“Ten or more, and it is established in the two Ṣaḥīḥs; thus, there is no point in denying it.”

Al-Dhahabī said in al-ʿUluww (p. 109, abridged edition), after citing it from a number of them:

“This is mass-transmitted. I testify that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said it.”

I say: It is narrated by both of them from Jābir, and I have cited it from him in al-Ẓilāl (1/247–248), as well as from Anas in this narration, Usayd ibn Ḥuḍayr, Abū Saʿīd, Ibn ʿUmar, Asmāʾ bint Yazīd ibn al-Sakan, and Rumaythah.

The hadith under discussion also has a supporting report in al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī’s mursal narration. He said:

When Saʿd ibn Muʿādh died—and he was a large, powerfully built man—the hypocrites, walking behind his bier, began saying, “Never have we seen a man lighter than today!” They said, “Do you know why that was? Because of his judgment concerning Banū Qurayẓah.” This was mentioned to the Prophet ﷺ, and he said:

“By Him in whose Hand my soul is, the angels were carrying his bier.”

Ibn Saʿd transmitted it in al-Ṭabaqāt (3/430): Wahb ibn Jarīr informed us; he said: My father informed us; he said: I heard al-Ḥasan say … and he mentioned it.

This is an authentic mursal chain of transmission; its narrators are those of the two Shaykhs. It is therefore a strong supporting report, and the hadith is good. *

3348—(“This righteous man, for whom the gates of heaven were opened, was subjected to hardship, then granted relief.” Meaning: Saʿd ibn Muʿādh.)

Ibn Ḥibbān transmitted it in his Ṣaḥīḥ (9/89/6994, al-Iḥsān), as did Aḥmad (3/327) and in Faḍāʾil al-Ṣaḥābah (2/823/1496 and 1497), al-Ḥākim (3/206), and al-Ṭabarānī in al-Muʿjam al-Kabīr (6/13/5340), through Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr, who said: “He narrated to me …”