That is what he said! Yet al-Masʿūdī corroborated him, as did ʿAmr ibn Abī Qays—as mentioned above—though he differed from them by including al-Qāsim ibn ʿAbd al-Raḥmān in the chain of transmission. Their two narrations are more convincing; although there is some weakness in each of their memories, each strengthens the other. ʿAmr ibn Abī Qays—who was from Rayy—was truthful but prone to errors, as stated in al-Taqrīb. If he retained it correctly, it may be said that Simāk heard it from al-Qāsim, from his father, and then heard it directly from his father. Perhaps al-Haythamī’s treatment of it indicates this, when he said (10/219): “It was narrated by al-Bazzār and al-Ṭabarānī in al-Awsaṭ and al-Kabīr, and its chain of transmission is good.”

I say: He combined the narrations of al-Bazzār and al-Ṭabarānī despite their differing reports from Simāk, as though indicating that their difference is not detrimental. Before this, he cited the narration of Aḥmad and Abū Yaʿlā, then said: “Their chain of transmission includes al-Masʿūdī, whose narrations became confused.” Al-Suyūṭī was remiss in al-Jāmiʿ al-Kabīr (6404), attributing it only to al-Ṭabarānī in al-Muʿjam al-Kabīr!

2834 — “They let their moustaches grow and shave their beards, so differ from them”—meaning, the Magians.

Ibn Ḥibbān recorded it in his Ṣaḥīḥ (5452—al-Iḥsān), as did al-Bayhaqī in his Sunan (1/151), Abū Ḥāmid al-Ḥaḍramī in his Ḥadīth collection (folio 2/2), and Abū ʿArūbah al-Ḥarrānī in Ḥadīth al-Jazarīyīn (folio 146/1), through several routes from Maʿqil ibn ʿUbayd Allāh, from Maymūn ibn Mihrān, from Ibn ʿUmar, who said: The Magians were mentioned to the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—and he said this. He added: