of al-Bidayah (4/140), along with other chains from Ya‘la that do not contain the hadith under discussion. He then said: “These are several good chains, which make it probable—or certain, for those deeply versed—that Ya‘la ibn Murrah narrated this account in its general outline.”

Al-Hafiz Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr said in al-Tamhid (1/221):

“The hadiths concerning the signs of his prophethood are too numerous to count. Many people have compiled a great many of them, praise be to Allah. Among the finest of them—and all of them are good—is that which was related to us...”

He then cited the previously mentioned chain of al-A‘mash, from al-Minhal, from Ya‘la.

Our distinguished brother Hamdi al-Salafi traced its chains to him in his annotations to al-Mu‘jam (22/264–266) and discussed their narrators, though he did not address the differences between their texts or the additions they contain, such as this hadith under discussion, since the scope of annotations is limited, as is evident.

As for its corroborating report, to which reference was made above, I had previously traced it in the fourth volume of this series (1718), with a good chain, from the hadith of Jabir—may Allah be pleased with him—through two routes from al-Ajlah, from al-Dhayyal ibn Harmalah, from him. Ahmad and others narrated it.

I then found it narrated by Abu Bakr ibn ‘Ayyash, from al-Ajlah, with the same chain, except that he said: “From Ibn ‘Abbas...” in place of “Jabir ibn ‘Abd Allah.”

Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu‘jam al-Kabir (12/155/12744), as did al-Bayhaqi in Dala’il al-Nubuwwah (6/30). Al-Haythami said (9/4):

“Al-Tabarani narrated it. Its narrators are trustworthy, though some of them have weakness.”