Likewise, al-Nasa’i (1:194) and al-Bayhaqi (2:178) recorded the report through the route of Hajjaj, who said: Ibn Jurayj informed me, “Amr b. Yahya related it to me.” Thus two versions exist from Ibn Jurayj; the first is more reliable, because Ruh b. Ubadah is more precise than Hajjaj b. Muhammad. In Ibn Hajar’s Taqrib the former is described as “reliable, distinguished, author of works,” whereas the latter is “trustworthy and accurate, but his memory failed at the end of his life after he came to Baghdad shortly before his death.” It is therefore possible that this narration stems from the period of his confusion. One might object that Ruh b. Ubadah corroborates Hajjaj in the report transmitted by Ali b. Shaybah. We reply that Imam Ahmad narrates it from Ruh with wording that contradicts Hajjaj, and Ahmad surpasses him in reliability, precision, and probity. Indeed, Ruh is not well-known for probity; al-Khatib recorded him in his Tarikh (11:436), and the strongest endorsement he gave was: “ʿAbd al-Aziz b. Ahmad al-Ghafiqi and other Egyptians transmitted from him sound hadiths.” Moreover, Ahmad’s version from Ibn Jurayj is supported by al-Darawardi—who is trustworthy and whose reports are accepted by Muslim—and what two reliable transmitters agree upon is preferable to what a single reliable transmitter narrates alone. Accordingly, it is established that the original wording of Ibn ʿUmar’s hadith restricts the left-hand salutation to the words: “Peace be upon you.” This indicates that doing so occasionally is sunnah, and it does not conflict with the legitimacy of adding “and the mercy of Allah” to it, as in the right-hand salutation. Most reports—and indeed the Prophet’s usual practice—include that addition. _________ (*) The Shaykh, may Allah have mercy on him, also attributed the narration to al-Siraj in the printed edition of al-Sifah.