The hadith also has a corroborating report through ‘Amr ibn Shu‘ayb, from his father, from his grandfather, which I cited in Hijab al-Mar’ah (p. 87, Islamic Office edition, Beirut).

I then came across the hadith in another, more complete wording:

“Do not greet as the Jews and Christians greet, for their greeting is by the hands, heads, and gestures.”

Al-Daylami transmitted it (4/150) through al-Hasan ibn ‘Ali al-Ma‘mari: Abu Hammam al-Salt ibn Muhammad al-Harithi narrated to me; Ibrahim ibn Humayd narrated to us, from Thawr; Abu al-Zubayr narrated from Jabir, who attributed it to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him.

With this wording, al-Mizzi cited it in al-Tuhfah (2/290) from al-Nasa’i’s al-Yawm wa al-Laylah, through Ibrahim ibn al-Mustamir al-‘Aruqi, from al-Salt ibn Muhammad, with the same chain.

Al-Bayhaqi also transmitted it in al-Shu‘ab, from ‘Uthman ibn ‘Abd al-Rahman, from Talhah ibn Zayd, from Thawr ibn Yazid, with this wording in full, except that he said, “and the eyebrows,” in place of, “the heads and gestures.” Al-Suyuti cited it thus in al-Jami‘, and al-Manawi commented on it, saying:

“The apparent implication of the author’s words is that al-Bayhaqi transmitted it and accepted it, but this is not so. Rather, he transmitted it and followed it with a discussion of its narrators, stating afterward: ‘This chain of transmission is exceedingly weak, for Talhah ibn Zayd al-Raqqi is abandoned in hadith and accused of fabrication. ‘Uthman is weak.’”

I say: The objectionable element in it is the mention of the eyebrows; the rest is established through the combined strength of the two preceding routes from Thawr ibn Yazid, together with the corroborating report. And Allah knows best.

1784 — “You will hear, and it will be heard from you, and it will be heard from those who heard from you.”