“It was narrated by Aḥmad with a good chain of transmission (!)—as well as by al-Ṭabarānī, Ibn Khuzaymah in his Ṣaḥīḥ, and Ibn Ḥibbān ...”
It appears to me that he had not come across this chain of transmission in Aḥmad, for he attributed it to him with the wording: “The best destinations for which riding mounts are saddled are the Mosque of Abraham, peace be upon him, and my mosque.” He then cited it through al-Ṭabarānī and those after him with the wording given in the heading. This latter wording is found in Aḥmad (3/336) through Ibn Lahīʿah, who said: Abū al-Zubayr narrated it to us. Mūsā ibn ʿUqbah also followed him in narrating it from Abū al-Zubayr.
Al-Ṭaḥāwī recorded it in Mushkil al-Āthār (1/241), where “Ibn al-Zubayr” appears; this is a copyist’s error that escaped the commentator, who said: “Perhaps he is ʿUrwah ibn al-Zubayr.” Rather, it is Abū al-Zubayr. Mūsā ibn ʿUqbah narrated from him, as they mentioned in his biographical notice—I mean that of Abū al-Zubayr.
1649 — “Indeed, Allah strengthens this religion by means of a wicked man.”
It was narrated by Ibn Ḥibbān in his Ṣaḥīḥ (1607), al-Ṭabarānī in al-Kabīr (8963 and 9094), and Muḥammad ibn Makhlad in al-Muntaqā min Ḥadīthihi (2/6/1), from ʿĀṣim, from Zirr, from ʿAbd Allāh, attributed to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him.
I say: This is a good chain of transmission; indeed, the hadith is authentic, for it has a strong supporting narration from Abū Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, which explains the occasion on which it was said. He said: We were with the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, at Ḥunayn. He said of a man who claimed to be Muslim: “This man is among the inhabitants of the Fire.” When we entered battle, the man fought fiercely and sustained a wound. It was said: “O Messenger of Allah, the man of whom you said earlier that he was among the inhabitants of the Fire fought fiercely today and has died.” The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “To the Fire.” Some of the Muslims then almost began to doubt,