“Its chain of transmission is weak because Ibn Lahi‘ah is weak!”

The hadith has also been narrated from two other Companions:

The first was ‘Ismah ibn Malik al-Khatmi, from whom it is narrated by al-Fadl ibn al-Mukhtar, from ‘Abd Allah ibn Mawhab, with the same wording. It was recorded by al-Tabarani (17/186/498) and al-Bayhaqi in Shu‘ab al-Iman (2/555/2700). Al-Haythami said:

“Al-Tabarani narrated it, and it contains al-Fadl ibn al-Mukhtar, who is weak.”

As for the hadith of Sahl, it is narrated by ‘Abd al-Wahhab ibn al-Dahhak: Ibn Abi Hazim narrated to us from his father, from him. It was recorded by al-Tabarani in al-Mu‘jam al-Kabir (6/212/5901) and Ibn ‘Adi in al-Kamil (1/32 and 5/295). Al-Haythami said:

“Al-Tabarani narrated it, and it contains ‘Abd al-Wahhab ibn al-Dahhak, who is abandoned.”

Al-Manawi discussed this hadith in Fayd al-Qadir, citing the statements of the scholars who found defects in it through all its routes, but then qualified this by saying:

“Nevertheless, it is strengthened by the multiplicity of its routes.”

He went on at length in explaining it and clarifying its intended meaning, but without much benefit. The apparent meaning is what the hadith authorities held, including al-Bayhaqi, who said in Shu‘ab al-Iman, quoting Abu ‘Abd Allah:

“That is, whoever bears the Quran and recites it, the Fire will not touch him.”