As for the hadith of ʿĀʾishah, it is narrated by Ibrāhīm ibn Isḥāq, from Muḥammad ibn Qays, from her, with this wording. Ibn al-Aʿrābī transmitted it in al-Muʿjam (8/1–2) through Isḥāq ibn Manṣūr, who said: Isrāʾīl informed us from him.

Aswad ibn ʿĀmir differed from him, saying: Isrāʾīl reported to us; Ibrāhīm ibn Isḥāq reported to us, from Ibrāhīm ibn ʿUbayd ibn Rifāʿah, from her, with this wording. Aḥmad transmitted it (6/109).

I say: This inconsistency comes from Ibrāhīm ibn Isḥāq, who is Ibrāhīm ibn al-Faḍl al-Makhzūmī, whose biography appears in al-Tahdhīb. He is abandoned, as stated in al-Taqrīb, whereas all the other narrators are trustworthy.

Although this explanation has not been authentically attributed to the Prophet, it must be accepted, lest the hadith conflict with the definitive texts of the Quran and the sunnah establishing that a person is not held accountable for another’s crime. See hadith 1287 in the other book concerning this point.

The hadith has also been narrated from ʿĀʾishah, may Allah be pleased with her, by another route which, if its chain of transmission were authentic, would decisively resolve the difficulty and put an end to the dispute. Salamah ibn al-Faḍl narrated from Ibn Isḥāq, from al-Zuhrī, from ʿUrwah, who said:

“Word reached ʿĀʾishah, may Allah be pleased with her, that Abū Hurayrah was saying: ‘The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “The child born of fornication is the worst of the three.”’ She said: ‘May Allah have mercy on Abū Hurayrah. He heard incorrectly, and therefore answered incorrectly. The hadith was not as he reported it. Rather, a man among the hypocrites used to harm the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, so he said: “Who will relieve me of so-and-so?” They said: “O Messenger of Allah, besides all that is wrong with him, he is a child born of fornication.” Thereupon the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “He is the worst of the three.” And Allah, Exalted is He, says: “No bearer of burdens shall bear the burden of another.”’”