Ma‘mar also transmitted a similar report from al-Zuhrī, from Sa‘īd ibn al-Musayyib, from Abū Hurayrah, from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, but this version is not reliably preserved. He said: “I heard Muhammad ibn Ismā‘īl say: ‘Ma‘mar’s report on this matter, from al-Zuhrī, from Sa‘īd ibn al-Musayyib, from Abū Hurayrah, from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, is erroneous.’ He said: ‘The authentic report is that transmitted by al-Zuhrī from ‘Ubayd Allāh, from Ibn ‘Abbās, from Maymūnah.’”

I say:

This report of Ma‘mar, which al-Bukhārī judged erroneous and al-Tirmidhī described as not reliably preserved, is the one containing the words: “If it is solid, discard the mouse and what surrounds it; but if it is liquid, do not go near it,” as transmitted by Abū Dāwūd and others. It was likewise transmitted by Imam Ahmad, may Allah be pleased with him, in his Musnad, and by others. ‘Abd al-Razzāq mentioned that Ma‘mar sometimes transmitted it through the other chain. Thus, he was inconsistent in its chain of transmission, just as he was inconsistent in its wording. He also differed from the trustworthy masters of hadith, who transmitted it with wording other than his. Ma‘mar was known to make mistakes, whereas al-Zuhrī was not. For this reason, al-Bukhārī cited statements by al-Zuhrī that demonstrated Ma‘mar’s error in this hadith.

Al-Bukhārī said in his Sahīh:

“Chapter: When a Mouse Falls into Solid or Melted Clarified Butter.”

Al-Humaydī narrated to us, saying: Sufyān narrated to us, saying: Al-Zuhrī narrated to us, saying: ‘Ubayd Allāh ibn ‘Abd Allāh ibn ‘Utbah informed me that he heard Ibn ‘Abbās narrating from Maymūnah:

“A mouse fell into some clarified butter