narrate it alone. Abdullah ibn Ahmad said in al-Zawa'id to al-Musnad (1/123): “I found in my father’s book: I was informed by Sinan ibn Harun: Bayan narrated to us, from Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Layla, from Ali ibn Abi Talib—may Allah be pleased with him—who said:

‘When the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, bowed, if a cup of water were placed on his back, it would not spill.’”

Al-Daraqutni mentioned it in al-Ilal (3/275–276) through this narration of Ahmad, then said:

“Salam ibn Salam, Abu al-Musayyib al-Wasiti, differed from them, narrating it from Sinan ibn Harun, from Bayan, from Ibn Abi Layla, from al-Bara’. This is more likely to be correct.”

He then cited its chain through two routes from Musab ibn Abdullah al-Wasiti—whose nickname was Shaykhan—who said: Salam ibn Salam narrated to us; Sinan ibn Harun narrated to us, from Bayan, from Ibn Abi Layla, from al-Bara’, with this report.

Bahshal also recorded it in Tarikh Wasit (247), saying: Musab ibn Abdullah ibn Musab narrated to us, with it.

I say: This is a good chain of transmission. Ibn Hibban (9/175) declared this Musab trustworthy; he was one of his shaykhs, and a number of other trustworthy narrators also reported from him, as I have established in Taysir al-Intifa. Salam ibn Salam, known as Abu al-Musayyib al-Wasiti, was narrated from by a great many people whom al-Hafiz al-Mizzi listed in al-Tahdhib; among them were a number of trustworthy narrators. Thus, he meets Ibn Hibban’s criterion. I do not know why Ibn Hibban did not include him in al-Thiqat! Al-Hafiz said of him:

“Acceptable.”

In my view, he should have said, “Truthful,” as we have understood from their hadith citations and from much experience in applying their statements to certain biographical notices.