Muʿawiyah wrote to Abd al-Rahman ibn Shibl, instructing him: “Teach the people what you heard from the Messenger of Allah.” He said: “I heard the Messenger of Allah say …” and he mentioned it. Al-Hakim said: “Authentic according to the criteria of Muslim.” Al-Dhahabi agreed with him.
I say: Thus, in Maʿmar’s narration, Abu Rashid al-Hubrani is not mentioned. Ahmad (3/444) and Ibn ʿAsakir, in al-Tarikh (9/977), likewise narrated it from him. Ibn ʿAsakir said: “Aban ibn Yazid al-ʿAttar narrated it in abbreviated form from Yahya ibn Abi Kathir, adding Abu Rashid al-Hubrani to its chain of transmission.”
He then cited its chain of transmission for the preceding hadith by way of Abu Yaʿla, without the account concerning Muʿawiyah. He then said: “Muʿawiyah ibn Salam likewise narrated it from his brother.”
He then cited its chain by way of Muhammad ibn Shuʿayb: Muʿawiyah ibn Salam narrated to me from his brother, from his grandfather, from Abu Salam, from Abu Rashid, who said: “We were with Muʿawiyah …” and he mentioned the hadith in abbreviated form.
He then narrated it by way of al-Rabiʿ ibn Nafiʿ: Muʿawiyah ibn Salam narrated it through this chain. *
- “When Allah wills mercy for a community among His servants, He causes its Prophet to die before them, making him a forerunner and predecessor ahead of them. But when He wills the destruction of a community, He punishes it while its Prophet is still alive, destroying it as he watches, thereby gladdening him at its destruction when they denied him and disobeyed his command.”
Muslim (7/65) reported it in suspended form, saying: “I was told by Abu Usamah—and among those who narrated …”