No. 707 in al-Silsilah al-Da'ifah (He used to grasp his beard when he was distressed) and in another narration (

The questioner : May Allah keep you safe. In al-Silsilah al-Da'ifah, Volume Two, Hadith No. 707, I said about it that it is weak. It was narrated by Ibn Hibban, Tammam al-Razi, al-Bazzar, Ibn 'Adi, and others, and al-Haythami and others graded it as good. I have seen in your al-Silsilah al-Sahihah a hadith regarding the death of Sa'd ibn Mu'adh, where at the end of the hadith Aisha says: "His eye did not weep for anyone, but when he found [distress], he would only grasp his beard." Ibn Kathir said: Its chain is good, and so did al-Hafiz. This is exactly what you also mentioned, and you said its chain is good. Do you think, may Allah reward you with good, that this last part serves as a corroborating witness that strengthens this hadith?

The Shaykh: No.

The questioner : Why?

The Shaykh : Why? You are an Arab man, so you must distinguish for me, and I am a non-Arab man. You distinguish between "found" (wajada) and "was distressed" (ihtama), is that not so?

The questioner : It crossed my mind, but I said the difference is not significant.

The Shaykh : But there is a difference that matters to me.

The questioner : Correct.

The Shaykh : Ah, so it is not valid.

The questioner : Because in one of the weak wordings it is and in another wording it is , and this correct wording "found" (wajada) is like they are hovering around each other, or ...

The Shaykh : So I will tell you something. The hadith that you graded as good with the wording "found" (wajada) can be corroborated by the other hadiths, but not the other way around. Do you understand this answer?

The questioner : This answer is based on the fact that there is a difference between "found" (wajada) and "was distressed" (ighatama).

The Shaykh : Without a doubt, and you agree with me on this.

The questioner : Correct, but you do not find in the same narration, in the narration of Abu Bakr al-Kalbazi, that what happened to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) at the death of Sa'd was the intensification of his grief.

The Shaykh : I also ask you, and you are an Arab, is grief (gham) the same as being distressed (ihtimam)?

The questioner : Intense distress.

The Shaykh : Is it "found" (wajada)?

The questioner : There is a difference, but I do not know precisely.

The Shaykh : In short, my brother, these differences prevent one wording from being taken as a corroborating witness for another. So the important thing in this matter, as long as we do not have a chain for the wording "found" (wajada) ... we cannot strengthen the other wordings with the wording "found" (wajada).