After examining the condition of these three narrators, we may conclude that this chain of transmission is good in itself and authentic through corroborating evidence. Allah is the Grantor of success. *
- “The Prophet sprinkled [water] over the grave of his son Ibrahim.”
Abu Dawud recorded it in al-Marasil (304/424), and through his route al-Bayhaqi recorded it in al-Sunan (3/311), by two chains from ‘Abd al-‘Aziz ibn Muhammad, from ‘Abd Allah ibn Muhammad—that is, Ibn ‘Umar—from his father, as a mursal report.
His father was Muhammad ibn ‘Umar ibn ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, a truthful narrator from among the Successors of the Successors. However, it has also been narrated with a connected chain through another route from ‘Abd al-‘Aziz ibn Muhammad. Al-Tabarani said in al-Mu‘jam al-Awsat (2/80/1/6282): Muhammad ibn Zuhayr al-Abli narrated to us; Ahmad ibn ‘Abdah al-Dabbi narrated to us; ‘Abd al-‘Aziz ibn Muhammad al-Darawardi narrated to us, from Hisham ibn ‘Urwah, from his father, from ‘A’ishah, attributing it to the Prophet with this wording. He said:
“No one narrated it from Hisham ibn ‘Urwah except al-Darawardi, and Ahmad ibn ‘Abdah alone narrated it.”
I say: He is trustworthy and one of Muslim’s shaykhs, as are all those above him; all of them are trustworthy narrators used by Muslim. Thus, the chain is authentic if Muhammad ibn Zuhayr al-Abli was corroborated—as is suggested by the aforementioned statement of al-Tabarani. Otherwise, it is good, because al-Abli has been subject to criticism. Al-Dhahabi said in al-Mizan:
“Al-Daraqutni said: ‘He erred in certain hadiths, but there is no harm in him.’ Ibn Ghulam al-Zuhri said: ‘His memory deteriorated two years before his death. He died in 318 AH. A man from Harran foisted a hadith upon him.’”