I say: He is weak, as stated in al-Taqrib. The same applies to Yahya ibn ‘Abd al-Hamid, the narrator from him—namely, al-Humani. Al-Haythami deemed it defective solely on his account, saying in al-Majma‘ (7/30): “Al-Tabarani narrated it in al-Kabir and al-Awsat, and its chain includes Yahya al-Humani, who is weak.”

The disparager of authentic hadiths followed him in his commentary on Ighathat al-Lahfan (2/195). Yet there is no basis for deeming it defective on his account, since he was not alone in narrating it, as al-Tabarani indicated in the statement cited above: Muhammad ibn ‘Imran corroborated him in Abu Nu‘aym’s al-Ma‘rifah (1/142/1). Ibn ‘Imran is Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Layla al-Ansari, and he is trustworthy.

It has another defect as well: there is a break in the chain between al-Dahhak and Ibn ‘Abbas, for he did not meet him. Yet the following route corroborates it, especially since al-Dhahabi said of al-Dahhak in al-Mughni: “He is strong in exegesis.”

The other route is narrated by Jubarah ibn al-Mughallis: Abu Shaybah Ibrahim ibn ‘Uthman narrated to us, from al-Hakam, from Mujahid, from Ibn ‘Abbas, traced back to the Prophet: “Go forth on campaign, and you will gain Byzantine women as spoils.” Some of the hypocrites then said: “He is surely tempting you with women!” So Allah, Most High, revealed: “And among them is he who says, ‘Give me leave, and do not put me to trial.’”

Al-Tabarani also recorded it in al-Kabir (11/63/11052). Al-Haythami deemed it defective, saying: “Its chain includes Abu Shaybah Ibrahim ibn ‘Uthman, who is weak.”