al-Mu‘jam al-Kabir!” Although al-Hafiz, in al-Fath (7/373), attributed it to him, he stated that it appears there through Zuhayr ibn Muhammad, from Abu Hazim. Yet the words “from Sahl ibn Sa‘d” have been omitted from the cited printed edition and others, just as they were omitted from an earlier narration which he also attributed to al-Tabarani, though it is found in al-Mu‘jam (6/189)! Accordingly, I think that his mention of “Zuhayr ibn Muhammad” is an error; perhaps it is a corruption of “Zuhrah ibn Ma‘bad,” for no Zuhayr ibn Muhammad is found among those who narrated from Abu Hazim—whose name was Salamah ibn Dinar—in al-Mu‘jam al-Kabir, although he did narrate from him in Sunan Ibn Majah, as stated in Tahdhib al-Mizzi.

Al-Hafiz then cited a corroborating report for this hadith, narrated by Ibn ‘A’idh by way of al-Awza‘i in an unchained report:

“When the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, went forth on the day of Uhud ...” The hadith is cited in abridged form, and includes:

“Then he said: ‘O Allah, forgive ...’”

In sum, this supplication of his, peace and blessings be upon him, for his people is established through the combined chains of transmission, and a number of hadith masters have held this view. However, it was not a supplication that the polytheists be forgiven for their disbelief, but rather for their sin in wounding him, peace and blessings be upon him. Ibn Hibban said after the hadith:

“The meaning of this supplication is that, on the day of Uhud, when his face was wounded, he said: ‘O Allah, forgive my people their sin against me in wounding my face’; it was not a supplication for the disbelievers to be forgiven. Had he supplicated for their forgiveness, they would certainly have embraced Islam at that time.”

Al-Hafiz endorsed the first part of his statement, but took issue with its second part, saying (6/521):

“That is what he said! It seems that he based this on the assumption that some part of his supplication could not go unanswered, whether in respect of some of it or some of those for whom he prayed. But this is open to question, for it is established that he said: ‘Allah granted me two and withheld one from me’; this will come later.”

I say: It has been sourced above under no. (1724), and also in Sifat al-Salah (Description of the Prayer), and it has