that respect, as is plainly observed and known from the differing capacities and dispositions of people. For some, it is easier to fast along with the people and not have to make up the fasts when they are breaking theirs; while others are unconcerned about this, so they avail themselves of the concession and break their fast, then make it up later. May Allah send blessings upon the unlettered Prophet, upon whom was revealed: “Allah intends ease for you and does not intend hardship for you.”
2885 — “The worst of shepherds are the cruel ones.”
It was recorded by Muslim (6/9–10), Abu ʿAwanah (4/424), Ibn Hibban (7/22/4494), al-Bayhaqi in al-Sunan al-Kubra (8/161), Ahmad (5/64), al-Ruyani in his Musnad (folio 153/2), al-Tabarani in al-Muʿjam al-Kabir (18/17/26), and al-Dulabi in al-Kuna (1/93), through various routes from Jarir ibn Hazim, who said: Al-Hasan narrated to us that ʿAʾidh ibn ʿAmr—who was one of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him—entered upon ʿUbayd Allah ibn Ziyad and said: “My dear son, I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, say”—and he cited the hadith—“so beware lest you be among them.” He replied: “Sit down! You are but among the bran of Muhammad’s Companions, peace and blessings be upon him!” He said: “Was there any bran among them? Bran only came after them, among people other than them!”
Shuʿbah corroborated him, from Yunus, from al-Hasan, that ʿAʾidh ibn ʿAmr said to Ziyad: “We used to be told: ‘The worst of shepherds are the cruel ones,’” and so on.
I say: However, al-Hasan—al-Basri—frequently narrated mursal reports and practised concealment in transmission. His statement, “that ʿAʾidh ibn ʿAmr …,” outwardly has the form of a mursal report. I have not found that he heard from him, even in any hadith other than this one. Even if this were established, it would not entail that this chain is continuous, since al-Hasan practised concealment in transmission. The hadith of one such as him is not accepted unless he explicitly states that he received it directly; and this is what we have not found, as mentioned above.