Al-Tirmidhi (3/199–200), Ahmad (2/167), Ibn Abi Asim in al-Sunnah (348), and Abu Nuaym in al-Hilyah (5/168–169) recorded it through several routes from Abu Qabil al-Maafiri, from Shufayy al-Asbahi, from Abdullah ibn Amr, who said: “The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, came out to us holding two books in his hand and said...” He then mentioned it. Al-Tirmidhi said: “A good, authentic, singular hadith. Abu Qabil’s name was Huyayy ibn Hani.”

I say: His hadith is good. Ahmad and a group of scholars declared him trustworthy, while Ibn Hibban said in al-Thiqat: “He makes mistakes.” Al-Taqrib states: “Truthful, but prone to error.” Shufayy—who was the son of Mati—is trustworthy; therefore, the chain of transmission is good.

Note: The erudite al-Shanqiti attributed this hadith in Zad al-Muslim fima Ittafaqa Alayhi al-Bukhari wa Muslim to Muslim’s recension. This is an utter mistake, and I do not know how it occurred. In al-Fath al-Kabir, it is attributed to Ahmad, Muslim, and al-Nasai; but I think that the reference to Muslim is a corruption of the reference to al-Tirmidhi. And Allah knows best. In al-Jami al-Kabir (1/14/2), however, it is attributed only to Ahmad and al-Tirmidhi. In Tuhfat al-Ahwadhi, it is attributed to al-Nasai; perhaps he meant his al-Sunan al-Kubra, for I have not seen it in his al-Sunan al-Sughra.

849 — “Would you be pleased to make up one quarter of the people of Paradise?” We replied, “Yes.” He then said: “Would you be pleased to make up one third of the people of Paradise?” We replied, “Yes.” He then said: “Would you be pleased to make up half of the people of Paradise?” We replied, “Yes.” He said: “By Him in whose hand Muhammad’s soul is, I truly hope that you will make up half of the people of Paradise. For none but a Muslim soul will enter Paradise, and, among the people of associationism, you are no more than a white hair on the hide of a black bull, or a black hair on the hide of a red bull.”