al-Tārīkh (8/448), through the transmission of three leading hadith authorities, including al-Tabarani; yet he mentioned neither any narrator criticism nor accreditation. In it, the name appears as “al-Marw al-Rūdhi,” which is correct. It is also said: “al-Marrūdhī,” as found in al-Ansāb and al-Lubāb. Thus, the reading in al-Muʿjam al-Kabīr, “al-Marwazī,” with a z after the r, is an error; it is instead with a dh. See al-Rawḍ al-Naḍīr, no. 30. *

3474 — “If one of you seeks permission three times and is not granted permission, let him go back.”

It was narrated by al-Bukhari (6245), Muslim (6/177–179), Abu Dawud (5180–5184), al-Tirmidhi (2690), al-Darimi (2/274), Ibn Majah (3706), Ibn Hibban (5776), and Ahmad (3/6 and 19), on the authority of Abu Saʿid and others. Abu Saʿid said:

I was in one of the gatherings of the Ansar when Abu Musa came, as though alarmed, and said: “I sought permission to enter upon Umar three times, but I was not granted permission, so I went back.” He asked, “What prevented you?” I replied, “I sought permission three times, but I was not granted permission, so I went back. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: ‘If one of you seeks permission three times and is not granted permission, let him go back.’”

He said, “By Allah, you must produce evidence for this. Is there anyone among you who heard it from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him?” Ubayy ibn Kaʿb said, “By Allah, no one will go with you except the youngest of the people.” I was the youngest of the people, so I went with him and informed Umar that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, had said that.

The wording is al-Bukhari’s; Muslim also narrated it. In one version of Muslim’s—the wording of which is also that of al-Tirmidhi:

“Seeking permission is three times: if you are granted permission, then enter; otherwise, go back.”

Al-Tirmidhi said:

“A good, authentic hadith.”