was a gentleness from Allah and a kindness from Him, making easy what Moses inevitably had to encounter and submit to in the course of His decree. He said: How closely the meaning of His words, “I have not hesitated over anything I intend to do as I hesitate in taking the soul of the believer; he dislikes death ...” (1), resembles His sending His messenger, the Angel of Death, back to His prophet Moses, peace be upon him, because of his dislike of death’s coming upon him. Abu Sulayman al-Khattabi mentioned this point in his book in refutation of those innovators and atheists who impugned this hadith and others like it—may Allah destroy them and spare the Muslims their evil.

3280—“O Ibn Rawahah, dismount and urge the mounts onward.”

Al-Nasa'i recorded it in al-Sunan al-Kubra (5/70/8251), as did al-Bayhaqi (10/227), through Umar ibn Ali, from Isma'il ibn Abi Khalid, from Qays ibn Abi Hazim, from Abdullah ibn Rawahah, who was accompanying the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, on one of his journeys. The Prophet said to him the words just cited. He replied, “O Messenger of Allah, I have given that up.” Umar then said to him, “Listen and obey.” So he leapt down and said:

“O Allah, had it not been for You, we would not have been guided,
nor given charity, nor prayed.
So send down tranquillity upon us,
and make our feet firm when we meet.” (2)

I say: This is a weak chain of transmission. Its narrators are trustworthy, but it has two hidden defects:

The first is a break between Qays ibn Abi Hazim and Abdullah ibn Rawahah. The hadith master al-Mizzi said in al-Tuhfah (4/319):