His statement: “shaʿaf,” with the dotted shīn and the undotted ʿayn both carrying fatḥah, is the plural of shaʿfah, just as akam is the plural of akamah. It means the peaks of mountains, as stated in al-Fatḥ (1/69). In one version of al-Bukhari, it occurs as “or saʿaf of the mountains,” with an undotted sīn, meaning palm fronds; but that has no meaning here. It is a doubt on the part of one of the narrators, so there is no need to reconcile the two versions, as al-Hafiz did (6/614).

His statement: “asāwid” is the plural of aswad, meaning a snake, or the most vicious kind of snake.

And “ṣubban” is the plural of ṣabūb. Al-Naḍr said: When the black snake wishes to bite, it raises itself and then swoops down upon the one it bites. Al-Nihayah.

Al-Haythami also cited the hadith (7/305) in the other version containing the addition, and said: “Ahmad, al-Bazzar, and al-Tabarani narrated it through several chains, and the narrators of one of them are the narrators of the Sahih collections.” *

Should one who seeks office be appointed?

3092—“By Allah, we do not appoint to this office anyone who asks for it, nor anyone who is eager for it.”

Ibn Abi Shaybah transmitted it in al-Musannaf (12/215/12587): Abu Usamah narrated to us; he said: Burayd ibn ʿAbd Allah narrated to us, from Abu Burdah, from Abu Musa, who said: I entered upon the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, along with two men from my paternal cousins. One of the two men said: “O Messenger of Allah, appoint us over some of that with which Allah has entrusted you.” The other said the same. He said: Then he said ... and mentioned it.

I say: This is an authentic chain according to the conditions of the two Shaykhs, and both of them transmitted it. Muslim (6/6) narrated it through the route of al-Musannaf. He, al-Bukhari, and Abu Yaʿla (13/306/7320) also transmitted it; and Ibn Hibban (7/8/4464) narrated it from him through the route of Muhammad ibn al-ʿAla, who said: Abu Usamah narrated to us through this chain,