For this reason, al-Ḥāfiẓ said in al-Taqrīb: “Abandoned. He used to practise concealment in transmission from liars, and it is said that Ibn Maʿīn declared him a liar.”

In short, the basis for authenticating this hadith is Abū Qurrah’s narration. And Allah knows best.

845 — “Do you know what tale-bearing is?” They replied, “Allah and His Messenger know best.” He said: “It is carrying reports from one person to another in order to sow discord between them.”

Al-Bukhārī recorded it in al-Adab al-Mufrad (425), as did al-Ṭaḥāwī in al-Mushkil (3/139) and al-Bayhaqī in al-Sunan (10/246–247), through Yazīd ibn Abī Ḥabīb, from Sinān ibn Saʿd, from Anas ibn Mālik, from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, who said it.

I say: This is a good chain of transmission; all of its narrators are trustworthy. There is disagreement concerning Sinān ibn Saʿd—who is also called Saʿd ibn Sinān—and al-Ḥāfiẓ said: “Truthful; he has solitary reports.”

I say: The following hadith corroborates it:

“Shall I not tell you what tale-bearing is? It is the carrying of talk among people; and in another version: tale-bearing that sows discord among people.”

846 — “Shall I not tell you what tale-bearing is? It is the carrying of talk among people; and in another version: tale-bearing that sows discord among people.”

Muslim recorded it (8/28), as did al-Dārimī (2/300), al-Ṭaḥāwī in al-Mushkil (3/138), al-Bayhaqī (10/246), and Aḥmad (1/437), through several routes from Abū Isḥāq, who said: “I heard Abū al-Aḥwaṣ narrating from ʿAbd Allāh ibn Masʿūd, may Allah be pleased with him, that Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, said it.” The other version was recorded by al-Dārimī.

Zayd ibn Abī Unaysah also corroborated him in narrating it from Abū al-Aḥwaṣ. Al-Ṭaḥāwī recorded it with a good chain of transmission.