685 — “I command you to do three things and forbid you three things: I command you to worship Allah and not associate anything with Him; to hold fast, all together, to the rope of Allah and not become divided; and to obey the one whom Allah has placed in authority over your affairs. And I forbid you idle talk, excessive questioning, and wasting wealth.”

Ibn Hibban (1543) narrated it through the route of ʿAmr ibn al-Harith, who said that Bukayr related to him that Suhayl ibn Dhakwan related to him that his father related to him from Abu Hurayrah, from the Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him, who said it.

I say: This is an authentic chain of transmission that meets Muslim’s conditions. Muslim also narrated it (5/130), as did Ahmad (2/327, 360, 367), through other routes from Suhayl, with similar wording. In al-Jami al-Kabir (1/3/2), the hadith is also attributed to Abu Nuʿaym in al-Hilyah, but I did not find it in its index. And Allah knows best.