I say: However, his report has corroborating reports:

1. The hadith of Abu Hurayrah, from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, with the wording: “I saw ‘Amr ibn ‘Amir dragging his intestines through the Fire. He was the first to set free the sā’ibah—an animal released in the name of idols—and to slit the ear of the baḥīrah, a consecrated animal.” Ahmad recorded it (2/275 and 366), as did al-Bukhari (6/400 and 8/213—Fath), Muslim (8/155), and Ibn Abi ‘Asim in al-Awā’il (5/2). They do not contain the words, “and to slit the ear of the baḥīrah.” As for al-Hafiz’s statement, “Muslim added: ‘and he slit the ear of the baḥīrah and altered the religion of Ishmael,’”

I say: I believe this was a mistake on his part. For elsewhere (6/399), he cited it only from Ibn Ishaq’s al-Sirah al-Kubra, without attributing it to anyone else; nor did I find it elsewhere. In Ibn Hisham’s al-Sirah al-Nabawiyyah (1/78–79), it appears as follows: Ibn Ishaq said: Muhammad ibn Ibrahim ibn al-Harith al-Tamimi narrated to me that Abu Salih al-Samman told him that he heard Abu Hurayrah say: I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, say to Aktham ibn al-Jawn al-Khuza‘i: “O Aktham, I saw ‘Amr ibn Luhay ibn Qam‘ah ibn Khandaf dragging his intestines through the Fire. I have not seen any man more resembling another man than you resemble him, and he resembles you.” Aktham said, “Could his resemblance to me harm me, O Messenger of Allah?” He replied: “No. You are a believer, whereas he was a disbeliever. He was the first to alter the religion of Ishmael: he set up idols, slit the ear of the baḥīrah, set free the sā’ibah, instituted the waṣīlah—an animal consecrated after a prescribed birth—and declared the ḥāmī, a breeding camel exempted from use, inviolable.”

Ibn Abi ‘Asim also recorded it in al-Awā’il (folio 9/2, hadith no. 192, in my copy).

I say: Its chain of transmission is good; thus, it is a strong corroborating report for the hadith under discussion.