ibn Abi Hakim also narrated from Husayn, from Abu al-Musabbih, from Jabir ibn ʿAbd Allah, attributing to the Prophet a report with similar wording. It was recorded by Ibn Hibban (1588), al-Tayalisi (1/234, according to its arrangement), and Ahmad (3/367).