I say: This is an authentic chain of transmission. All its narrators are reliable and are narrators of the two Sahih collections, apart from Junadah ibn Abi Umayyah al-Azdi. However, he was a Companion, as al-Hafiz explained in al-Isabah, and he deemed this hadith authentic.

This hadith has two corroborating reports with the wording: “Hijrah does not cease so long as the enemy is being fought.”

The first was recorded by al-Tahawi (3/258), Ahmad (5/270), and al-Khatib in al-Mudih (2/33), through Ata al-Khurasani, who said: Ibn Mihayriz told me, from Abdullah ibn al-Sa‘di—a man of Banu Malik ibn Hanbal—attributing it to the Prophet with this wording. Its chain is acceptable as corroboration: all its narrators are reliable, except that al-Khurasani was truthful but made many errors. However, Busr ibn Ubayd Allah corroborated him, from Abdullah ibn Mihayriz, with the same report. It was recorded by Ibn Hibban (1579) and al-Bazzar (1748), except that the latter said: from Ibn al-Sa‘di, from Muhammad ibn Habib al-Misri, attributing it to the Prophet. He said: “We know of no report narrated by Muhammad other than this.”

I say: The inclusion of him in this chain is anomalous, as is indicated by the previously cited narrations of Ibn Hibban and Ahmad, as well as others to come. Al-Baghawi also alluded to this, as al-Asqalani relates from him in the biography of this Muhammad in al-Isabah; consult it if you wish.

The other was likewise recorded by Ahmad (5/363), through Raja ibn Haywah, from his father, from the man who asked the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, about hijrah; he then mentioned it. Its narrators are reliable, apart from Haywah, Raja’s father, whom I have not identified. Then I found another route for the first corroborating report, also in Ahmad (1/192), through Shurayh ibn Ubayd, who traces it back to Malik ibn Yukhāmir, from Ibn al-Sa‘di, with the same wording.

I say: This is an authentic chain of transmission; all its narrators are reliable.