they killed the children—or, on one occasion, he said: “the offspring.” This reached the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and he spoke the words just cited.

The wording is Ahmad’s. Al-Darimi narrates only the portion attributed to the Prophet, not the words, “A man said,” and what follows. Al-Hakim said: “Authentic according to the criteria of al-Bukhari and Muslim,” and al-Dhahabi agreed with him.

It is as they said. In al-Hakim’s narration, al-Hasan explicitly states that he heard it from al-Aswad ibn Sari'.

403 — “If the people of Syria become corrupt, there will be no good in you. A group from my ummah will continue to be granted victory; those who forsake them will not harm them, until the Hour comes.”

Al-Tirmidhi (2/30) narrated it through al-Tayalisi—whose narration is found in the Musnad (p. 145, no. 1076)—as did Ahmad (3/436; 5/35) and Ibn Hibban (2313), through Shu'bah, from Mu'awiyah ibn Qurrah, from his father, attributed to the Prophet. Al-Tirmidhi said: “A good, authentic hadith.”

I say: It meets the criteria of al-Bukhari and Muslim. Al-Khatib also recorded its first half through this route (8/417–418; 10/282), and Abu Nu'aym narrated it in al-Hilyah (7/230). Ibn Majah recorded the second half (2/6–7), and it has many corroborating reports; see some of them above under nos. 270 and 1108.

404 — “May Allah grant radiance to a man who hears a hadith from us, memorizes it, and then conveys it to someone else. For one who bears knowledge may not himself be learned in it, and one who bears knowledge may convey it to someone more learned than himself. Three qualities leave no room for rancor in a Muslim’s heart: sincerity in one’s deeds for Allah,”