from Malik—from al-Zuhri—from Anas, who attributed a similar report to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. He said: “It is singular among the reports of Malik; Waki‘ alone transmitted it.”

I say: Ibn Hisham—namely, al-Shatwi—is weak; yet Abu Nu‘aym’s statement, “Waki‘ alone transmitted it,” implies that al-Shatwi was not alone in transmitting it. If that is so, then the hadith is authentic. This may be why al-Sakhawi made no comment on it in al-Maqasid (p. 361/969), saying: “Its basis is in al-Bukhari.” Ibn ‘Adi and Ibn ‘Asakir also narrated this hadith from Jabir, as stated in al-Jami‘ al-Saghir. In sum, through these three routes together, the hadith rises to the level of good, Allah willing.

As for al-Sakhawi’s statement, “Its basis is in al-Bukhari,” I do not know what he meant, for I know of no report from Anas remotely similar to this in al-Bukhari. Unless he meant the hadith which Thabit narrated from Anas, attributing it to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, with the wording: “I have been harmed in Allah’s cause as no one has been harmed, and I have been made to fear in Allah’s cause as no one has been made to fear. Then a third day came upon me when Bilal and I had no food that any living being could eat except what was concealed beneath Bilal’s armpit.”

I say: That is one matter, whereas the hadith under discussion is another. For the former speaks of his own time and is therefore specific, while the hadith under discussion is more general, as is apparent. Moreover, al-Bukhari did not narrate it; rather, it was narrated by al-Tirmidhi (2474), Ibn Majah (1/67), and Ahmad (3/120 and 286), from Hammad ibn Salamah, from Thabit, with this wording. Al-Tirmidhi said: “A good, authentic hadith.”

I say: It meets Muslim’s conditions.