It also indicates that the only circumstance preventing one who has risen from sitting back down for the tashahhud is his having become fully upright. If he has not become fully upright, he must sit back down. This refutes the view found in some legal schools: that if he is closer to standing, he should not return, whereas if he is closer to sitting, he should sit down. This distinction, besides having no basis in the sunnah, contradicts the hadith. So hold fast to it and bite down on it with your molars, and leave aside the opinions of men. For when a transmitted report is established, speculative reasoning is nullified; and when Allah’s river flows, Maʿqil’s stream is rendered void.

322 — “The Beast will emerge and mark the people on their noses. Then they will remain among you for such a long time that a man will buy a camel and be asked, ‘From whom did you buy it?’ He will reply, ‘I bought it from one of those marked on the nose.’”

Ahmad recorded it (5/268), as did al-Bukhari in al-Tarikh al-Kabir (3/2/172), al-Baghawi in Hadith ʿAli ibn al-Jaʿd (172/2), and Abu Nuʿaym in Akhbar Isbahan (2/124), through several routes from ʿAbd al-ʿAziz ibn Abi Salamah al-Majishun, from ʿUmar ibn ʿAbd al-Rahman ibn ʿAtiyyah ibn Dulaf al-Muzani, from Abu Umamah, who attributed it to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, with this wording.

I say: This is an authentic chain of transmission. All its narrators are known and trustworthy, apart from this ʿUmar. Ibn Abi Hatim included his biography and said (3/1/121):

“He narrated from Abu Umamah and his father. Malik, ʿUbayd Allah al-ʿUmari, Quraysh ibn Hayyan, and ʿAbd al-ʿAziz ibn Abi Salamah narrated from him.”

He did not mention any criticism or accreditation concerning him. However, Malik’s narration from him constitutes an accreditation, for Ibn Maʿin said: “Everyone from whom Malik narrated is trustworthy, except ʿAbd al-Karim.” Ibn Hibban said likewise.