“Al-Tabarani narrated it from his shaykh Abu Yahya al-Razi, whom I have not identified; the rest of its narrators are trustworthy.” Al-Manawi endorsed this in al-Jamiʿ al-Azhar.

That is what he said, but there are several points to note. First: Abu Yahya al-Razi was ʿAbd al-Rahman ibn Muhammad ibn Salm al-Razi, as stated by al-Dhahabi in al-Muqtanā fī al-Kunā. Al-Tabarani narrated one hadith from him in al-Muʿjam al-Saghir (1197), giving both his name and his kunya, though he attributed him to his grandfather and did not mention his father. He likewise mentioned him without the kunya in al-Muʿjam al-Awsat, where he related twenty-six hadiths from him (4864–4890, according to my numbering). One of them (4874) is narrated by him from Mahmud ibn Ghaylan, his shaykh in the hadith under discussion. Abu al-Shaykh included his biographical entry in Tabaqat al-Asbahaniyyin (339/459), naming his father and grandfather and giving his kunya; Abu Nuʿaym did likewise in Akhbar Isfahan (2/112), as did al-Dhahabi in Tadhkirat al-Huffaz. Al-Dhahabi said: “He was among the trustworthy narrators, and he died in 291 AH.”

Second: Muʾammal was Ibn Ismaʿil al-Basri, a resident of Mecca. Scholars differed concerning him, and more than one of the early authorities described him as frequently erring despite his truthfulness. This is the view favoured by al-Dhahabi in al-Kashif. Al-Hafiz said in al-Taqrib: “Truthful, but poor in retention.” Thus, including someone like him among the trustworthy narrators is plainly an instance of laxity.

Third: Abu Ishaq—al-Sabiʿi—practised concealment in transmission, and he reported it here using the ambiguous formula “from.” Nevertheless, the hadith is authentic, for it has a strong corroborating report from Abu Hurayrah, traced back to the Prophet, with the same wording, except that it states: “For Allah, Most High, is her Provider.”