apart from Ibn Hibban, the man is counted among the unknown narrators. For that reason al-Taqrib describes him as “maqbul,” i.e., acceptable only when another transmitter backs him up. Since we found neither a corroborating chain nor a supporting report, we struck the hadith out and judged it weak, even though the author of al-Zawaid graded it hasan. Allah knows best. (1) The hadith itself is authentic; it has come down through several routes, both mursal (with the Companion omitted) and musnad (fully connected). – Mursal route: Ibn al-Mubarak recorded it in al-Zuhd (1/162) and in al-Kawakib (no. 575): “Yunus b. Yazid narrated to us from al-Zuhri, who said: ‘We have been informed that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said…,’” with wording to the same effect. – Al-Darimi (2/471) transmitted it from Misar, from Abd al-Karim, from Tawus: the Prophet ﷺ was asked, “Who has the most beautiful voice for the Quran and the best recitation?” He replied, “The one who, when you hear him recite, makes you feel that he fears Allah.” Tawus added, “Talaq was like that.” This Abd al-Karim is Ibn Abi al-Mukhariq, Abu Umayya al-Muallim; he is weak, as noted in al-Taqrib, while the rest of the narrators are those found in the two Sahihs. – Abu Nuaym supplied a connected chain in Hilyat al-Awliya (4/19) through Ismail b. Amr: Misar b. Kidam narrated to us from Abd al-Karim al-Muallim, from Tawus, from Ibn Abbas, with the same wording. He remarked, “This is an isolated report from Misar; no one has transmitted it from him in a connected, marfu form except Ismail.” I (the editor) add: this Ismail is al-Bajali, and he too is weak. There is yet another chain that comes through Tawus.