indeed, it is possible to prefer their wording over the wording of the first two because one of them, al-Muḥāribī, had a discrepancy as mentioned earlier, so his narration that agrees with theirs is preferable over his other narration that agrees only with Ibn Numayr! However, there will come what supports this narration and gives it preference both in terms of narration and understanding. I have found another route for the ḥadīth that could have been preferred were it not for the narrator's hesitation regarding this very phrase! Aḥmad recorded it (2/67) through the route of Zuhayr, who narrated to us from Abū Isḥāq, from Mujāhid, from Ibn ʿUmar, who said: "I was sitting with the Prophet (ṣallá Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam) and I heard him seek forgiveness a hundred times, then say: 'O Allāh, forgive me, have mercy on me, and accept my repentance. Indeed, You are the Oft-Returning, the Merciful,' or 'Indeed, You are the Oft-Returning, the Forgiving.'" I said: And Abū Isḥāq is al-Sabīʿī, and he is trustworthy, but he was known to practice tadlīs, and moreover, he became confused, and Zuhayr, who is Ibn Muʿāwiyah Ibn Ḥudayj, narrated from him after his confusion. He is the one who hesitated regarding this phrase and added to it by making the seeking of forgiveness general a hundred times and the seeking of forgiveness with this supplication once! I found a third route for the ḥadīth, also recorded by Aḥmad (2/84), from Yūnus ibn Khabbāb, who narrated to us from Abū al-Faḍl or Ibn al-Faḍl, from Ibn ʿUmar, "that he was sitting with the Messenger of Allāh (ṣallá Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam) and said: 'O Allāh, forgive me and accept my repentance. Indeed, You are the Oft-Returning, the Forgiving,' until the counter counted it a hundred times with his hand." I said: And this chain is weak; this Yūnus, the ḥāfiẓ said, "truthful but makes mistakes and was accused of rejection," and "Abū al-Faḍl or Ibn al-Faḍl is unknown." I said: And although this isnād is weak, it serves as an acceptable witness as a preference for the narration