Some of those whom al-Tirmidhī mentioned differed from him, including Ismāʿīl ibn ʿUlayyah, the trustworthy hadith master. Ibn Jarīr narrated it through two chains from him, from al-Jurayrī, as a mursal report. I say: It is therefore authentic as a mursal report.

As for al-Ḥākim’s statement, following the report with a continuous chain from ʿĀʾishah, that its “chain of transmission is authentic,” it is untenable for the reason we have mentioned, even though al-Dhahabī concurred with him. Nevertheless, the hadith is authentic, for it has a corroborating report from Abū Hurayrah, who said:

“The Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—whenever he stopped at a place, they would look for the largest tree they could find and reserve it for the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him. He would then rest beneath it, while his Companions would rest afterward in the shade of the trees. Once, while he was resting beneath a tree, with his sword hanging from it, a Bedouin came, took the sword from the tree, then approached the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—while he was asleep and woke him up. He said, ‘O Muhammad, who will protect you from me tonight?’ The Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—replied, ‘Allah.’ Then Allah revealed: ‘O Messenger, proclaim what has been sent down to you from your Lord. If you do not, then you have not conveyed His message; and Allah will protect you from the people.’ (1)—the verse.”

Ibn Ḥibbān recorded it in his Ṣaḥīḥ (1739 in Mawārid), as did Ibn Mardawayh, as cited by Ibn Kathīr (6/198), through two routes from Ḥammād ibn Salamah: Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr narrated to us from Abū Salamah, from him. I say: This is a good chain of transmission.

Ibn Kathīr also mentioned a second corroborating report from Jābir, narrated by Ibn Abī Ḥātim. There are two further corroborating reports from Saʿīd ibn Jubayr and Muḥammad ibn Kaʿb al-Quraẓī, in mursal form. Know that the Shīʿah claim—contrary to the preceding hadiths—that the verse in question was revealed concerning ʿAlī—may Allah be pleased with him—on the day of Ghadīr Khumm. In support of this, they cite numerous reports, most of which are mursal or have a double break in their chains, including one attributed to Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī; but it is not authentic from him, as I established in al-Ḍaʿīfah.