and al-Hakim (4/582–584), who declared it authentic. Muslim likewise recorded it (1/117), except that he did not cite its wording, but merely referred to the wording of the hadith of Hafs ibn Maysarah, which is similar to it.

Sulayman ibn Amr ibn Ubayd al-Atawari (1), of Banu Layth and a ward of Abu Said, also corroborated Ata. He said: I heard Abu Said al-Khudri say: I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, say … He then related it in an abbreviated form, similar to it, including the third addition.

It was recorded by Ahmad (3/11–12), Ibn Khuzaymah (p. 211), Ibn Abi Shaybah in al-Musannaf (13/176/16039)—from whom Ibn Majah (4280) narrated it—Ibn Jarir in al-Tafsir (16/85), Yahya ibn Sa'id in Zawa'id al-Zuhd (p. 448/1268), and al-Hakim (4/585), who said:

“Its chain of transmission is authentic according to Muslim’s criteria!”

Al-Dhahabi made no comment on this. However, it is only good, because it includes Muhammad ibn Ishaq, who explicitly stated that he heard it directly.

I say—after having documented this hadith in a manner that you may not find elsewhere, and having shown that it was reported by both al-Bukhari and Muslim, as well as by other compilers of authentic collections, Sunan works, and Musnads:

It contains many great benefits. Among them is the intercession of the righteous believers for their brethren who prayed and were admitted into the Fire because of their sins; then for others below them, according to the varying degrees of their faith.

Then Allah, Blessed and Exalted, bestows His favor upon those believers who remain in the Fire and brings them out of it without any deed they performed or any good they put forward. Some people have imagined that the negated “good” means that those who did not affirm Allah’s oneness may be brought out of the Fire! Al-Hafiz said in al-Fath (13/429):