Thus, in al-Ḥāfiẓ al-ʿAsqalānī’s assessment—and he is sufficient authority in this field—Abū Khālid al-Dālānī was one of the senior Followers of the Successors. There is therefore nothing to preclude the possibility that he heard from members of the second rank, namely the senior Successors. And Allah knows best.

It is noteworthy that al-Bukhārī narrated, from the same source, something that contradicts the denial which Abū Yaʿlā related from Muḥammad ibn Bashshār, from Ibn Mahdī. It is upon this that I relied in establishing that he was al-Dālānī. In his biographical notice on Yazīd Abū Khālid al-Wāsiṭī, from Ibrāhīm al-Saksakī, he said: “Muḥammad ibn Bashshār told me: Ibn Mahdī and Ghundar narrated to us, from Shuʿbah, from Yazīd ibn Abū Khālid al-Dālānī, from Abū ʿUbaydah ...”

The Yemeni editor commented on this, saying: “This is how it appears in both originals. It seems to be one of Ibn Bashshār’s errors: he added the word ‘ibn’ and added ‘al-Dālānī.’ And Allah knows best.” His basis for deeming this an error was Ibn Abū Ḥātim’s earlier statement: “He is not al-Dālānī.” Al-Yamānī cited it immediately before the aforementioned comment.

In sum, this is a problematic issue that requires further research and verification. Declaring Imam al-Bukhārī, or one of his trustworthy narrators, to be mistaken is no light matter. May Allah facilitate, for me or for someone else who is concerned with this noble field, that which will uncover the literal truth and resolve the difficulty. Nevertheless, this does not preclude classifying the hadith as good. And Allah, glorified and exalted is He, knows best.

2328 — “Whoever humbles himself for Allah, Allah raises him.”

Abū Nuʿaym narrated it in al-Ḥilyah (8/46), through ʿAlī ibn al-Ḥasan ibn Abū al-Rabīʿ al-Zāhid, who said: Ibrāhīm ibn Adham narrated to us: I heard Muḥammad ibn ʿAjlān relate from his father, from Abū Hurayrah, attributing it to the Prophet, and he said: