A corroborating report for its first half is narrated by Muhammad ibn ʿAmmar ibn Saʿd al-Muʾadhdhin: Sharik ibn ʿAbd Allah ibn Abi Namir narrated to us from Anas ibn Malik, attributed to the Prophet, with the same wording.

Al-Tabarani transmitted it in al-Awsat, and on his authority al-Diya al-Maqdisi in al-Mukhtarah (folio 129/2) and al-Qudaʿi in Musnad al-Shihab (2/2/2), through the route of ʿUthman ibn Muhammad ibn ʿUthman al-ʿUthmani, who said: Muhammad ibn ʿAmmar ibn Saʿd al-Muʾadhdhin narrated to us with it. Al-Tabarani said: “ʿUthman ibn Muhammad ibn ʿUthman was alone in transmitting it.”

I say: Muhammad ibn al-Hasan corroborated him, saying: Muhammad ibn ʿAmmar narrated to me with it. Ibn ʿAdi transmitted it in al-Kamil (306/2). Thus, the chain of transmission is good. Ibn Hibban declared Muhammad ibn ʿAmmar trustworthy, and a number of people narrated from him. Sharik is trustworthy and among the narrators of the two Shaykhs, even though there is some weakness in his memory.

Ibn Wahb also transmitted it (p. 30) with a double break in its chain, saying: Sulayman ibn al-Qasim and Jarir ibn Hazim narrated to me, attributed to the Prophet, with the same wording. Jarir was trustworthy and belonged to the generation following the Followers. Ibn Abi Hatim included a biography of Sulayman (2/1/137), without mentioning either criticism or endorsement of him.

927 — “A person follows the religion of his close friend, so let each of you consider whom he takes as a close friend.”

It was transmitted by Abu Dawud (2/293, al-Taziyyah edition), al-Tirmidhi (2/278, with the commentary al-Tuhfah), al-Hakim (4/171), Ahmad (2/303, 334), al-Khatib (4/115), and ʿAbd ibn Humayd in al-Muntakhab min al-Musnad (folio 154/1), through Zuhayr ibn Muhammad al-Khurasani, who said: Musa ibn Wardan narrated to us from Abu Hurayrah, who said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said—and he then cited it. Al-Tirmidhi said: