he articulated in the introduction of "His Weak Narrators" (p. 81): "that among them is the innovator if he is a caller to his innovation." This is an issue about which scholars have long differed, as elaborated in "The Science of Terminology." What I have concluded on this matter—and I have seen the eminent scholars agree—is that if the innovator's integrity, precision, and trustworthiness are established, then his ḥadīth is accepted as long as his innovation is not one that leads to disbelief, and his ḥadīth does not support his innovation. This is the inclination of the ḥāfiẓ in "Sharḥ al-Nukhbah," following the distinguished scholar Ibn Daqīq al-ʿĪd, who mentioned his words in "Muqaddimah al-Fatḥ" (p. 385). It is excellent and very important, so refer to it. Knowing this, the ḥadīth of ʿUqbah does not support innovation, and similarly, our ḥadīth is only about the Prophet's (ṣallá Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam) supplication for Muʿāwiyah (raḍiya Allāhu ʿanhu). This would be said even if Ḥarīz was the sole narrator, so how much more so when he has been corroborated by many, as previously mentioned?!! It is no wonder, then, that those previously mentioned among the ḥuffāẓ strengthened it, and we can include among them the ḥāfiẓ Ibn ʿAsākir; for after he presented the aforementioned ḥadīths, and others that cannot be strengthened in any way, he narrated with his authentic chain from Isḥāq ibn Rāhwayh, who said: "Nothing authentic has been reported from the Prophet (ṣallá Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam) regarding the virtue of Muʿāwiyah ibn Abī Sufyān." He then commented: "The most authentic narration regarding the virtue of Muʿāwiyah is the ḥadīth of Abū Ḥamzah from Ibn ʿAbbās that he was the Prophet's (ṣallá Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam) scribe, as Muslim recorded in his 'Ṣaḥīḥ,' followed by the ḥadīth of al-ʿIrbaḍ: 'O Allāh! Teach him the Book...' and then the ḥadīth of Ibn Abī ʿUmayrah: 'O Allāh! Make him a guide, rightly guided...'"