then its chain of transmission is authentic. In any case, it is supported by what follows.
- As for the hadith of Sahl, it is narrated by ʿIyad ibn ʿAbd Allah al-Fihri and others, from Ibn Shihab, from Sahl, in the hadith concerning spouses who undergo liʿan: “Thereafter, the established sunnah regarding spouses who undergo liʿan was that they be separated and never reunite.” Abu Dawud (1/351–352) and al-Bayhaqi (7/410) narrated it.
I say: This is a good chain of transmission, and its narrators are among Muslim’s narrators. Although this al-Fihri has some weakness, it is not severe; thus, such a narrator may be cited in corroboration—especially since he was not alone in narrating it, for another narrator was coupled with him. Although this other narrator is not named in this version, it is possible that he is the forthcoming al-Zubaydi. If so, it is a strong corroboration, because this al-Zubaydi—whose name was Muhammad ibn Ziyad—was a thoroughly trustworthy narrator and one of al-Zuhri’s foremost students, as al-Hafiz said. If he is someone else, then he is unknown; if his report does not strengthen it, neither does it harm it.
This corroborating report is narrated by al-Awzaʿi, from al-Zubaydi, from al-Zuhri, with the same wording. Al-Bayhaqi narrated it. I say: Its chain of transmission is authentic; all its narrators are trustworthy, except Ibn Abi Hassan, the shaykh of Abu Bakr al-Ismaʿili, whose name I have not presently identified.
3 and 4. As for the hadiths of Ibn Masʿud and ʿAli, they are narrated by Qays ibn al-Rabiʿ, from ʿAsim, from Abu Waʾil, from ʿAbd Allah; and from ʿAsim, from Zirr, from ʿAli. They said: “The established sunnah concerning spouses who undergo liʿan is that they never reunite.” ʿAbd al-Razzaq narrated it in al-Musannaf (7/112/12434 and 12436), as did al-Bayhaqi; and al-Tabarani narrated it in al-Muʿjam al-Kabir (9/390/9661) from Ibn Masʿud alone.
I say: Its chain of transmission is good for corroborative purposes, at the very least, because Qays ibn al-Rabiʿ has weakness due to his retention.