heard reports from him before his memory deteriorated, as al-Ḥāfiẓ ʿAbd al-Ghanī ibn Saʿīd and others have pointed out.

Al-Mundhirī failed to notice this in al-Targhīb (3/257), as did al-Haythamī later in al-Majmaʿ (8/22), and so they declared it defective on account of Ibn Lahīʿah!

The latter of the two also attributed it to al-Ṭabarānī in al-Kabīr and al-Awsaṭ, and said: “The rest of its narrators are narrators of the Ṣaḥīḥ.”

The hadith was also recorded by al-Kharāʾiṭī in Makārim al-Akhlāq (pp. 9/60), through Ibn Lahīʿah.

It has a corroborating report from Abū Hurayrah, attributed to the Prophet, with the wording: “By his good character, Allah surely enables a servant to attain the rank of fasting and prayer.” Al-Ḥākim recorded it (1/60) and said: “Authentic according to the criteria of Muslim.” Al-Dhahabī agreed with him, and it is as they said.

He and others also recorded, on the authority of ʿĀʾishah and attributed to the Prophet, a similar report with the wording: “The ranks of one who stands in prayer at night and fasts by day.” He likewise said: “Authentic according to the criteria of Muslim.” Al-Dhahabī agreed with him, and Ibn Ḥibbān also authenticated it (1927).

523 — “ʿĀʾishah, be gentle, for when Allah intends good for a household, He guides them to the way of gentleness.”

Aḥmad recorded it (6/104): Abū Saʿīd narrated to us; Sulaymān—that is, Ibn Bilāl—narrated to us, from Sharīk—that is, Ibn Abī Namir—from ʿAṭāʾ ibn Yasār, from ʿĀʾishah, that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said to her:

I say: This chain of transmission meets al-Bukhārī’s criteria. There is some discussion concerning Sharīk—namely, Sharīk ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn Abī Namir—