his beloved and his family to his prayer, hoping for what is with Me and fearing what is with Me.

“And a man who goes forth to fight in Allah’s cause, whose companions flee, while he knows what he incurs by fleeing and what he stands to gain by returning; so he returns until he spills his blood. Allah then says to His angels: ‘Look at My servant: he returned, hoping for what is with Me and fearing what is with Me, until he spilled his blood.’”

Ibn Hibban transmitted it (643 and 644—Mawarid), as did al-Bayhaqi also in al-Asma and al-Sunan (9/164), Ibn Abi Shaybah in al-Musannaf (5/313–314), and, through his route, Ibn Abi Asim in al-Sunnah (1/249/569), Ahmad (1/416), Abu Ya‘la (9/5272, 5361, and 5362), al-Tabarani in al-Mu‘jam al-Kabir (10/221/10383), Abu Nu‘aym in al-Hilyah (4/167), and al-Baghawi in Sharh al-Sunnah (4/42/930).

Abu Dawud (2536) transmitted the portion concerning the warrior, as was previously indicated; so too did al-Hakim (2/112), and it is also narrated in al-Bayhaqi’s Sunan (9/46). Al-Hakim said:

“Its chain of transmission is authentic.”

Al-Dhahabi concurred with him, as did others of our contemporaries!

They overlooked—or disregarded—what al-Hafiz mentioned: that Hammad ibn Salamah also narrated from Ata ibn al-Sa’ib after his memory had deteriorated. In that case, it is not permissible to declare his hadith from him authentic on the grounds that he narrated from him before that deterioration, as is evident to anyone with insight. Perhaps al-Haythami noticed this, so he did not declare it authentic, but instead took a middle position, saying (2/255):

“Ahmad, Abu Ya‘la, and al-Tabarani in al-Mu‘jam al-Kabir transmitted it, and its chain of transmission is good.”

Hammad ibn Zayd contradicted him, narrating it from Ata ibn al-Sa’ib with the same chain as a report attributed to the Companion, in similar wording. He added at the end of each account of the two men:

“Allah, Exalted is He, says: ‘I have granted him what he hoped for and secured him against what he feared.’”