The fifth version: Ibrahim ibn Yusuf ibn Abi Ishaq narrated it from his father, from Abu Ishaq, from Abu Burdah, from al-Bara, with the same wording.

Al-Nasa’i recorded it (758), as did al-Tirmidhi (3396), who said: “This is a good, singular hadith through this route.” I say: This Ibrahim was a truthful narrator among those relied upon by al-Bukhari and Muslim, but he made errors, as stated in al-Taqrib. Al-Tirmidhi then indicated these five differing versions, without identifying which of them was preponderant.

What appears to me is that the soundest of them is the third version, for two reasons: al-Thawri and Shu‘bah were more retentive than the transmitters of the other versions; and they heard from Abu Ishaq before his memory deteriorated. Furthermore, Shu‘bah’s report is stronger than al-Thawri’s for two reasons. First, it includes the additional intermediary between Abu Ishaq and al-Bara, and an addition made by a trustworthy narrator is accepted. Second, Abu Ishaq practised concealment in transmission, and the scholars stated that Shu‘bah would not narrate from him reports in which he had concealed the transmission (1). Accordingly, the chain of transmission through this route is authentic, since Abu Ubaydah ibn Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud was trustworthy, and the other man was joined with him; although he was not named, this corroborates the report rather than detracting from it. And Allah knows best.

2 - As for the hadith of Hudhayfah, it was narrated from him by Rib‘i ibn Hirash, attributed to the Prophet. Al-Tirmidhi (3395), al-Humaydi (444), and Ahmad (5/382) recorded it through Sufyan ibn Uyaynah, from Abd al-Malik ibn Umayr, from him. Al-Tirmidhi said: