my book Tahdhīr al-Sājid (pp. 147–150). Refer to it, for it is important.

3290—“O Jābir, did you not know that Allah, Mighty and Majestic, brought your father back to life and said to him: ‘Ask something of Me.’ He replied: ‘Return me to the world so that I may be killed once more!’ He said: ‘I have decreed that they shall not return to it.’”

Aḥmad recorded it in al-Musnad (3/361) through the route of Muḥammad ibn ʿAlī ibn Rubayʿah al-Sulamī, from ʿAbd Allāh ibn Muḥammad ibn ʿAqīl, from Jābir, who said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to me: ... and he mentioned it.

I say: This is a good chain of transmission, despite the well-known disagreement concerning Ibn ʿAqīl. The position ultimately adopted by the later hadith masters is that he is of middling standing and that his hadith are good, particularly when corroborated, as will follow.

As for Muḥammad ibn ʿAlī ibn Rubayʿah al-Sulamī, Ibn Maʿīn and Ibn Ḥibbān (7/435) declared him trustworthy. Abū Ḥātim (278–28/120) said:

“Truthful; there is no objection to him; his hadith are sound.”

I say: Abū Ḥammād al-Ḥanafī also corroborated him, reporting from Ibn ʿAqīl, who said: I heard Jābir ibn ʿAbd Allāh narrate it.

Al-Ḥākim recorded it (2/119–120) and said:

“Its chain of transmission is authentic.”

Al-Dhahabī rebutted him, saying:

“I say: Abū Ḥammād is al-Mufaḍḍal ibn Ṣadaqah. Al-Nasāʾī said: ‘Abandoned.’”