“and that he foretold the conquest ...” and so forth.

Likewise, al-Khatib ignored the hadith under discussion, which explicitly states that Umm al-Darda was a Companion, even though it is found in Sunan Abi Dawud—a fact that would not escape someone of less extensive memorization than he. He gave the impression that it had no route other than that of Zabban, and categorically asserted that this Umm al-Darda had no Companionship, despite having cited another hadith from her in which she explicitly stated that she had heard from the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace. He said concerning it (1/363):

“This hadith has a continuous chain of transmission, and its narrators are acceptable.”

In his annotations on it, Shaykh al-Muallimi criticized him, noting that its chain includes Shahr ibn Hawshab, and that in Ahmad’s version she is named as Asma bint Yazid, who stated that she heard the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace ... Consult it there.

He then related the disagreement among the hadith masters as to her Companionship: some affirmed it and others denied it. I have no doubt that the affirmation is more correct, on account of the hadith under discussion, and because most of the hadith masters held this view, foremost among them Ali ibn al-Madini, as recorded in al-Isabah. Ibn Hibban listed her among the Companions in al-Thiqat (3/116 and 358), and al-Dhahabi stated this categorically in al-Tajrid (2/266/3202).

As for Ibn al-Jawzi, he was excessively rigid and went to extremes. He cited the hadith in al-Ilal (1/341), through Ahmad’s narration, and said:

“As for Abu Sakhr, his name was Humayd ibn Ziyad; Yahya declared him weak. This hadith is false: they had no bathhouses in the time of the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and grant him peace!”

I say: This is manifest obstinacy. The narrator is disputed over, and it is not permissible to rely on the judgment of one who declares him weak without weighing it against the judgment of those who declared him trustworthy. Otherwise, only a small number of hadiths would remain for us. This is why al-Dhahabi said in al-Kashif:

“He is disputed over. Ahmad said: ‘There is no objection to him.’”