and its chain of transmission is weak. Ibn Hajar comments: “Taken together, these reports answer Ibn al-Salah and others who denied the authenticity of this additional wording.” What further strengthens its basic validity is that the same wording occurs in the fourth category of reports, as will be shown. (3) The third narration is from Aisha: “The Messenger of Allah used to say in his bowing and his prostration …” – the wording has already been cited. It is recorded by Muslim (2/51); Abu Awana (2/167); Abu Dawud (1/139); al-Nasai (1/160); Ibn Nasr (p. 75); al-Daraqutni (pp. 131, 138); al-Bayhaqi (2/87); and Ahmad (6/94, 115, 148, 149, 176, 193, 200, 244, 266) through several chains from Qatada, from Mutarrif b. Abd Allah b. al-Shikhkhir, from her. In one of Ahmad’s versions Qatada explicitly states that he heard the hadith directly from Mutarrif. The isnad is sound according to the criteria of the two Saḥih compilers. (1) Al-Nihaya states: “Both terms are transmitted with ḍamma and with fatḥa; the latter is linguistically preferable, though the former is more common. Each is an intensive form whose sense is ‘to declare free from all imperfection.’” Al-Qurtubi adds: “They are in the nominative as the predicate of an omitted subject – i.e., ‘He is’ or ‘You are.’ Some read them in the accusative, implying an omitted verb such as ‘I exalt,’ ‘I remember,’ or ‘I worship.’” Abu Ishaq said: “al-Subbuh: the One exalted above every deficiency; al-Quddus: the Blessed (or: the Pure).” Ibn Sida wrote: “Subbuh quddus is an attribute of Allah, for He is glorified and sanctified” (Lisan al-Arab). (2) It has been said that “the Spirit” refers to Jibril; others maintain it denotes a class of angels; still others hold that it is a single angel greater than all the rest.