Al-Dhahabi criticized him, saying: “I say: Uqbah is weak.”

I say: However, Qatadah corroborated him, as mentioned above; therefore, the hadith is authentic.

372 — “Seek refuge in Allah from this”—meaning the moon—“for it is the darkness when it descends.”

Recorded by al-Tirmidhi (2/241), al-Tahawi in al-Mushkil (2/310), Ibn al-Sunni in Amal al-Yawm wa al-Laylah (no. 642), al-Hakim (2/540–541), al-Tayalisi (no. 1486), and Ahmad (6/61, 206, 237), through several routes from Ibn Abi Dhi'b, from his maternal uncle al-Harith ibn Abd al-Rahman, from Abu Salamah, from Aishah: Allah’s Messenger took her hand and pointed with it toward the moon, saying the above.

Al-Tirmidhi said: “A good, authentic hadith.”

Al-Hakim said: “Its chain of transmission is authentic,” and al-Dhahabi concurred with him.

I say: Its narrators are trustworthy and are among the narrators of the two Sahih collections, apart from this al-Harith ibn Abd al-Rahman, who was a Qurashi of the Amir clan. He is truthful, as stated in al-Taqrib. Ibn Abi Dhi'b narrated it alongside al-Mundhir ibn Abi al-Mundhir. Ahmad recorded it (6/215, 252) from Abd al-Malik ibn Amr, from him. This al-Mundhir is acceptable, as stated in al-Taqrib. Thus, the hadith is authentic.