Ahmad recorded it (4/152) under “The Musnad of ‘Uqbah ibn ‘Amir al-Juhani,” as though indicating that Abu ‘Abd al-Rahman al-Juhani, the narrator of this hadith, was this same ‘Uqbah. Various opinions have been related concerning his kunyah, so let this be added to them.
I say: This is a good chain of transmission, in which Ibn Ishaq explicitly stated that he heard it directly.
1242 — “He prohibited gold rings and iron rings.”
Al-Bayhaqi recorded it in Shu‘ab al-Iman (2/251/1), through Muhammad ibn ‘Ajlan, from ‘Amr ibn Shu‘ayb, from his father, from his grandfather, from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. Al-Bukhari recorded it in al-Adab al-Mufrad, and Ahmad recorded it with similar wording.
I say: This is a good chain of transmission, and the hadith is authentic, for it has another route from Ibn ‘Amr and supporting reports, which I have documented in Adab al-Zifaf (pp. 127–128, third edition).
1243 — “Gray hair is the light of the believer. No man grows a gray hair in Islam without having a good deed recorded for every gray hair and being raised one degree by it.”
Al-Bayhaqi recorded it in al-Shu‘ab (2/257/1), through al-Walid ibn Kathir, who said: ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn al-Harith narrated to me from ‘Amr ibn Shu‘ayb, from his father, from ‘Abd Allah ibn ‘Amr, who said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said,” and then mentioned it.
I say: This is a good chain of transmission. It has been established that the narrations of ‘Amr ibn Shu‘ayb from his father, from his grandfather, ‘Abd Allah ibn ‘Amr, are good. As for ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn al-Harith, Abu al-Harith al-Madani, al-Hafiz said: “Truthful, though prone to errors.” Al-Walid ibn Kathir, Abu Muhammad al-Madani, was truthful; both Shaykhs, al-Bukhari and Muslim, relied upon him.
The hadith also has a supporting report from Abu Hurayrah, attributed to the Prophet, with the wording: “Do not pluck out gray hairs, for they are a light on the Day of Resurrection. Whoever grows a gray hair ...” The rest of the hadith is similar. Ibn Hibban (1479) recorded it with a good chain of transmission.
1244 — “Gray hair is a light upon the face of the Muslim; whoever wishes may pluck out his light.”
Ibn ‘Adi (212/1) and al-Bayhaqi recorded it in al-Shu‘ab (2/250/2).