“This is a good hadith, and Abu Sufyan’s name is Talhah ibn Nafi‘.”

I say: Rather, it is authentic by virtue of the route that follows. Ibn Abi Hatim mentioned it in al-‘Ilal (2/284), through al-Musayyib ibn Wadih, from Abu Ishaq al-Fazari, from al-A‘mash, with the same chain; and through Abu Ishaq al-Fazari, from al-A‘mash, from Abu Salih, from Abu Hurayrah, from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, with similar wording. He said: “My father said: One of these two is invalid.”

I say: The first is certainly preserved, since a group of reliable narrators reported it from al-A‘mash with this chain. Thus, the other is the invalid one. Its defect lies with al-Musayyib ibn Wadih, for he had poor retention.

The second: from Safwan, from Ma‘iz al-Tamimi, from him, with the same wording, but without mention of the Arabian Peninsula. It was recorded by Ahmad (3/354) and Ibn Abi ‘Asim in al-Sunnah (folio 2/1).

I say: Its narrators are reliable except for this Ma‘iz. Ibn Abi Hatim mentioned him (1/4/391) through the narration of this Safwan—who is Safwan ibn ‘Amr al-Saksaki—without mentioning any narrator criticism or accreditation concerning him. Ibn Hibban, however, listed him among the reliable narrators in al-Thiqat (3/266), through al-Zuhri’s narration from him.

The third: Abu al-Zubayr said that he heard Jabir ibn ‘Abd Allah say it, attributing it to the Companion, likewise without that mention. Ahmad recorded it (3/384): Ruh narrated to us; Ibn Jurayj narrated to us; Abu al-Zubayr narrated to us. This is an authentic chain attributed to the Companion according to Muslim’s criteria, and it carries the ruling of a report attributed to the Prophet. It has already been reported as attributed to the Prophet through the preceding routes, and it is also so reported through this route in another narration of Ahmad, who said (3/366): “Abu Nu‘aym narrated to us; Sufyan narrated to us, from Abu al-Zubayr, from Jabir, who said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: (then he cited it). Waki‘ narrated it to us from Sufyan to the same effect.” Abu Ya‘la likewise recorded it (2/577) through ‘Abd al-Rahman, from Sufyan, with the same chain.