from criticism, and he strengthened this by the actions of the ḥadīth scholars in including ḥadīths of this type in their collections. There is no doubt that the rank of those in this category is lower than those who have passed. An example of this type is when a Successor says, "So-and-so informed me, for example, that he heard the Prophet (ṣallá Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam) say," whether he names him or not. The ḥāfiẓ has favored the establishment of companionship in this way, as he said shortly before: "The second section: on the method of knowing a person is a Companion": "This is through several means, the first of which is that it is established by tawātur that he is a Companion, then by widespread and well-known reports, then by narrating from one of the Companions that so-and-so was a Companion, and similarly from individual Successors based on accepting the commendation from one person, which is the preferred view." And Allāh knows best. I said: And upon this, the Imām of the Sunnah, Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal (may Allāh have mercy on him), proceeded in his "Musnad," as it contains dozens of ḥadīths from groups of Companions who were not named. The Successor would say about them: "from some of the Companions of the Prophet (ṣallá Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam)," or "some who witnessed the Prophet (ṣallá Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam)," and at times: "the servant of the Prophet (ṣallá Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam)," and often: "a man from the Companions of the Prophet (ṣallá Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam)," and many similar expressions. This becomes clear to anyone who reviews my book "Index of the Narrators of the Musnad," printed at the beginning of the "Musnad," such that if it were compiled into a book, it would be a large volume. In the books of "extraction," there is much of this, including this "series."

- "I wish I had met my brothers." His Companions said, "Are we not your brothers?" He said, "You are my Companions, but my brothers are those who believed in me and did not see me." It was recorded by Aḥmad (3/155): Hāshim ibn al-Qāsim narrated to us, Jisr (original: Ḥasan) narrated to us from Thābit from Anas who said: The Messenger of Allāh (ṣallá Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam) said it, and he mentioned it