2442 — “Allah will continue to raise up people for this religion, employing them in obedience to Him.”

Al-Bukhari narrated it in al-Tarikh—al-Kuna (p. 61), as did Ibn Majah (1/7–8), Ibn Hibban in his Sahih (326—al-Ihsan) and in al-Thiqat (4/75), al-Dulabi in al-Kuna (1/46), Ibn Shahin in al-Sunnah (18/47/1), Ibn ʿAdi (58/2), and Ibn Mandah in al-Maʿrifah (2/1/1), through al-Jarrah ibn Mulayh al-Bahrani, who said: “I heard Bakr ibn Zurʿah al-Khawlani say: I heard Abu ʿAnabah al-Khawlani—who was one of the Companions of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, who had prayed toward both qiblahs and had eaten blood in the Age of Ignorance—say: I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, say,” and he mentioned it.

Al-Busiri said in al-Zawaʾid (2/2): “This is an authentic chain of transmission; all of its narrators are reliable.”

I say: Bakr ibn Zurʿah al-Khawlani was mentioned by Ibn Hibban among the reliable narrators, on the basis of this narration from him by al-Jarrah; no one else declared him reliable. Yet Ismaʿil ibn ʿAyyash also narrated from him, as stated in al-Jarh wa-al-Taʿdil (1/1/386), as did Abu al-Mughirah al-Khawlani, as stated in Tahdhib al-Tahdhib. Al-Taqrib says: “Acceptable.” I say: The hadith of someone like him may be graded fair, but to declare it authentic is far-fetched.

2443 — “None of you should bite another.”

Al-Tayalisi (2/66/2216), Ahmad (5/313/320), and Muslim (5/127) narrated it through Abu Qilabah, from Abu al-Ashʿath, from ʿUbadah ibn al-Samit, attributing it to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. It is part of the hadith concerning the pledge of allegiance recorded by Ahmad and Muslim.