the religion, and perhaps he will correct his stance on it in light of the aforementioned clarification, seeking assistance from the statements of the scholars who preceded us in this matter, adhering to their principles, especially those whose brilliance in this field has been recognized by both near and far, from the early and later generations, such as Ibn Taymiyyah, Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah, Ibn Kathīr, al-Dhahabī, al-ʿAsqalānī, and others. If he does this, he will benefit from his knowledge with sincerity to Allāh. Despite all this, I find no hesitation in myself to acknowledge that the man was courteous and polite in his discussion with me, and he stated at the beginning what he should have announced in the introduction of his "Ḍaʿīfah" to be closer to sincerity for Allāh and further from favoritism and appeasement. After an introduction and some endearment, he said: "And I did not learn this knowledge—if I have a little knowledge—except through you. You are the one who opened this door for us in your books, and by Allāh, if it were not for your books and our benefit from them and our study of them, we would not have reached what we have reached now. Even Shaykh Shuʿayb was with me a while ago and testified to this, saying: He benefited greatly from your books." Thus he said. And I hope that this statement came from his heart, so that we may see its good effects by his soon return to the truth, if Allāh wills. 14- 959- "My nation is a nation that has received mercy." I had previously documented it from the narration of a group from al-Masʿūdī from Saʿīd from Abū Burdah from Abū Mūsá (raḍiya Allāhu ʿanhu), and I criticized it due to al-Masʿūdī's confusion. Then I saw that al-Ruyānī had included the ḥadīth in his "Musnad" (23/3/2), saying: Narrated to us by Muḥammad ibn Muʿammar: Narrated to us by Muʿādh ibn Muʿādh: Narrated to us by al-Masʿūdī with it. So I say this is a sound isnād, all its men are reliable, the men of the two Shaykhs except for al-Masʿūdī, and he is reliable here, as the ḥāfiẓ said: