"Whoever is patient with its hardship and difficulties, I will be a witness or an intercessor for him on the Day of Resurrection." He meant: the city [of Madinah]. In another version: "No one is patient with its difficulties and hardships except that I will be..." This was narrated by al-Tirmidhī (3918), and Ibn ʿAsākir in "Tārīkh Dimashq" (1/169 - published by the Scientific Academy) through the route of al-Muʿtamir ibn Sulaymān who said: I heard ʿUbayd Allāh (and in "al-Tārīkh": "ʿAbd Allāh" with emphasis) ibn ʿUmar from Nāfiʿ from Ibn ʿUmar: that a female servant of his came to him and said: "The times have become hard for me, and I want to go out to Iraq." He said: "Why not [go to] Shām, the land of resurrection (and in "al-Tārīkh": the gathering place)?! Be patient, foolish one! For I heard the Messenger of Allāh (ṣallá Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam) say..." and he mentioned it with the first wording. Al-Tirmidhī said: "A ḥasan ṣaḥīḥ gharīb ḥadīth from the narration of ʿUbayd Allāh." I say: He is trustworthy, from the men of the two Shaykhs; unlike his brother ʿAbd Allāh (with emphasis); for he is weak and has poor memory. Al-Muʿtamir ibn Sulaymān is trustworthy and relied upon in the "Ṣaḥīḥayn," though his memory is slightly weak. ʿUbayd Allāh ibn ʿAbd al-Majīd contradicted him, saying: ʿUbayd Allāh ibn ʿUmar narrated to us from Qaṭan ibn Wahb: that a female servant of Ibn ʿUmar came to him to greet him before leaving Madinah, and she said: "I am going out to the countryside; the times have become hard for us." Ibn ʿUmar said: "Sit down, foolish one!"... the ḥadīth, without mentioning Shām. This was narrated by Abū Yaʿlá in "Musnad" (10/166/5789). I say: Its chain of narration is authentic; except for the break in its chain as will be mentioned, and ʿUbayd Allāh ibn..