And Salm ibn Qadim, al-Harbi’s teacher, has a favorable biographical notice in Tarikh Baghdad (9/145–146), where it states that he was trustworthy. Salih ibn Muhammad al-Asadi likewise declared him trustworthy, while Ibn Maʿin said: “There is no harm in him,” as al-Khatib related on the authority of both. He included him in al-Lisan, but added nothing to his biography beyond the statement: “Ibn Hibban said in al-Thiqāt: ‘He makes mistakes.’” This is a serious shortcoming.

He was corroborated, for Ahmad (2/484) said: ʿAbd al-Rahman narrated to us from Zuhayr, with the same chain. It contains the addition placed between brackets. I do not know whether it was omitted from the original of Gharib al-Hadith, or whether it was dropped when I copied it from there; the former is more likely. In any case, it is sound, just as the basis of the hadith is sound, for Zuhayr was corroborated in it. Muslim (7/8) and Ahmad (2/300) transmitted it through Shuʿbah, who said: “I heard al-ʿAla’ ibn ʿAbd al-Rahman,” with the same chain and the addition. Ahmad (2/412) then transmitted it through ʿAbd al-Rahman ibn Ibrahim al-Qass, who said: “Al-ʿAla’ ibn ʿAbd al-Rahman narrated to us,” with the same chain.

“Tusiffuhum” means: you feed them. “Al-mall” means hot ashes.

2598 — “The words most beloved to Allah are for a servant to say: ‘Glory be to You, O Allah, and all praise is Yours. Blessed is Your Name, exalted is Your majesty, and there is no god but You.’ And the words most hated by Allah are for one man to say to another, ‘Fear Allah,’ and for the latter to reply, ‘Mind your own business.’”