I say: This chain of transmission is authentic according to the conditions of Muslim. Al-Dahhak ibn Uthman also narrated it from Ibrahim ibn Hunayn through the same chain, except that he said: “and from wearing garments deeply dyed with safflower and safflower-dyed garments.” Al-Nasa’i also narrated it (1/160 and 2/287), adding: “and from reciting while bowing.” Its chain of transmission is likewise authentic according to the conditions of Muslim.

Muslim also recorded it in his Sahih (6/144) through other routes from Ibrahim ibn Abd Allah, through the same chain, but without the wording “garments deeply dyed with safflower.” This is the version narrated by Ibn Majah. Ahmad also narrated it (1/71) through another route from Ubayd Allah—that is, Ibn Abd Allah ibn Mawhib: My uncle, Ubayd Allah ibn Abd al-Rahman ibn Mawhib, informed me from Abu Hurayrah, from him, in an abridged form; it includes an account. This chain of transmission is weak, due to the weakness of Ubayd Allah ibn Abd al-Rahman ibn Mawhib. They did not mention that he narrated from Abu Hurayrah, and the apparent conclusion is that he did not hear from him. The narrator from him, Ubayd Allah ibn Abd al-Rahman ibn Abd Allah ibn Mawhib al-Tamimi, is weak as well.

Note: In his Zawa’id Ibn Majah, al-Busiri commented on the hadith under the heading (218/1): “This chain of transmission is authentic, and it has a supporting report from the hadith of Ali ibn Abi Talib, narrated by Muslim and the four compilers of the Sunan. Abu Bakr ibn Abi Shaybah also narrated it in his Musnad with this chain of transmission, with an addition at its beginning.” There are several issues in this that would not escape an intelligent reader, the foremost being that the wording “garments deeply dyed with safflower” from Ali is found only in al-Nasa’i.