that he had not also declared him weak. Accordingly, this accreditation cannot be relied upon, since it conflicts with the Imam’s other statements and with those of the other Imams.

Moreover, Zaban—i.e., Ibn Fāʾid—was not declared trustworthy by anyone, and there is no disagreement concerning his weakness. Their silence regarding him is therefore another error.

There is yet another error, more significant than those mentioned above: they overlooked a strong corroborating chain for Zaban in al-Tabarani (no. 440), through two routes from Ibn Wahb: Saʿid ibn Abi Ayyub narrated to me from Khayr ibn Nuʿaym, from Sahl ibn Muʿadh, with this wording.

I say: This is an authentic chain of transmission. Its narrators, down to Sahl ibn Muʿadh, are trustworthy narrators of Muslim. In al-Taqrib, al-Hafiz said of Sahl:

“There is no harm in him, except in Zaban’s narrations from him.”

At the end of al-Targhib (4/284), al-Mundhiri said:

“He was declared weak; al-Tirmidhi graded hadiths of his as good, and also as authentic. Ibn Khuzaymah, al-Hakim, and others cited him as proof, and Ibn Hibban mentioned him among the trustworthy narrators.”

I say: Thus, at the very least, his hadith is good when the one narrating from him is trustworthy. Ibn Hibban also recorded from him a hadith prohibiting the use of animals as seats, no. 5590; it was referenced above under no. 21.

The hadith also has a supporting report that lends it further strength, from Abu Hurayrah—may Allah be pleased with him—who said: The Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, was asked, “What is equal to jihad in the path of Allah?” He said:

“You cannot manage it.”