Ahmad recorded it (2/184): ‘Abd al-Samad narrated to us from ‘Abd Allah ibn al-Mubarak, who said: Usamah ibn Zayd narrated to us from ‘Amr ibn Shu‘ayb, from his father, from ‘Abd Allah ibn ‘Amr, that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said this.’ Al-Tayalisi also recorded it (2264): Ibn al-Mubarak narrated it to us in the same manner, except that he was uncertain and said: “or at their courtyards.” Al-Bayhaqi recorded it (4/110) through his route and said: “Abu Dawud was uncertain.”

Muhammad ibn al-Fadl differed from both of them in its chain of transmission, saying: Ibn al-Mubarak narrated to us from Usamah ibn Zayd, from his father, from Ibn ‘Umar, attributing it to the Prophet with the same wording. Ibn Majah recorded it (1806).

I say: Muhammad ibn al-Fadl is al-Sadusi, surnamed ‘Arim. He was trustworthy, but later became confused; thus, his contradiction of the two previously mentioned trustworthy narrators—‘Abd al-Samad ibn ‘Abd al-Warith and al-Tayalisi—is not to be considered. Their chain of transmission is good, and its narrators are trustworthy. There is some disagreement concerning Usamah ibn Zayd, namely Abu Zayd al-Laythi, but he is sound in hadith.

As for al-Busiri’s statement in al-Zawa’id (133/2), “Its chain of transmission is weak because of the weakness of Usamah,” I say: perhaps he meant Usamah ibn Zayd al-‘Adawi, who is weak. Yet the more likely view is what we have mentioned: that he is al-Laythi, for he is listed among those who narrated from ‘Amr ibn Shu‘ayb, unlike al-‘Adawi. Both were among Ibn al-Mubarak’s teachers. Allah knows best.

The hadith also has a supporting report, narrated by ‘Abd al-Malik ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Amr ibn Hazm, from ‘Abd Allah ibn Abi Bakr, from ‘Amr, from ‘A’ishah, attributing to the Prophet a report similar to it. Al-Bayhaqi recorded it. I did not recognize this ‘Abd al-Malik.