Muhammad bin Abd Allah bin Quhzādh from the people of Marw narrated to us, he said I heard Abdān bin Uthmān saying, I heard Abd Allah bin al-Mubārak saying:
‘The chain of narration is from the Dīn, and were it not for the chain of narration whoever wished could say what he wanted’.
Muhammad bin Abd Allah said, al-Abbās bin Abī Rizmah narrated to me, he said I heard Abd Allah [bin al-Mubārak] saying: ‘Between us and the people are ‘the legs’ (meaning the chain of narration, i.e. if a Ḥadīth was like a creature)’.
Muhammad said, I heard Abā Ishāq Ibrāhīm bin Īsā at-Tālqānī say, I said to Abd Allah bin al-Mubārak: ‘Oh Abā Abd ir-Rahman! How is the Ḥadīth which goes ‘Indeed from al-Birr after al-Birr is that you pray for your parents after you pray for yourself and you fast for them both after you fast for yourself’? So [Ibn al-Mubārak] said: ‘Oh Abā Ishāq! On whose authority is this?’ I said to him: ‘This is a Ḥadīth from Shihāb bin Khirāsh’. [Ibn al-Mubārak] said: ‘[He is] trustworthy. On whose authority [did he transmit]?’ I said: ‘on authority of al-Hajjāj bin Dīnār’. [Ibn al-Mubārak] said: ‘[He is] trustworthy. On whose authority [did he transmit]?’ I said: ‘He [al-Hajjāj said] the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said…’ [Ibn al-Mubārak] said: ‘Oh Abā Ishāq! Indeed between al-Hajjāj bin Dīnār and the Prophet (ﷺ) is a wilderness in which the necks of the mounts are severed, however, there is no difference of opinion regarding charity [offered on behalf of one’s parents]’.
