I say: This too is a weak chain of transmission, because of ʿAmr ibn Thābit. Al-Ḥāfiẓ and others stated definitively that he was weak. The rest of its narrators are trustworthy and are narrators of Muslim, except for this al-Qaṭrānī, for whom I could find no biographical notice. Ḥabīb practised tadlīs and narrated it using the ambiguous “from” formula.

I say: Perhaps the hadith is strengthened by the combined force of the two chains. It is strong in view of its corroborating reports, including the narration from Jābir, who said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “Feeding people food will enable you to attain Paradise. O sons of ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib, feed people food and speak graciously.” Al-Haythamī mentioned it (5/17), but the mention of its source was omitted either by him or by a copyist. He said: “It includes ʿAbd Allāh ibn Muḥammad al-ʿĀbidī, whom I could not identify; the rest of its narrators are found in the Ṣaḥīḥ collections.”

It is also narrated from Miqdām ibn Shurayḥ, from his father, from his grandfather, who said: “I said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, tell me of something that will guarantee Paradise for me.’ He said, ‘What guarantees Paradise is feeding people food and spreading greetings of peace.’” In one version: “and speaking kindly.” Al-Haythamī said: “Al-Ṭabarānī narrated it through two chains of transmission, and the narrators of one of them are trustworthy.”

It is also narrated from Anas, who said: “A man said to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, ‘Teach me a deed that will admit me into Paradise.’ He said, ‘Feed people food, spread greetings of peace, speak graciously, and pray at night while people are asleep; you will enter Paradise in peace.’” He said: “Al-Ṭabarānī narrated it, and it includes Ḥafṣ ibn Aslam, who is weak.”