the man, and added:

“Every tie of kinship will come on the Day of Resurrection before its holder, testifying in his favor for having maintained it, if he did maintain it, and against him for having severed it, if he did sever it.”

This chain fulfills al-Bukhari’s criteria in his Sahih, but it is attributed to the Companion. However, the one who attributes it to the Prophet is a trustworthy authority—Imam al-Tayalisi—and an addition reported by a trustworthy narrator is accepted.

278 — “Two qualities do not come together in a hypocrite: good bearing and understanding of the religion.”

Al-Tirmidhi (2/114) narrated it: Abu Kurayb narrated to us; Khalaf ibn Ayyub al-Amiri narrated to us, from Awf, from Ibn Sirin, from Abu Hurayrah, who said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said it. He then cited it and said:

“This is a singular hadith. We know it from Awf only through this shaykh, Khalaf ibn Ayyub al-Amiri. I have not seen anyone other than Abu Kurayb Muhammad ibn al-Ala transmit from him, and I do not know his standing.”

I say: Al-Uqayli also narrated it through this chain in al-Du‘afa’ (p. 153), as did Abu Bakr Ibn Lal in Hadiths of Abu Imran al-Farra’ (folio 1/2), and al-Harawi in Censure of Speculative Theology (1/14/2). He said:

“Al-Jarudi said: ‘Abu Kurayb alone transmitted it.’”

I say: He is trustworthy and among the narrators of the two Shaykhs; rather, the flaw lies with his shaykh, Khalaf. Al-Tirmidhi considered him unknown, as you have seen. Yet a group besides Abu Kurayb narrated from him, such as Imam Ahmad, Abu Ma‘mar al-Qati‘i, and Muhammad ibn Muqatil al-Marwazi; thus, he is not unknown. Al-Uqayli narrated from Ibn Ma‘in that he said of him:

“A weak narrator from Balkh.”