of anyone who said that he had not heard from Jābir, for testimony affirming something takes precedence over testimony denying it. Hammām’s—Wahb’s brother—written collection from Abū Hurayrah is well known among the scholars, and Abū Hurayrah died before Jābir. So how could his having heard from him be considered improbable, when they were both in the same land?”

Al-Ḥāfiẓ rebutted this in Tahdhīb al-Tahdhīb, saying: “I say: As for the possibility that he heard from him, there is no doubt about it. But this concerns Hammām; as for his brother Wahb, concerning whom the discussion arose, there is no necessary connection between the two. Nor is it sound to object to Ibn Maʿīn on the basis of that chain of transmission. It appears that Ibn Maʿīn considered Ismāʿīl mistaken in this wording from Wahb: ‘I asked Jābir.’ What is correct in his view is: ‘from Jābir.’ And Allah knows best.”

I say: We have no evidence that Ibn Maʿīn was aware of Wahb’s statement, “I asked Jābir.” Even if it is assumed that he was aware of it, this would entail declaring a trustworthy narrator mistaken without proof, which is impermissible—especially when direct hearing is possible and the narrator is free of concealment in transmission. This is sufficient to establish continuity of the chain according to Muslim and the majority, even if direct hearing has not been established. So what then when it has been established?

Al-Ḥāfiẓ mentioned in the biography of this ʿAqīl that al-Bukhārī cited in suspended form—that is, in his Ṣaḥīḥ—a report from Jābir, in the exegesis of Surat al-Nisāʾ, concerning the soothsayers. It has also been transmitted with a connected chain through this ʿAqīl, from Wahb ibn Munabbih, from Jābir.

I say: He mentioned there (8/252) that Ibn Abī Ḥātim transmitted it with a connected chain through Wahb ibn Munabbih, who said: “I asked Jābir ibn ʿAbd Allāh about the ṭawāghīt (false deities) …” This too explicitly affirms direct hearing. And with Allah lies success.

The basis of this hadith is found in Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim (1/95), through another chain from Jābir, may Allah be pleased with him, who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, say: “A group from my ummah will continue fighting for the truth, prevailing until the Day of Resurrection.” He said: “Then Jesus, son of Mary, peace be upon him, will descend, and their leader will say, ‘Come and lead us in prayer,’”