This is an authentic chain of transmission; all its narrators are trustworthy.

Mūsā ibn ʿUlayy ibn Rabāḥ also corroborated Qubāth’s narration, relating it from his father with the same wording but without the account.

It was recorded by Ibn Abī Shaybah (10/477), from whom Ibn Ḥibbān (1788—Mawārid), Aḥmad (4/164), Ibn Naṣr in Qiyām al-Layl (p. 56), al-Rūyānī in his Musnad (folio 45/2), and al-Ṭabarānī as well (801) transmitted it, through the route of Ibn Abī Shaybah. Al-Haythamī said (7/169):

“Ahmad and al-Ṭabarānī narrated it, and all the narrators in Aḥmad’s chain are narrators of the authentic collections.”

I say: This hadith also establishes the prescribed practice of greeting someone who is seated and reciting the Quran. It refutes those who hold that this is disliked, for their view—besides being merely an opinion—contradicts this hadith and the general meaning of the Prophet’s saying, peace and blessings be upon him: “Spread greetings among yourselves.” (1)

Since the Prophet’s approval of the Companions has been authentically established when they would greet him while he was praying in the Mosque of Qubāʾ, and he would return their greeting by a gesture of his noble hand, then it is all the more appropriate that greeting one who is reciting the Quran outside the prayer be prescribed. In that case, the response should be verbal rather than by gesture, as is evident to people of understanding. This was also the view held by al-Nawawī—may Allah have mercy on him.

I have documented the sources of the hadith concerning this approval in Ṣaḥīḥ Abī Dāwūd, no. 860, and earlier in this book, no. 186. There, I mentioned that Aḥmad, Isḥāq, and Ibn al-ʿArabī acted upon it. I also briefly addressed greeting the Quran reciter and the caller to prayer, and referred to this hadith; but I was not then able to document its sources. Now Allah has granted me success and made it easy for me to do so: “For every term is a decree.” Allah is the Granter of success.