511 — “Allah may forgive every sin, except that of one who dies as a polytheist, or of a believer who deliberately kills another believer.”

It was narrated by Abu Dawud (4270), Ibn Hibban (51), al-Hakim (4/351), and Ibn ‘Asakir in History of Damascus (5/209/2), through Khalid ibn Dihqan, who said:

We were on the campaign to Constantinople at Dhalqiyyah when a man from the prominent and virtuous people of Palestine approached us; they recognized this status in him. He was called Hani ibn Kalthum ibn Sharik al-Kinani. He greeted ‘Abd Allah ibn Abi Zakariyya, whose standing he recognized. Khalid said to us: ‘Then ‘Abd Allah ibn Abi Zakariyya related to us: I heard Umm al-Darda’ say: I heard Abu al-Darda’ say: I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, say’—and he then mentioned it.

The wording is that of Abu Dawud. Al-Hakim said: “Its chain of transmission is authentic,” and al-Dhahabi agreed with him. It is as they said, for all its narrators are trustworthy. Al-Hafiz’s description of this Khalid as “acceptable” falls short, for he is trustworthy; Ibn Ma‘in and others declared him trustworthy, as al-Hafiz himself mentioned in Al-Tahdhib.

The hadith also has a corroborating report from Mu‘awiyah ibn Abi Sufyan, attributed to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, with the same wording.

It was narrated by al-Nasa’i (2/163), al-Hakim, and Ahmad (4/99), through Thawr, from Abu ‘Awn, from Abu Idris, who said: I heard Mu‘awiyah delivering a sermon, and he mentioned it.

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

I say: No one besides Ibn Hibban declared this Abu ‘Awn trustworthy. Ibn Abi Hatim included his biography (4/414–415), but mentioned no criticism or accreditation concerning him.