Muslim recorded it (7/15), as did Aḥmad (6/127), through two routes from al-Aʿmash, from Abū al-Ḍuḥā, from Masrūq, from her.

Al-Bukhārī and others also narrated it in similar wording; its documentation has preceded under no. 2775.

Similar is the hadith of ʿAlī concerning his illness, when the Prophet entered upon him. He said: “He wiped me with his hand, then said: ‘O Allah, cure him...’” The rest of the hadith.

Ibn Abī Shaybah (8/46) and Aḥmad (1/128) recorded it with a chain of transmission containing weakness, though Aḥmad Shākir deemed it authentic (2/234)!

I say: Just as wiping before recitation has been prescribed, so too has blowing lightly before recitation. Thus, just as one cannot say, “There is no benefit in wiping before it,” neither can one say, “There is no benefit in blowing lightly before recitation.” For all of this is prescribed, and personal opinion has no place in it. Reflect on this!

A point of benefit: Ibn Ḥibbān recorded the hadith concerning wiping with an additional passage at its end, which must be examined. He recorded it (1443) through Bishr ibn al-Walīd al-Kindī, who said: Ḥammād ibn Zayd narrated to us, from ʿAmr ibn Mālik al-Nukarī, from Abū al-Jawzāʾ, from ʿĀʾishah, who said:

“Whenever the Messenger of Allah fell ill, I would invoke protection for him with the supplication by which Gabriel would invoke protection for him:

‘Remove the affliction...’” The rest of the hadith.

He added:

“When he fell ill with the illness in which he died, I began to invoke protection for him with this supplication, whereupon he said: ‘Lift your hand, for it used to benefit me during that time.’”

I say: Its chain of transmission is weak. Abū al-Jawzāʾ, whose name was Aws ibn ʿAbd Allāh al-Rabaʿī, was described by Ibn ʿAbd al-Barr in al-Tamhīd (20/205), and by others, as follows: