however, the ḥadīth has another chain through which it is strengthened. It is narrated by Qabīṣah ibn ʿUqbah, who reported to us from al-Layth ibn Saʿd, from ʿUqayl, from Ibn Shihāb, from Anas ibn Mālik with it. It was recorded by Abū Nuʿaym in "al-Ḥilyah" (9/250) and al-Ḥākim (1/445) through the chain of Muḥammad ibn Aslam al-ʿĀbid, who reported to us from Qabīṣah ibn ʿUqbah with it. Al-Ḥākim said: "Authentic according to the criteria of the two shaykhs," and al-Dhahabī agreed with him. I say: Muḥammad ibn Aslam was not included by them, but he was followed by Ruwaym ibn Yazīd with al-Ḥākim, and he is trustworthy as al-Khaṭīb said (8/429). Likewise, Muḥammad ibn Aslam was deemed trustworthy by Abū Ḥātim and Abū Zurʿah as mentioned in "al-Jarḥ wa-al-Taʿdīl" (3/2/201). Thus, the chain is authentic, even though some have criticized it for being mursal. Ibn Abī Ḥātim said in "al-ʿIlal" (2/254): "I heard Aḥmad ibn Salamah al-Naysābūrī say: I discussed with Abū Zurʿah a ḥadīth narrated by Qabīṣah ibn ʿUqbah from al-Layth, from ʿUqayl, from al-Zuhrī, from Anas who said... (and he mentioned it). He said: I know it from the narration of Ruwaym ibn Yazīd from al-Layth like this. So who narrated it from Qabīṣah? I said: Muḥammad ibn Aslam narrated it to me from Qabīṣah like this. He said: Muḥammad ibn Aslam is trustworthy. I discussed it with Muslim ibn al-Ḥajjāj, and he said: ʿAbd al-Malik ibn Shuʿayb brought out to me the book of his grandfather, and I saw in the book of al-Layth as narrated by Qutaybah. Abū al-Faḍl said: Qutaybah narrated to us from ʿUqayl, from al-Zuhrī, who said: The Messenger of Allāh (ṣallá Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam) said: 'You should travel by night.' The ḥadīth." I say: Muslim criticized it for being mursal, and al-Dāraqutnī agreed, saying: "What is preserved from al-Layth is mursal." Al-Khaṭīb narrated this from him. however, the agreement of Qabīṣah and Ruwaym on connecting it from al-Layth does not allow us to be assured of this criticism, because they are both trustworthy, and the addition of a trustworthy narrator is accepted. And Allāh, the Exalted, knows best