for Mukatil Ibn Sulaiman, the author of the Commentary,
I should not like to cite anything on his authority." "His Traditions
are to be rejected," said Abu Hatim ar-Razi. According to Zakariya Ibn
Yahya as-Saji, people said of Mukatil Ibn Sulaiman, the native of
Khorasan, "that he was a liar, and that his traditions should be
rejected."[377]

[Sidenote: Ikrama.]

Ikrama (died 107 A.H.), another liar, had only surmised before Mukatil
that Mohammad might have admired Zeinab. His words, as related by the
traditionists, Abd bin Hamid and Ibn-al-Munzar, are "as if she had
fallen deep in his mind."[378] But Mukatil has converted this hazardous
conjecture into a fact.

Abd Allah Ibn al-Harith relates as follows:--

"I went to visit Ali, the son of Abd Allah Ibu Abbas, and I saw
Ikrama tied up at the door of a privy, on which I said: 'Is it thus
that you treat your slave?' To which he replied. 'Know that that
fellow has told lies of my father.'"[379]

[Sidenote: Mohammad bin Yahya.]

Mohammad bin Yahya bin Habban[380] (died 121 A.H.) has also given the
tradition of Mohammad's admiring Zeinab at Zeid's house, but does not
give his authority. He was not a contemporary narrator, therefore his
narration is apocryphal and technically _Mursal_.

[Sidenote: Katada's conjectural interpretation not warranted.]

25. All these silly fables, wild romances, and scandalous conjectures
have their origin in Katada's improper interpretation of these words,
"and thou didst hide in thy mind what God would bring to light" (Sura
XXXIII, 37). Katada (died 117 A.H.) conjectured that the Prophet
concealed his desire that Zeid should divorce Zeinab. But all other
authors[381] have found fault with Katada in his surmise, which is not
supported by any word in the text or by any contemporary evidence. This
interpretation of Katada is contradicted by the very words of Mohammad
to Zeid in the same verse: "Keep thy wife to thyself and fear God."

[Sidenote: Other conjectures.]

26. Many have been the conjectures as to what did Mohammad hide in his
mind. There is one by Katada already explained. Another is this, that he
knew Zeid would divorce her, but concealing this in his mind, he
interdicted Zeid from doing so. A third conjecture is this, that he
concealed in his mind that if Zeid, contrary to his (Mohammad's) advice,
were to divorce her (Zeinab), he (Mohammad) would marry her. These
conjectures are all far-fetched and arbi