he weakens what they have authenticated of the ḥadīths, such as the ḥadīth: "Have mercy on those on earth, and the One in the heavens will have mercy on you!" And he does not stop there; rather, he opposes his Ghumārī teachers who also authenticated it! As you can see, this is documented in correction number (12) at the end of the second volume of "al-Ṣaḥīḥah," the new edition, by the grace and favor of Allāh. (Note): Then I came across a ḥadīth whose apparent meaning contradicts the ḥadīth of ʿAwf ibn Mālik, which prohibits confronting the leaders and rulers with the sword. I saw it necessary to clarify its status out of fear that some of the ignorant from the Khawārij of this time, or those who have no knowledge of this noble science and the understanding of ḥadīth, might cling to it. It is what al-Ṭabarānī narrated in "al-Muʿjam al-Kabīr" (11/39-40) through the chain of al-Hayyāj ibn Bisṭām from Layth from Ṭāwūs from Ibn ʿAbbās, raised [to the Prophet] with the wording: "There will be leaders whom you will recognize and reject. Whoever confronts them will be saved, whoever withdraws from them will be safe, and whoever mingles with them will perish." This isnād is extremely weak; Layth—who is Ibn Abī Sulaym—is weak and confused, and al-Hayyāj ibn Bisṭām—who is al-Khurāsānī—is unanimously agreed upon as weak; rather, Ibn Ḥibbān accused him, saying: "He narrates fabrications from trustworthy narrators." Al-Haythamī also criticized it (5/228). I say: This ḥadīth was also attributed by al-Suyūṭī to Ibn Abī Shaybah, meaning in "al-Muṣannaf," and I did not find it there after extensive search. If its isnād is authentic according to him or others, it would be necessary to interpret his saying: "confronts them" as meaning with words and enjoining good and forbidding evil, not with the sword, to reconcile it with the ḥadīth of ʿAwf, as required by scientific principles and legal rules. If it is not authentic, we discard it due to the extreme weakness of its isnād. And Allāh knows best. *