Wakiʿ also corroborated him: “ʿUmar ibn Dharr narrated it to us through this chain.” Ibn Abi Shaybah recorded it (12/363/14002). Thus, the chain of transmission is established as authentic and connected.

The hadith also has a corroborating report from Ibn ʿAbbas, who said: “The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, never fought a people without first inviting them.” It was recorded by al-Darimi (2/217), al-Bayhaqi (9/107), Ahmad (1/236), Abu Yaʿla (2/674), and al-Tabarani in al-Kabir (3/116/1), through various routes from Sufyan al-Thawri, from Ibn Abi Najih, from his father, from Ibn ʿAbbas, with this wording.

I say: This is an authentic chain according to the criteria of al-Bukhari and Muslim. However, al-Darimi deemed it defective, saying: “ʿUbayd Allah—that is, Ibn Musa—said: ‘Sufyan did not hear from Ibn Abi Najih,’” meaning this hadith. I say: This is a strange criticism, for al-Thawri was trustworthy and exceptionally precise; many regarded him as superior to Shuʿbah. He is well known to have narrated from ʿAbd Allah ibn Abi Najih, so the claim that he did not hear this hadith from ʿAbd Allah is not easily accepted without compelling evidence, rather than a mere unsupported assertion.

Hajjaj ibn Artah also corroborated him from Ibn Abi Najih with it. Ahmad recorded it (1/231), as did Ibn Abi Shaybah (12/365/14013). ʿAbd al-Wahid ibn Ziyad likewise corroborated him from Ibn Abi Najih with it. Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Muʿjam al-Kabir (3/111/2). ʿAbd al-Wahid ibn Ziyad was trustworthy and among the narrators relied upon by al-Bukhari and Muslim.

Note: This hadith is an important principle concerning inviting the unbelievers to Islam before fighting them,