I say: In one of al-Tabarani’s versions an extra clause appears—“he says it three times.” al-Haythami passed over it in silence, which is unwarranted, for the chain contains Khalid ibn Yazid al-‘Umari, whom Abu Hatim and Yahya (ibn Ma‘in) declared a liar, while Ibn Hibban said, “He transmits fabrications from reliable narrators.” Hence this addition is feeble and deserves no attention.

82 – “May Allah never fill his belly,” meaning Mu‘awiyah.

It was narrated by Abu Dawud al-Tayalisi in his Musnad (2746): “Hisham and Abu ‘Awanah related to us, from Abu Hamzah al-Qassab, from Ibn ‘Abbas:
‘The Messenger of Allah ﷺ sent for Mu‘awiyah so that he might write for him, but he was told, “He is eating.” He sent for him again, and again he was told, “He is eating.” Thereupon the Messenger of Allah ﷺ [uttered the above statement].’ ”

I (the author) say: This chain is sound; all of its transmitters are trustworthy and are narrators in Muslim’s Sahih. As for Abu Hamzah al-Qassab—whose name is ‘Imran ibn Abi ‘Ata—some criticism has been leveled against him, yet it does not harm him. A number of leading scholars, among them Ahmad and Ibn Ma‘in, declared him reliable, while those who weakened him gave no reason; such an unspecified criticism is inadmissible. For this very reason Muslim relied upon him and cited this hadith in his Sahih (8 / 27) through the route of Shu‘bah, from Abu Hamzah al-Qassab.

Ahmad also recorded it (1 / 240, 291, 335, 338) through Shu‘bah and Abu ‘Awanah from him, with the same chain.