" he contradicts in some of his ḥadīth." And although this does not completely invalidate his ḥadīth, it does lower it from the highest level of authenticity. It makes it unreliable in cases of contradiction. Therefore, al-Dhahabī said in "al-Mīzān": "He is truthful in himself but narrates ḥadīth that are considered objectionable, and there is disagreement about using them as evidence. Some of these are included in (Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim)." Given this situation, the connected narration of Nūḥ ibn Abī Qays is preferred over the mursal narration of Jaʿfar, because he is more reliable than him, and because the connected narration is an addition from a trustworthy source and must be accepted. Secondly, the strangeness he referred to is negated by the existence of the essence of the ḥadīth through other chains, even if briefly. 1 - Al-Ḥākim said after what I quoted from his previous words: "It has an origin in the ḥadīth of Sufyān al-Thawrī. Abū Bakr al-Shāfiʿī informed us: Isḥāq ibn al-Ḥasan narrated to us, Abū Ḥudhayfah narrated to us, Sufyān narrated from a man from Abū al-Jawzāʾ from Ibn ʿAbbās (raḍiya Allāhu ʿanhumā) who said: *'the foremost'*: the front rows *'and the later ones'*: the back rows." 2 - Al-Ṭabarī narrated from al-Muʿtamir ibn Sulaymān from his father from a man: He informed us about Marwān ibn al-Ḥakam who said: Some people would stay back in the rows because of the women. He said: So Allāh revealed: *"And We have already known the foremost among you, and We have already known the later ones."* 3 - Ibn Mardawayh narrated from Dāwūd ibn Ṣāliḥ who said: Sahl ibn Ḥunayf al-Anṣārī said: Do you know regarding what it was revealed: *"And We have already known the foremost among you..."* the verse? I said: In the cause of Allāh. He said: No, but it is about the rows in prayer. This was mentioned in "al-Durr al-Manthūr" (4/97)