which he sent to them, and they are confident that it is his book, just as we today narrate from the books of the sunnah without having seen their authors or heard from them. Therefore, the ḥadīth falls under the category of "finding" mentioned in "the science of terminology," where it has been established that it must be acted upon. For this, refer to the book "al-Bāʿith al-Ḥathīth Sharḥ Ikhtiṣār ʿUlūm al-Ḥadīth" by Shaykh Aḥmad Shākir (may Allāh have mercy on him). I said: Therefore, the criticism of the ḥadīth for being disconnected, as done by al-Khaṭṭābī and others, is not applicable! Because it contradicts this established principle, and Allāh knows best. Perhaps what I mentioned regarding the refutation of this criticism is what the meticulous ḥadīth scholar Ibn ʿAbd al-Hādī observed in his book "Tanqīḥ al-Taḥqīq fī Aḥādīth al-Taʿlīq" when he included the ḥadīth (1/278) from the narration of al-Bukhārī in his "Tārīkh," and Ibn Ḥibbān in his "Ṣaḥīḥ," without criticizing it as al-Ṭaḥāwī did. As for the criticism by some of its inconsistency, it pertains specifically to narrations other than that of al-Qāsim ibn Mukhaimarah, as explained in "al-Irwāʾ" (1/79); so take note. Moreover, what strengthens the ḥadīth is that it has a corroborating narration from Zamʿah ibn Ṣāliḥ, who said: Abū al-Zubayr narrated to us, saying: I heard Jābir ibn ʿAbd Allāh say... and he mentioned it as elevated with the wording mentioned above, and it includes a story. It was recorded by Ibn ʿAbd al-Barr in "al-Tamhīd" (9/48) with an authentic chain from Abū Nuʿaym, who said: Zamʿah ibn Ṣāliḥ narrated it to us. I said: And this chain is suitable for use as supporting evidence; for Abū al-Zubayr explicitly stated the narration, thus we are safe from the harm of his concealment