To what extent is the hadith true concerning the story of Thaʿlabah ibn ʿAbd al-Rahman, who left the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and hid in the mountains after he had stared for too long at a woman bathing, and Jibreel descended to inform the Prophet of his whereabouts, after which the Prophet sought him out, and Thaʿlabah repented and died after the Prophet gave him glad tidings of Allah's forgiveness?

The Hadith (definition) was narrated by Abu Nu'aym in 'Al-Hilyah', and its chain of

narration is weak. In its chain are: Abu Bakr bin Al-Mufid, who is accused;

Mansur bin 'Ammar, whose hadith is denounced and who is not strong; and

Al-Munkadir bin Muhammad bin Al-Munkadir, who is weak. Therefore, the hadith is

not authentic, and Al-Suyuti mentioned it in 'Al-La'ali Al-Masnu'ah fi Al-Ahadith

Al-Mawdu'ah' (The Man-Made Pearls Regarding Fabricated Hadith).