However, al-Tabarani’s foregoing statement suggests that he was not alone in narrating it. And Allah knows best.

Al-Mundhiri said in al-Targhib (3/132): “Al-Bazzar and al-Tabarani in al-Kabir recorded it, and its narrators are among the narrators of the Sahih collections.” In al-Majmaʿ (5/200), it states: “Al-Bazzar and al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Kabir and al-Awsat, in abridged form; and the narrators of al-Kabir are among the narrators of the Sahih collections.” This is what was stated, but it suggests that the narrators of al-Bazzar and al-Awsat are not among the narrators of the Sahih collections, whereas this is contrary to fact. The correct wording would be: “All of their narrators are among the narrators of the Sahih collections.”

The hadith also has a corroborating report, narrated by Muhammad ibn Aban al-Wasiti, who said: Sharik informed us, from Abdullah ibn Isa, from Abu Salih, from Abu Hurayrah. Sharik said: “I do not know whether he attributed it to the Prophet or not.” He said: “Authority begins with regret, its middle is liability, and its end is punishment on the Day of Resurrection.”

Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Awsat and said: “No one narrated it from Abdullah except Sharik, and Muhammad ibn Aban was alone in narrating it.”

I say: He is truthful, though al-Azdi criticized him. However, his shaykh, Sharik—namely, Ibn Abdullah al-Qadi—is weak because of his poor memory. Al-Hafiz said: “Truthful, but he made many errors; his memory deteriorated after he was appointed judge in Kufa.”

I say: Thus, al-Mundhiri’s statement, “Al-Tabarani narrated it with a good chain of transmission,” is not well founded; and likewise al-Haythami’s statement: “Al-Tabarani narrated it in al-Awsat, and its narrators are trustworthy.”