“He is not strong.” Ibn Hibban mentioned him in al-Thiqat (6/176), but soon contradicted himself by also listing him in al-Du‘afa’ (1/224), where he said: “I do not approve of using his report as proof when he narrates alone.” I say: This means that he is not severely weak, so he may be cited in corroboration. And Allah, Exalted is He, knows best.

Moreover, Ibn Hibban added at the end of the hadith: “May Allah destroy the Jews! They have indeed been granted knowledge.”

I say: The funeral bier’s speaking is something that ought to be believed, for it is established in some authentic hadiths, such as his saying, may Allah bless him and grant him peace: “When the funeral bier is set down and the men carry it upon their necks, if it is righteous, it says, ‘Take me forward! Take me forward!’ But if it is not righteous, it says, ‘Woe to it! Where are they taking it?’ Everything hears its voice except the human being; and were he to hear it, he would fall unconscious.” Al-Bukhari and others narrated it, and it is cited in Ahkam al-Jana’iz (p. 72).

Thus, his saying, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, in answer to the Jew’s question, “Allah knows best,” apparently came before this authentic and explicit hadith—establishing that the funeral bier speaks, and does so audibly—was revealed to him. And Allah knows best.

Moreover, the hadith in Sahih al-Bukhari, narrated from Abu Hurayrah as a statement of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, does not include the words, “If it is true...” and so on; it has already appeared under no. 422. Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah confused this with the hadith under discussion; see the commentary on Fada’il al-Sham (p. 55, Amman).