Moreover, it seems that the report is found through a line other than that of al‐Hijri. Al-Haythami cites it in Majmaʿ al-Zawaʾid (8/113) with the wording given above and remarks: “It is narrated by Ahmad and al-Tabarani, and the transmitters in al-Tabarani’s chain are the men of the Sahih.” Because al-Hijri himself is not among those transmitters, this shows that al-Tabarani used a different chain, which strengthens the hadith—especially since it has further corroboration. The report also appears in al-Kashshaf, and its editor Ibn Hajar al-ʿAsqalani notes (4/18, no. 145): “Ibn Marduyah transmitted it from Samurah b. Jundub, and from Abu Musa al-Ashʿari with a similar wording; and Ahmad and al-Bukhari in al-Adab al-Mufrad recorded it by two routes from Abu l-Ahwas, from ʿAbd Allah b. Masʿud.” I point out that al-Bukhari (p. 184) records it through ʿAbd al-Malik, from Abu l-Ahwas, as a mawquf report, whereas Ahmad records it through al-Hijri as a marfuʿ report, as mentioned earlier. Ibn Hajar’s phrasing might lead one to think that both of them reported it either mawquf or marfuʿ, but that is not the case. In sum, the hadith is hasan and may well be sahih; Allah knows best. The report is also found in Ibn Abi Shaybah’s al-Musannaf (8/737/6203) and in Ibn ʿAdi’s entry on al-Hijri in al-Kamil (1/213), where he writes: “Ibrahim al-Hijri was narrated from by Shuʿbah, al-Thawri, and others; most of his narrations have sound wording. The only criticism is his frequent narration from Abu l-Ahwas, from ʿAbd Allah, yet in my view his hadith are worth recording.” Ibn Abi Shaybah (no. 6195) also supplies a corroborating report from Qatadah: “We have been informed that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was asked about playing with dice (al-kubayn), and he said, ‘It is the gambling game of the non-Arabs.’” Qatadah himself disliked every form of play, even with pebbles. I add: the isnad of this last report is sound, although it is mursal; nonetheless, it is acceptable as supporting evidence.