al-Araj, from Abd Allah ibn al-Harith, from him. Al-Hakim comments: “Its chain is sound, except that the two Shaykhs did not narrate from Humayd al-Araj al-Kufi; they only agreed to transmit the reports of Humayd ibn Qays al-Araj al-Makki.” Al-Dhahabi corrects him: “I say: Humayd is matruk (discarded).” In Ibn Hajar’s Taqrib we read: “He is said to be Ibn Ataʾ—or Ibn Ali, or something else—and he is weak.” I (the author) add: the critics are unanimous in grading him weak; we have not found anyone who deemed him reliable. Therefore it seems that al-Bazzar related the hadith through a route that does not include him; otherwise, how could al-Haythami say, “Its transmitters are trustworthy” (*)? Al-Haythami also brings a supporting narration from Aishah who said: “It was my night with the Messenger of Allah, and he slipped away. I thought he had gone to one of his other wives, so I followed him, jealous. I found him in prostration, spread out like a discarded cloth, and I heard him say: ‘My blackness and my shadow have prostrated to You; my heart has believed in You. Lord! Here is my hand and whatever I have brought upon myself. O Tremendous One, the One to whom every great hope is directed, forgive the great sin.’ She continued: He then raised his head and asked, ‘What brought you out?’ I replied, ‘A suspicion.’ He said: ‘Indeed, some suspicion is sin (Q 49:12); so seek Allah’s forgiveness. Gabriel has just come to me and ordered me to say these words you heard. Say them in your prostration, for whoever says them will not raise his head until he is forgiven’—I think he said—‘for him.’” It is narrated by Abu Yaʿla. __________ (*) In fact it is the very same chain; see al-Daʿifah, no. 2145.