edited by the esteemed brother ʿAbd al-Bārī al-Salafī), and they cited as an example the hadith of Anas: “Bilāl was commanded to pronounce the adhān in pairs and the iqāmah in single phrases.” Reported by al-Bukhārī and Muslim; it is also cited in Ṣaḥīḥ Abī Dāwūd (525). Indeed, al-Nawawī said in his commentary on Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim:

“His words, ‘He was commanded,’ are pronounced with a ḍammah on the hamzah and a kasrah on the mīm; that is, the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, commanded him. This is the correct view, held by the majority of scholars among the jurists, specialists in legal theory, and all hadith scholars. A minority deviated and maintained that this wording and similar expressions are reports attributed to the Companion, since it is possible that someone other than the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, issued the command. This is mistaken. The correct view is that it is attributed to the Prophet, for such an unqualified expression refers only to the one who commands and forbids: the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him.”

I say: Abu Humayd’s statement, “He was commanded,” is the same as Anas’s statement, with no difference between them. It therefore has the ruling of a report attributed to the Prophet. Even more explicit is Ibn Hibban’s version (1267), which reads:

“We were only commanded ...” *

3077—(“I do not think that So-and-so and So-and-so know anything of our religion [which we follow].”)

Al-Bukhari recorded it (6067 and 6068) through Saʿīd ibn ʿUfayr—the wording being his—and Yaḥyā ibn Bukayr—the addition being his. Both said: Al-Layth narrated to us from ʿUqayl, from Ibn Shihāb, from ʿUrwah, from Aisha, who said ... and then mentioned it. Ibn ʿUfayr added:

“Al-Layth said: They were two hypocritical men.”

Yaḥyā added at its beginning:

“The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, entered upon me one day and said ...” and then mentioned it.