A Tradition Invented 5i denominators: that Asma’ was there, that the prayer was long, and that Muhammad gave a sermon after the prayer. Beyond this, the cluster undergoes permutations, each of which stresses different didactic elements.1 1 The point of one tradition is to convey Muhammad’s order to emancipate slaves. Another version states that Muhammad warned of the trials of the grave in which souls would be tormented ( fitnat 'adbab alqabr). A third version appears more concerned with the fate of a woman whom Muhammad saw in a vision of Hell during the prayer. The woman was being violently scratched by her cat, which she had neglected during her time on earth. Those holding the view that the traditions are authentic could explain these differences by arguing that Asma’ narrated the traditions to different people and that she herself placed emphasis on disparate elements. Those who are more skeptical would maintain that the discrepancies are indications of their status as forgeries ascribed to Asma’ to give them greater credence. In either case, the traditions coalesce to authenticate a collective memory of Asma”s presence at this incident. A second point of relevance to this cluster is that the prayer for the solar eclipse is said to have occurred in a large group. It is, therefore, an instance in which a woman’s testimony is accepted for an occasion that both men and women attended. This is a different scenario for women’s transmission from that represented by Umm Hani’ earlier where she is a solitary witness to Muhammad’s salat al-duba. Asma’ bint Abl Bakr is not the only female Companion to narrate traditions regarding an occasion that both men and women witnessed. Safiyya bint Shayba and Umm al-Husayn alAhmasiyya also relate what they witnessed of the Prophet’s actions and 115 As mentioned before, some traditions rooted in this incident are shortened to maxims such as “The Prophet ordered emancipation [of slaves] on the day of the eclipse” (see alMusnad al-Jami‘, 19:10, #15737). There are even more variations on the theme if we take into account the hadlth of other Companions on this topic. This phenomenon of variations on a core theme is by no means particular to the traditions of women. Rather, it is widespread in the hadlth corpus. Contradictions that occur between the versions have generally provided fuel for those who question the authenticity of the traditions. The traditional Muslim approach has been to evaluate the traditions based on their isnads , and when contradictions remain after the culling process, there has been a tendency to reconcile or explain them rather than reject one version as false. 116 This tradition is similar to the one narrated by Abu Hurayra in the section on ‘A’isha above. 117 There are other salat kbusiif al-shams traditions that are narrated by male authorities, indicating that Asma”s testimony was accepted on a par with that of men. See, for example, al-Bukhari, Sahlh , 1-2:464, #974; 1-2:465, #977; and 1-2:469, #984-85.