(2/227/1), through several routes from Muhammad ibn Yaʿqub al-Asamm: Bahr—[the original reads: Yahya, which is a copyist’s error] ibn Nasr al-Khawlani told us; Ibn Wahb told us; Ibn Lahiʿah informed me, from Yazid ibn Habib, from ʿUbayd Allah ibn ʿUmar, from ʿAbd Allah ibn ʿUmar, who said: He then mentioned it.

I say: This is a good chain of transmission, for all its narrators are reliable and known for precision and retention, apart from Ibn Lahiʿah, whose weakness lies in his retention. However, the scholars regarded the hadiths narrated from him by the ʿAbadilah—those transmitters named ʿAbd Allah—as strong; this was apparently because they heard from him before his books were burned and his retention and transmission deteriorated.

What prompted me to investigate this matter was that I saw al-Hafiz al-Mundhiri indicate that this hadith was weak in al-Targhib (3/108), by introducing it with the words, “It has been narrated.” Yet I have known him to introduce Ibn Lahiʿah’s hadiths with “from,” a formulation suggestive of strength, even when they were not narrated by the ʿAbadilah. Examples of this are numerous. Some may be found in my book Weak Reports of Encouragement and Warning, cited there under nos. 149, 186, 218, and 220. Indeed, I have seen him explicitly grade some of Ibn Lahiʿah’s hadiths as good, including hadith no. 369.

It also has a supporting report narrated by Zamʿah ibn Salih, from Abu Hazim, from Sahl ibn Saʿd, may Allah be pleased with him, who said: “The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, died while a woolen outer garment was being woven for him.” In another narration: “a striped garment of black wool.” Al-Tabarani narrated it in al-Muʿjam al-Kabir (6/219/5919/2920) through two routes from him.

I say: This is a good chain for corroborating reports and supporting evidence. Al-Haythami said (5/131): “Al-Tabarani narrated it, and it contains Zamʿah ibn Salih, who is weak, though he has been declared trustworthy; the rest of its narrators are reliable.”