I say: Yet the hadith is authentic, for it has a corroborating report from Ibn ʿUmar, whose documentation was previously given under no. 504; it was reported by al-Bukhari and Muslim. It also has another corroborating report from Maslamah ibn Makhlad, attributed to the Prophet with the same wording. Ahmad (4/104) recorded it through Ibn Jurayj, from Ibn al-Munkadir, from Abu Ayyub, from Maslamah ibn Makhlad, attributed to the Prophet. This, then, is the preserved narration from Muhammad ibn al-Munkadir. Its narrators are trustworthy and were relied upon by both al-Bukhari and Muslim.
- “This pulpit of mine is upon one of the gates of Paradise.”
Ahmad (2/360 and 450) and Ibn Saʿd (1/253) recorded it through several routes from Abu Salamah, from Abu Hurayrah, attributed to the Prophet with this wording. Ibn Saʿd added: “He said: A turʿah is a gate.” Its chain is good, and one of Ahmad’s two chains is authentic according to the criteria of al-Bukhari and Muslim. He then recorded it (2/412 and 534) through Hammad ibn Salamah, from Suhayl ibn Abi Salih, from his father, from Abu Hurayrah, with the same wording. I say: This is an authentic chain according to the criteria of Muslim.
The hadith also has a corroborating report from Sahl ibn Saʿd al-Saʿidi, attributed to the Prophet with the same wording, adding: “Sahl said: ‘Do you know what a turʿah is?’ They replied: ‘Yes, it is the gate.’” Ahmad (5/335 and 339) and Ibn Saʿd recorded it through several routes from Abu Hazim, from him. Its chain is authentic according to the criteria of al-Bukhari and Muslim. Ahmad then recorded it (3/389) from Jabir ibn ʿAbdullah, and (4/41) from ʿAbdullah ibn Zayd al-Ansari.