Moreover, al-Hajjaj ibn Artah practised tadlis, and he narrated it with an ambiguous transmission formula. Al-Haythami overlooked both the first defect and al-Hajjaj’s actual defect, saying:

“Al-Tabarani narrated it in al-Mu'jam al-Awsat, and it contains al-Hajjaj ibn Artah, who is weak!”

I say: Thus, he declared him outright weak, and that is an error. He is trustworthy in his own right; rather, his defect is that he practises tadlis. When he explicitly states transmission, he is acceptable as evidence; but here he used an ambiguous transmission formula, and that is the defect. Moreover, he was contradicted, as will follow.

As for the report attributed to the Companion, Ibn Abi Shaybah said in al-Musannaf (8/538/3160): Ibn Numayr narrated to us from al-A'mash, from Abd Allah ibn Murrah, from Abu Ma'mar, who said: Abu Bakr said:

“Whoever claims a lineage that is not known, or disavows a lineage, however slight, has committed disbelief in Allah.”

Shu'bah corroborated Ibn Numayr, narrating from Sulayman—namely, al-A'mash. Al-Khatib reported it.

Abu Ma'mar was Abd Allah ibn Sakhbarah.

I say: This is an authentic chain of transmission for a report attributed to a Companion. In my judgment, it has the ruling of a report attributed to the Prophet, for it is not something that can be stated on the basis of independent legal reasoning or mere opinion. And Allah knows best.

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3371—(Whoever grows a grey hair in the cause of Allah—in another narration, “in Islam”—it will be a light for him on the Day of Resurrection.” A man then said: “But some men pluck out their grey hairs.” He replied: “Whoever wishes may pluck out his light.”)

Ahmad reported it (6/20): Qutaybah ibn Sa'id narrated to us: Ibn Lahi'ah narrated to us from Yazid ibn Abi