This excerpt is taken from A Research Review of Mirza Muhammad Ali Engineer's Objections and Criticisms, authored by Haroon bin Shabbir Ahmad, may Allah preserve him, and revised by Fazilat al-Sheikh Maulana Muhammad Rafiq Tahir, may Allah preserve him.
Research on the Hadith "Guide and Mahdi":
Imam Abu Isa Tirmidhi, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مُسْهِرٍ عَبْدُ الْأَعْلَى بْنُ مُسْهِرٍ، عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ، عَنْ رَبِيعَةَ بْنِ يَزِيدَ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمٰنِ بْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرَةَ، وَكَانَ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَنَّهُ قَالَ لِمُعَاوِيَةَ: اَللّٰهُمَّ اجْعَلْهُ هَادِيًا مَهْدِيًّا وَاهْدِ بِهِ۔
"It is narrated from Hazrat Abdul Rahman bin Abi Umayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, that he narrated from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said about Sayyiduna Muawiyah, may Allah be pleased with him: 'O Allah, make him a guide and rightly guided, and guide people through him.'"
Reference: (Sunan Tirmidhi:3842)
This hadith has been declared Hasan by the Muhaddithin including Imam Tirmidhi, Al-Jurqani, and Ibn Hajar Al-Makki, and Sahih by Imam Ibn Hibban, Ibn Asakir, Allama Albani, and Sheikh Zubair Ali Zai, may Allah have mercy on them! As mentioned under the virtues of Muawiyah, may Allah be pleased with him, this hadith is cited with reference. There is no defect in the chain or text that would render the hadith unreliable, and all narrators are trustworthy, details of which are presented below:
1- Muhammad bin Yahya
Imam Abu Hatim Al-Razi, may Allah have mercy on him:
He declared him trustworthy:
Reference: Al-Jarh wa Al-Ta'dil-125/8
Imam Abu Zur'ah Al-Razi, may Allah have mercy on him:
He said "امام من أئمة المسلمين":
Reference: Al-Jarh wa Al-Ta'dil-125/8
Imam Ibn Hibban, may Allah have mercy on him:
He mentioned him among "Al-Thiqat" (trustworthy narrators):
Reference: Al-Thiqat Ibn Hibban-115/9
Imam Khateeb Baghdadi, may Allah have mercy on him:
He said "كان أحد الأئمة العارفين والحفاظ المتقنين، والثقات المأمونين":
Reference: Tarikh Baghdad-656/4
Imam Dhahabi, may Allah have mercy on him:
He called him "Al-Hafiz":
Reference: Al-Kashif-5211
, and this is one of the terms of authentication.Hafiz Ibn Hajar, may Allah have mercy on him:
He said: "ثقة حافظ جليل":
Reference: Al-Taqreeb-p.907
2- Abu Mushir Al-Dimashqi
Imam Bukhari, may Allah have mercy on him:
He narrated from him in Sahih Bukhari:
Reference: Sahih Bukhari-77
Imam Muslim, may Allah have mercy on him:
He also took narrations from him in Muslim:
Reference: Sahih Muslim-1975,1548
Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal, may Allah have mercy on him:
His statement was mentioned earlier "كَانَ عِنْدَكُمْ ثَلَاثَةُ أَصْحَابِ حَدِيثٍ: مَرْوَانُ، وَالْوَلِيدُ، وأبو مسهر".
Imam Yahya bin Ma'in, may Allah have mercy on him:
He declared him trustworthy:
Reference: Al-Jarh wa Al-Ta'dil-29/6
Imam Abu Hatim Al-Razi, may Allah have mercy on him:
He also called him trustworthy:
Reference: Al-Jarh wa Al-Ta'dil-29/6
Imam Ajli, may Allah have mercy on him:
He also declared him trustworthy:
Reference: Al-Thiqat-916
Imam Ibn Hibban, may Allah have mercy on him:
He mentioned him among the trustworthy and said: "كان امام اهل الشام في الحفظ والاتقان":
Reference: Al-Thiqat-408/8
Hafiz Ibn Hajar, may Allah have mercy on him:
"ثقة فاضل":
Reference: Taqreeb Al-Tahdheeb-3738
3- Saeed bin Abdul Aziz
Imam Muslim, may Allah have mercy on him:
He took narrations from him in Sahih Muslim:
Reference: Sahih Muslim-2577,1122,477
Imam Yahya bin Ma'in, may Allah have mercy on him:
He mentioned him among the great Imams of Hadith and Huffaz and said "الْحُجَّةُ":
Reference: Tarikh Abi Zur'ah Al-Dimashqi-p.461
Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal, may Allah have mercy on him:
His statement was mentioned earlier that "In Sham, no one narrates authentic hadith better than Awza'i and Saeed bin Abdul Aziz":
Reference: Al-Ilal-4131
Imam Abu Hatim Al-Razi, may Allah have mercy on him:
He declared him trustworthy and said "Among the Syrian narrators, after Imam Awza'i, I do not give preference to anyone over Saeed bin Abdul Aziz":
Reference: Al-Jarh wa Al-Ta'dil-42/4
Imam Ibn Hibban, may Allah have mercy on him:
He also authenticated Saeed bin Abdul Aziz:
Reference: Al-Thiqat Ibn Hibban-369/6
Hafiz Ibn Hajar, may Allah have mercy on him:
He said "ثقة امام":
Reference: Al-Taqreeb-p.383
Therefore, Saeed bin Abdul Aziz is trustworthy in himself! In his later life, he became mixed (in reliability), but this mixing is not harmful here because this hadith from Saeed bin Abdul Aziz was narrated not by one or two but by five different narrators, as will be discussed in the section on confusion. Also, here his student is Abu Mushir, about whom Imam Abu Hatim Al-Razi, may Allah have mercy on him, said: He preferred Saeed bin Abdul Aziz over Imam Awza'i.
Reference: (Al-Jarh wa Al-Ta'dil: 42/4)
. Scholars consider this as evidence that Abu Mushir's narration from Saeed is before his mixing, otherwise he would not have been preferred over a trustworthy and established narrator like Awza'i:
Reference: (Al-Sahihah by Albani:690/7,615/4)
4- Rabi'ah bin Yazid
Imam Bukhari, may Allah have mercy on him:
He narrated from him in Sahih Bukhari:
Reference: Sahih Bukhari-5478
Imam Muslim, may Allah have mercy on him:
He also brought his hadith in Sahih Muslim:
Reference: Sahih Muslim-1043,1037,542
Imam Ibn Sa'd, may Allah have mercy on him:
He declared him trustworthy:
Reference: Tabaqat Ibn Sa'd-465/7
Imam Ibn Hibban, may Allah have mercy on him:
He also authenticated him:
Reference: Al-Thiqat-232/4
Imam Ajli, may Allah have mercy on him:
He said "تابعي ثقة":
Reference: Al-Thiqat Al-Ajli-p.159
Hafiz Ibn Hajar, may Allah have mercy on him:
He declared him "ثقة عابد":
Reference: Al-Taqreeb-323
5- Abdul Rahman bin Abi Umayrah, may Allah be pleased with him
He is a companion of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him. According to Ibn Abdul Barr, may Allah have mercy on him, his companionship is not established, and on this basis, he considers this hadith disconnected, but this is not correct! A large group of Muhaddithin have declared him a companion, details of which are as follows:
Imam Bukhari, may Allah have mercy on him:
He counted him among the companions:
Reference: Al-Tarikh Al-Kabir by Bukhari-791
Imam Ibn Sa'd, may Allah have mercy on him:
He said about him "وَكَانَ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ رَسُولِ اللهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم" and he was among the companions of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him.
Reference: Al-Tabaqat-417/7
Imam Ibn Hibban, may Allah have mercy on him:
He mentioned him in the classes of companions:
Reference: Al-Thiqat-252/3
Imam Ibn Abi Hatim, may Allah have mercy on him:
He said "لَهُ صُحْبَةٌ" that he had companionship with the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him:
Reference: Al-Jarh wa Al-Ta'dil-273/5
Imam Abu Nu'aym Al-Asbahani, may Allah have mercy on him:
He mentioned him among the companions:
Reference: Ma'rifat Al-Sahabah by Abi Nu'aym-1836/4
Imam Saeed bin Abdul Aziz, may Allah have mercy on him:
He mentioned Abdul Rahman bin Abi Umayrah by name and said: "وكان من اصحاب النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم":
Reference: Tirmidhi-3842, Tarikh Baghdad-574/1
Imam Tirmidhi, may Allah have mercy on him:
He narrated the hadith under discussion from Abdul Rahman bin Abi Umayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, along with Imam Saeed's statement "وكان من اصحاب رسول الله", and did not reject it, rather declared it Hasan, which is evidence that in his view Abdul Rahman, may Allah be pleased with him, is a companion:
Reference: Sunan Tirmidhi:3842
Abu Al-Husayn Abdul Baqi bin Qani', may Allah have mercy on him:
He counted Hazrat Abdul Rahman, may Allah be pleased with him, among the companions:
Reference: Mu'jam Al-Sahabah by Ibn Qani'-621
Imam Abu Al-Qasim Abdullah bin Muhammad Al-Baghawi, may Allah have mercy on him:
He also mentioned him in "Mu'jam Al-Sahabah":
Reference: Mu'jam Al-Sahabah by Al-Baghawi-1946
Imam Khateeb Baghdadi, may Allah have mercy on him:
He said "لَهُ صُحْبَةٌ":
Reference: Tali Talkhees Al-Mutashabih-539/2
Imam Jamaluddin Al-Mizzi, may Allah have mercy on him:
He said about him "لَهُ صُحْبَةٌ":
Reference: Tahdheeb Al-Kamal fi Asma' Al-Rijal-321/17
Imam Shamsuddin Dhahabi, may Allah have mercy on him:
He declared him a companion:
Reference: Al-Kashif-638/1
And in one place said "وَالْأَظْهَرُ أَنَّهُ صحابي":
Reference: Tarikh Al-Islam-541/2
Allama Al-Taqi Al-Fasi, may Allah have mercy on him:
He also called Abdul Rahman bin Abi Umayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, a companion:
Reference: Al-'Aqd Al-Thamin-92/6
Imam Ibn Hajar Asqalani, may Allah have mercy on him:
He also stated that he is a companion and discussed it with evidence. Then he quoted other Muhaddithin who held this view, saying:
قال أبو حاتم وابن السكن: له صحبة. ذكره البخاري، وابن سعد، وابن البرقي، وابن حبان، وعبد الصمد بن سعيد في الصحابة۔ وذكره أبو الحسن بن سميع في الطبقة الأولى من الصحابة۔
"Imam Abu Hatim and Ibn Al-Sakan said that he is a companion, and Imam Bukhari, Ibn Sa'd, Ibn Al-Barqi, Ibn Hibban, and Abdus Samad bin Saeed, may Allah have mercy on them, mentioned him among the companions, and Abu Al-Hasan bin Sami' mentioned him among the first generation of companions."
Reference: (Al-Isabah fi Tamyiz Al-Sahabah: 287/4)
Allama Muhammad Nasiruddin Al-Albani, may Allah have mercy on him:
He said about Hazrat Abdul Rahman, may Allah be pleased with him: وهو صحابي:
Reference: Al-Sahihah -690/7
Despite so many statements from Muhaddithin, Engineer Mirza falsely claims (and lying is common for him) that Abdul Rahman is not a companion but a Tabi'i according to [some Muhaddithin], that he is not a companion at all. And for this reason, he considers the narration to be Mursal and Munqati and deems it doubtful.
Reference: (Ilmi wa Tahqiqi Majlis No. 26, Duration-1:55:00)
And it should also be remembered that on their platform, everything is presented with references and evidence.
Is there confusion in the chain of narration?
If someone says that this hadith is narrated by Waleed bin Muslim and Umar bin Abdul Wahid from Saeed bin Abdul Aziz from Yunus bin Maisarah from Abdul Rahman bin Abi Umairah, while Abu Musher narrates it from Saeed bin Abdul Aziz from Rabiah bin Yazid from Abdul Rahman bin Abi Umairah, therefore there is confusion in the chain of narration.
Then it is stated that firstly, this is not confusion, and even if accepted, it does not cause weakness, because the ruling of confusion in the chain or text applies only when it is not possible to combine or prefer one over the other, and the correct matter is not known. As the scholars of hadith have explicitly stated:
أَمَّا إِذَا تَرَجَّحَتْ إِحْدَاهُمَا بِحَيْثُ لَا تُقَاوِمُهَا الْأُخْرَى بِأَنْ يَكُونَ رَاوِيهَا أَحْفَظَ. أَوْ أَكْثَرَ صُحْبَةً لِلْمَرْوِيِّ عَنْهُ. أَوْ غَيْرَ ذَلِكَ مِنْ وُجُوهِ التَّرْجِيحَاتِ الْمُعْتَمَدَةِ. فَالْحُكْمُ لِلرَّاجِحَةِ. وَلَا يُطْلَقُ عَلَيْهِ حِينَئِذٍ وَصْفُ الْمُضْطَرِبِ وَلَا لَهُ حُكْمُهُ۔
"If among these two (conflicting chains) one is stronger while the other is not equal to it, such that the narrator of the stronger chain has better memory, or has more companionship with the teacher, or there are other grounds for preference, then the ruling (i.e., acceptance) will be on the stronger chain, and in such a case the attribute of confusion will not be applied to it, nor will the ruling of confusion be imposed!"
Reference: (Muqaddimah Ibn al-Salah: p. 94)
أَمَّا إِنْ رَجَحَ بَعْضُ الْوُجُوهِ لَمْ يَكُنْ مُضْطَرِبًا وَالْحُكْمُ لِلرَّاجِحِ مِنْهَا وُجُوبًا۔
"If for some reasons preference is obtained for one of the chains, then it will not be considered confused and the ruling will be obligatory on the preferred one."
Reference: (Fath al-Mugheeth bi Sharh al-Fiyah al-Hadith: 290/1)
And here also preference is possible, because Waleed bin Muslim (1) and Umar bin Abdul Wahid (2) also narrate it through the chain of Saeed from Rabiah:
1- حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ بَحْرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا- الْوَلِيدُ بْنُ مُسْلِمٍ - حَدَّثَنَا سَعِيدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ، عَنْ رَبِيعَةَ بْنِ يَزِيدَ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ أَبِي عَمِيرَةَ الْأَزْدِيِّ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، أَنَّهُ ذَكَرَ مُعَاوِيَةَ، وَقَالَ: "اَللّٰهُمَّ اجْعَلْهُ هَادِيًا مَهْدِيًّا، وَاهْدِ بِهِ"۔
Reference: (Musnad Ahmad: 17895)
2- وأما حديث عمر بن عبد الواحد فأخبرناه أبو محمد بن الأكفاني حدثنا أبو محمد الكتاني أنا تمام بن محمد أبو عبد الله بن مروان نا أبو بكر أحمد بن المعلى أنا محمود نا- عمر بن عبد الواحد- عن سعيد يعني ابن عبد العزيز عن ربيعة بن يزيد........
Reference: (Tarikh Dimashq: 83/59)
Besides this, Marwan bin Muhammad (1) and Muhammad bin Sulaiman (2) also narrate this hadith through Saeed from Rabiah:
1- حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَوْفٍ، نا - مَرْوَانُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ - وَأَبُو مُسْهِرٍ قَالَا: نا سَعِيدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ، عَنْ رَبِيعَةَ بْنِ يَزِيدَ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ أَبِي عَمِيرَةَ.........
Reference: (Al-Ahad wa al-Mathani by Ibn Abi Asim: 1129)
2- وأما حديث محمد بن سليمان فأخبرناه أبو القاسم زاهر وأبو بكر وجيه ابنا طاهر بن محمد وأبو الفتوح عبد الوهاب بن شاه بن أحمد قالوا أنا أحمد بن الحسن بن محمد الأزهري أنا الحسن بن أحمد المخلدي نا أبو بكر عبد الله بن محمد بن مسلم الإسفرايني نا محمد بن غالب الأنطاكي نا- محمد بن سليمان- نا سعيد بن عبد العزيز عن ربيعة بن يزيد عن عبد الرحمن ابن أبي عميرة المزني.......
Reference: (Tarikh Dimashq: 83/59)
And these three (Abu Musher, Marwan bin Muhammad, and Muhammad bin Sulaiman) without any doubt say Saeed from Rabiah, therefore it will be preferred, and the narration of Waleed bin Muslim and Umar bin Abdul Wahid who said Yunus instead of Rabiah will be set aside in favor of the narration they gave through Saeed bin Abdul Aziz from Rabiah bin Yazid, which will be called the stronger narration, and the chain will be free from confusion.
Imam Ibn Asakir, may Allah have mercy on him, also mentioned this difference and then first mentioned the chain of Waleed bin Muslim which agrees with other companions, then mentioned the narration in which Waleed said from Saeed from Yunus and said: "وقول الجماعة هو الصواب" meaning that instead the correct narration is the one narrated by the group (through Saeed from Rabiah):
Reference: Tarikh Dimashq - 84/59
Similarly, Allama Al-Albani, may Allah have mercy on him, stated the opinion of Imam Ibn Asakir, may Allah have mercy on him, agreeing with him and refuting the claim of confusion:
Reference: Silsilat al-Sahihah - 617/4
Therefore, when preference is possible, the ruling of confusion cannot be applied to the chain!
Furthermore, the hadith under discussion is well-known through this chain (from Saeed from Rabiah), as can be seen in the books of biographies and hadith texts.
And then most narrators narrate it with this chain; Hafiz Ibn Asakir, may Allah have mercy on him, mentioned this hadith with more than a dozen chains, all of which are through Saeed bin Abdul Aziz from Rabiah bin Yazid, therefore the clarifications of the scholars of hadith, their style, and other indications make it clear that the chain is completely free from confusion.
In summary, this hadith is authentic in terms of chain and text! And we have presented the statements of the scholars of criticism and praise regarding all the narrators, so it should be told to us which narrator fabricated this hadith? As you say, "They (the enemies of Hazrat Ali, may Allah be pleased with him) fabricated these hadiths."
Research on Hadith ”اللهم علِّم معاوية الكتاب“:
عَنِ الْعِرْبَاضِ بْنِ سَارِيَةَ السُّلَمِيِّ قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ: اَللّٰهُمَّ عَلِّمْ مُعَاوِيَةَ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِسَابَ وَقِهِ الْعَذَابَ۔
Hazrat Arabadh bin Sariya Al-Salmi (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) say: "O Allah, grant Muawiyah the knowledge of the Book (Quran) and arithmetic, and protect him from punishment."
Reference: (Musnad Ahmad:17152)
This hadith has been authenticated by Imam Ibn Khuzaymah and Ibn Hibban, and declared Hasan by Imam Ibn Asakir, Allama Albani, Sheikh Zubair Ali Zai, and Maulana Ghulam Mustafa Zaheer (may Allah have mercy on them), as previously referenced.
The chain of narration in Musnad Ahmad is as follows:
عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ مَهْدِيٍّ عَنْ مُعَاوِيَةَ بْنِ صَالِحٍ عَنْ يُونُسَ بْنِ سَيْفٍ عَنِ الْحَارِثِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ عَنْ أَبِي رُهْمٍ عَنِ الْعِرْبَاضِ بْنِ سَارِيَةَ السُّلَمِيِّ۔
A brief authentication of the narrators is as follows:
1- Abdul Rahman bin Mahdi
He was the teacher of Imam Shafi’i, Ahmad bin Hanbal, Ali bin Madini (may Allah have mercy on them) and many other great Imams and Muhaddithin, and an authority in Jarh wa Ta'dil and hadith. Many hadiths are narrated from him in Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim. There is no need to explain his reliability.
2- Muawiyah bin Salih
Imam Abdul Rahman bin Mahdi (may Allah have mercy on him):
Has authenticated him:
Reference: Al-Jarh wa Ta'dil-382/8
Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal (may Allah have mercy on him):
Declared him trustworthy:
Reference: Al-Jarh wa Ta'dil-382/8
Imam Muslim (may Allah have mercy on him):
Narrated from him in Sahih Muslim:
Reference: Sahih Muslim-963,542,454,307
Imam Abu Zur’ah Al-Razi (may Allah have mercy on him):
Called him "ثقة محدث":
Reference: Al-Jarh wa Ta'dil-383/8
Imam Ajli (may Allah have mercy on him):
Called him trustworthy:
Reference: Al-Thiqat lil Ajli-1594
Imam Ibn Hibban (may Allah have mercy on him):
Mentioned him in "Al-Thiqat":
Reference: Al-Thiqat-470/7
Imam Ibn Sa’d (may Allah have mercy on him):
Said "ثقة كثير الحديث":
Reference: Tabaqat al-Kubra-521/7
Imam Dhahabi (may Allah have mercy on him):
Called him "Saduq":
Reference: Al-Kashf-276/2
Hafiz Ibn Hajar Asqalani (may Allah have mercy on him):
Also called him "Saduq":
Reference: Taqreeb-955
3- Yunus bin Saif
Imam Darqutni (may Allah have mercy on him):
Declared him trustworthy:
Reference: Sawalāt al-Barqani-146
Imam Ibn Hibban (may Allah have mercy on him):
Mentioned him in "Al-Thiqat":
Reference: Al-Thiqat-555/5
Imam Bazzar (may Allah have mercy on him):
Called him "Saleh al-Hadith":
Reference: Musnad Bazzar-4202
Allama Dhahabi (may Allah have mercy on him):
Called him trustworthy:
Reference: Al-Kashf-403/2
4- Al-Harith bin Ziyad
Imam Ibn Hibban (may Allah have mercy on him):
Mentioned him in "Al-Thiqat":
Reference: Al-Thiqat-2148
Imam Ibn Khuzaymah (may Allah have mercy on him):
Mentioned the hadith of Harith bin Ziyad in Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah:
Reference: Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah-1938
which proves that he considered him trustworthy. Therefore, it is incorrect to say that only Ibn Hibban (may Allah have mercy on him) called him trustworthy! Rather, the authentication of his teacher Ibn Khuzaymah, who is counted among the moderate Imams of Jarh wa Ta'dil, is also present. It is not proven that he was lenient!Imam Dhahabi (may Allah have mercy on him) said in describing various classes of trustworthy narrators: وإن صحح له مثل الترمذي وابن خزيمة، فجيد أيضا.....! "If a hadith of a narrator has been declared authentic by Imams like Tirmidhi or Ibn Khuzaymah, then he is also excellent."
Reference: Al-Mawqizah-78
And Sheikh Zubair Ali Zai (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "It is not proven that Imam Ibn Khuzaymah (may Allah have mercy on him) was lenient."
Reference: Fatawa Ilmiyyah-Vol 2, p.304
Moreover, Hafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) called this narrator "Lain al-Hadith" (soft in hadith), but remember this is a very mild term in the ranks of criticism, and it does not invalidate the narrator’s reliability, especially when authentication is also reported.
Muhaddith al-Asr Maulana Irshad-ul-Haq Athari (may Allah preserve him) explained this as:
"Technically, 'Lain al-Hadith' does not mean that the narrator is weak in hadith. Hafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) explained the ranks of Jarh wa Ta'dil in the introduction of Taqreeb al-Tahdheeb, placing 'Lain al-Hadith' at the sixth rank and 'Da’eef' (weak) at the eighth rank. This distinction itself proves that in his view, a 'Lain al-Hadith' narrator is not of the 'Da’eef' rank. Similarly, those who have explained the ranks of Jarh wa Ta'dil have mentioned these two terms in separate ranks, see
Reference: (Al-Raf’ wal Takmeel p.110,119,129,130, Mizan al-I’tidal Vol 1 p.3, Al-Jarh wa Ta’dil Vol 1 p.37)
etc..."
Reference: Maulana Sarfaraz Safdar in Aaina-e-Tasaneef-36
Also, this narrator is not unique; Allama Dhahabi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "There is a strong supporting witness for this hadith."
Reference: Al-Siyar:124/3
5- Abu Rahm:
His name is Ahzab bin Asid, he is among the trustworthy Tabi’een, some Muhaddithin have counted him among the Sahabah. Allah knows best.
Imam Ibn Hibban (may Allah have mercy on him):
Mentioned him in "Al-Thiqat" among the Tabi’een:
Reference: Al-Thiqat-1822
Imam Ibn Khuzaymah (may Allah have mercy on him):
Narrated hadith from him in his Sahih:
Reference: Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah-1938
Hafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him):
Declared him trustworthy:
Reference: Taqreeb-121
6- Arabadh bin Sariya (may Allah be pleased with him) is a companion of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him).
This hadith is also narrated through the chains of Saeed bin Abdul Aziz from Rabiah bin Yazid from Abdul Rahman bin Abi Umairah:
أَبُو مُسْهِرٍ عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ عَنْ رَبِيعَةَ بْنِ يَزِيدَ عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ عَمِيرَةَ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ اَللّٰهُمَّ عَلِّمْ مُعَاوِيَةَ الْحِسَابَ وَقِهِ الْعَذَابَ
Reference: (Al-Tarikh al-Kabir by Bukhari-327/7, Tarikh Dimashq-230/35)
A detailed investigation of this chain was presented under the hadith of Hadi wa Mahdi.
Imam Dhahabi (may Allah have mercy on him) declared it a strong supporting witness:
Reference: Al-Siyar:124/3
Allama Albani (may Allah have mercy on him) said about it: وهذا إسناد جيد عندي، وشاهد قوي، رجاله ثقات رجال مسلم، غير ابن أبي عميرة وهو صحابي "And this chain is, in my view, excellent and a strong supporting witness; its narrators are trustworthy and narrators of Sahih Muslim, except Ibn Abi Umairah who is a companion."
Reference: Sahihah:690/7
There are other evidences as well:
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللهِ قَالَ: حَدَّثَنِي أَبِي، ثنا أَبُو الْمُغِيرَةِ ثنا صَفْوَانُ قَالَ: حَدَّثَنِي شُرَيْحُ بْنُ عُبَيْدٍ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ دَعَا لِمُعَاوِيَةَ بْنِ أَبِي سُفْيَانَ "اَللّٰهُمَّ عَلِّمْهُ الْكِتَابَ، وَالْحِسَابَ وَقِهِ الْعَذَابَ"
Reference: (Fada’il al-Sahabah by Ahmad bin Hanbal:1749)
All its narrators are trustworthy but it is "Mursal" (interrupted chain). Allama Albani (may Allah have mercy on him) said: وهذا إسناد شامي مرسل صحيح، رجاله ثقات، وشريح بن عبيد هو الحضرمي الحمصي تابعي ثقة۔ "This chain is from Sham and the Mursal is authentic; all its narrators are trustworthy and Shurayh bin Ubaid is a trustworthy Tabi’i."
Reference: Silsilah al-Sahihah-692/7
And Allama Albani (may Allah have mercy on him) in the classification of the hadith under study said: روى من حديث العرباض بن سارية، وعبد الله بن عباس، وعبد الرحمن ابن أبي عميرة المزني، ومسلمة بن مُخَلَّد، ومرسل شُرَيح بن عُبيد، ومرسل حَرِيز بن عثمان۔ "This hadith is narrated continuously from Arabadh bin Sariya, Abdullah bin Abbas, Abdul Rahman bin Abi Umairah, Muslimah bin Mukhlad (etc.), and narrated Mursal from Shurayh bin Ubaid and Hurayz bin Uthman." For details see:
Reference: (Sahihah - Hadith No:3227)
It is a point of reflection for the followers of Mirza Sahib that when Mirza Sahib places great trust in the research of Allama Albani and Zubair Ali Zai and cites them for every hadith saying that Sheikh Albani and Sheikh Zubair Ali Zai have declared it authentic, then when these hadiths are also declared authentic by other scholars including them, why is it that Engineer Sahib is not willing to listen to these scholars at this occasion? Instead, he makes irrelevant remarks and instead of explaining the defect, he relies on statements that themselves are not proven by authentic chains. Then you claim that you are not a Babi but scholarly and literary, and you criticize those who reject hadith by various means. So, is not the approach Mirza Sahib has adopted here a rejection of the hadith? أَتَأْمُرُونَ النَّاسَ بِالْبِرِّ وَتَنْسَوْنَ أَنْفُسَكُمْ وَأَنْتُمْ تَتْلُونَ الْكِتَابَ أَفَلَا تَعْقِلُونَ
Reference: (Al-Baqarah: 44)
