“He differs in some of his hadith.” Although this does not render his hadith wholly unacceptable, it does lower it from the highest rank of authenticity and means that it is not given weight when it conflicts with another report. For this reason, al-Dhahabi said in al-Mizan: “He is truthful in himself, but he alone narrates hadiths that have been counted among those deemed objectionable, and there is disagreement over citing them as evidence. Among them…”—he then cited some of his hadiths and said—“Most of that is found in Sahih Muslim.”

Since this is so, Nuh ibn Abi Qays’s connected transmission takes precedence over Jaʿfar’s disconnected one, because he is more trustworthy than him and because a connected transmission constitutes an addition from a trustworthy narrator, which must be accepted.

Second: the singularity to which he alluded is negated by the fact that the basic report has come through other routes, even if in abridged form.

1. Al-Hakim said, following the statement of his quoted earlier: “It has a basis in the hadith of Sufyan al-Thawri. Abu Bakr al-Shafiʿi informed us: Ishaq ibn al-Hasan narrated to us; Abu Hudhayfah narrated to us; Sufyan narrated to us from a man, from Abu al-Jawzaʾ, from Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: ‘Those who go ahead’: the front rows; and ‘those who stay behind’: the rear rows.”

2. Al-Tabari narrated from al-Muʿtamir ibn Sulayman, from his father, from a man who reported to us from Marwan ibn al-Hakam, who said: “Some people would remain behind in the rows because of the women.” He said: So Allah revealed: “We have certainly known those of you who go ahead, and We have certainly known those who stay behind.”

3. Ibn Mardawayh narrated from Dawud ibn Salih, who said: Sahl ibn Hunayf al-Ansari said: “Do you know concerning what this verse was revealed: ‘We have certainly known those of you who go ahead…’?” I said: “Concerning the path of Allah.” He said: “No; rather, it concerns the rows in prayer.” This was cited in al-Durr al-Manthur (4/97).