2 — Reliable, firmly established narrators transmitted it from Hishām with a connected chain. Al-Ismāʿīlī said in his Sahīh: “Al-Hasan informed me: Hishām ibn Ammār narrated to us,” and then cited its chain and text.

3 — It has also been authentically transmitted by a route other than Hishām’s. Al-Ismāʿīlī and Uthmān ibn Abī Shaybah narrated it through two other chains reaching Abū Mālik al-Asharī, may Allah be pleased with him.

4 — Even if al-Bukhārī had neither met Hishām nor heard from him, his inclusion of this hadith in his Sahīh and his categorical attribution of it indicate that he regarded it as firmly established from Hishām. He omitted the intermediaries between himself and Hishām either because they were well known or because they were numerous. It was therefore a recognized and widely known report from Hishām.

5 — When al-Bukhārī says in his Sahīh, “So-and-so said,” this means that he regards the hadith as authentic.

6 — Al-Bukhārī cited this hadith as proof, including it in his Sahīh as primary evidence, not merely as corroboration.

Thus, the hadith is unquestionably authentic.

Ibn al-Salāh (1) said: “No weight should be given to the hadith master Abū Muhammad ibn Hazm al-Zāhirī’s rejection of the report narrated by al-Bukhārī from Abū Āmir or Abū Mālik. (He then quoted it.)”