I say: Their respective statements contain a subtle indication that neither of them had any scholarly proof for the aforementioned claim that he erred; it was merely an opinion. A trustworthy narrator should not be declared mistaken on such a basis, for his sole transmission constitutes proof unless it contradicts someone more trustworthy and more accurate in retention—and no such contradiction exists here. Al-Tirmidhi, may Allah have mercy on him, was quite right in his earlier statement to combine declaring the hadith authentic with judging it gharib (singly transmitted), for this is the principle expressly established in hadith terminology, as scholars well know. Otherwise, authentic hadiths would become liable to be deemed weak merely because of a sole transmission, which is untenable—especially since the other route has a different chain of transmission and different narrators. It supports Hafs’s narration, strengthens it, and shows that he retained it accurately. And Allah knows best.

The hadith contains an important benefit: it establishes the permissibility of eating while walking, unlike drinking while standing, which is prohibited, as is established in Sahih Muslim and elsewhere. I have previously documented some of these reports in the first volume (no. 177), and I mentioned there the scholars’ disagreement regarding its ruling, favoring prohibition because of the Prophet’s—blessings and peace be upon him—rebuke against drinking while standing, together with other evidence supporting this view. The reader may refer to it.

This cannot be countered with hadiths stating that he—blessings and peace be upon him—drank while standing, for this occurred either in accordance with the original presumption of permissibility or because of an excuse. This was also the view adopted by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah in one of his legal opinions; whoever wishes may consult it (32/209–210).

Then one of the brethren—may Allah reward him—drew my attention to Abu Hatim’s criticism of the hadith as well, on the basis of a strange hidden defect. His son said in al-Ilal (2/9/1500):

“I asked my father about a hadith narrated by Muhammad ibn Adam ibn Sulayman al-Massisi from Hafs ibn Ghiyath ...” He then mentioned the hadith. His father said: “Ibn Abi Shaybah also corroborated him in narrating it from Hafs. Rather, it is Hafs from Muhammad ibn Ubayd Allah al-Arzami, and this hadith has no basis with this chain of transmission.”