"his Ṣaḥīḥ" and al-Ṭabarānī with a sound isnād. This is what I mentioned in "Takhrīj Faḍāʾil al-Shām" (p. 91). Some esteemed scholars from Makkah, from the Book of Justice, responded to me in a letter dated 29/4/90, which indicated knowledge and virtue. I decided to give it attention and write this reply. May Allāh preserve him, he said: 1 - Al-Tirmidhī and al-Ḥākim narrated it through the route of Yaḥyá ibn Ayyūb al-Ghāfiqī, and even though they used him as evidence, the imams of al-jarḥ wa-al-taʿdīl have consistently weakened the ḥadīths transmitted through his route, as will be mentioned. 2 - Imām Aḥmad narrated it from Ibn Lahīʿah, and the discussion about ʿAbd Allāh ibn Lahīʿah is well-known, even though Muslim included him in conjunction. 3 - As for al-Ḥākim's statement: according to the conditions of al-Bukhārī and Muslim, and al-Dhahabī's agreement with him, al-Dhahabī (may Allāh have mercy on him) has errors and contradictions in his "Talkhīṣ" that may not be hidden. Among them is that in al-Ḥākim's isnād, there is also al-Ḥārith ibn Abī Usāmah, and al-Dhahabī (may Allāh have mercy on him) overlooked him, for he criticized him in "Talkhīṣ al-Mustadrak" (p. 158/1). Al-Ḥākim authenticated his ḥadīth according to the conditions of al-Bukhārī and Muslim, and al-Dhahabī said: "I say: a rejected report, and al-Ḥārith is not reliable." Al-Dhahabī also mentioned him in "al-Ḍuʿafāʾ wa-al-Matrūkīn" and said: "He is weak," as stated in "Fayḍ al-Manāwī" (p. 7/6), and he has an entry in "Tadhkirat al-Ḥuffāẓ." 4 - As for Yaḥyá ibn Ayyūb, al-Ḥākim narrated a ḥadīth for him in "al-Mustadrak" (p. 201/2) and said: "Authentic according to the conditions of the two Shaykhs, but they did not narrate it." Al-Dhahabī followed up by saying: "There is a discussion about Yaḥyá ibn Ayyūb." 5 - Al-Ḥākim also narrated in his "Mustadrak" (p. 97/3) a ḥadīth for him, in which he said: It is according to..