“The Lord, Blessed and Exalted, said: ‘It has already been decreed by Me that they shall not return to it.’” He said: And He revealed this verse: “And never think of those killed in Allah’s cause to be dead” [the verse, Āl ʿImrān 3:169].

Its chain of transmission is good, as al-Mundhirī stated (2/191). It was graded good by al-Tirmidhī (3010) and al-Mizzī, and authenticated by al-Ḥākim (3/203–204). It is cited in Ẓilāl al-Jannah (1/267–268).

The hadith has a very weak corroborating report, narrated by Fayḍ ibn Wathīq: Abū ʿUbādah al-Anṣārī narrated to us; Ibn Shihāb informed me, from ʿUrwah, from ʿĀʾishah—may Allah be pleased with her—who said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to Jābir: … and he related it, but without the verse.

It was recorded by al-Ḥākim (3/203), al-Bayhaqī in Dalāʾil al-Nubuwwah (3/298), and al-Bazzār in his Musnad (3/259), who said:

“It is not narrated from ʿĀʾishah except through this route. Abū ʿAbbād [thus] was narrated from by Abū Dāwūd, al-Qāsim ibn al-Ḥakam (1), and al-Faḍl.”

I say: This is how it appears there—“Abū ʿAbbād”—and likewise in al-Jarḥ wa-al-Taʿdīl (6/281/1559). In al-Bukhārī’s Kunā (54/468), however, it appears in the chain as “Abū ʿUbādah,” as it likewise does in al-Tahdhīb and its derivative works. Yet when al-Bukhārī cited a hadith from him through Abū Dāwūd al-Ṭayālisī, it appears there as “Abū ʿAbbād.” Thus, it seems to be an old variation. His name was ʿĪsā ibn ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Farwah al-Zuraqī, and he is abandoned.

As for al-Ḥākim, he said:

“Its chain of transmission is authentic!”

Al-Dhahabī critiqued him, saying:

“I say: Fayḍ is a liar!”