“It was narrated by al-Tabarani in al-Awsat, and its chain contains Ibn Lahi‘ah and unknown narrators.”

I say: Its wording is similar to that of the previously cited hadith of Ibn Abi al-Riqad. Al-Tabarani also recorded it (no. 5884 in my numbering) through Mahfuz ibn Yahya al-Antaki, who said: Al-Walid ibn ‘Abd al-Wahid al-Tamimi informed us, from Ibn Lahi‘ah, from ‘Ata’ ibn Dinar, from Sa‘id ibn Jubayr, from Ibn ‘Umar. He said: “It is not narrated from Ibn ‘Umar except through this chain of transmission.”

I say: It is weak because of the condition of Ibn Lahi‘ah and the unknown status of those below him. In sum, when all these routes are taken together, the hadith is good, at the very least, Allah willing. Al-Mundhiri stated this definitively, saying in al-Targhib, after the hadith of Anas through the narration of Ibn Abi al-Riqad (1/162): “It was narrated by al-Bazzar, al-Bayhaqi, and others. It is also reported from a number of the Companions; although none of its chains is free from criticism, it is good when considered collectively, Allah willing.”

1803 — “Nothing remains that brings one nearer to Paradise and distances one from the Fire except that it has been explained to you.”

Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu‘jam al-Kabir (1647) through Sufyan ibn ‘Uyaynah, from Fitr, from Abu al-Tufayl, from Abu Dharr, who said: “The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, left us, and there was not a bird flapping its wings in the air except that he had imparted to us knowledge concerning it.” He said: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, then said the above.

This portion was also recorded by al-Bazzar (147), through Ibn ‘Uyaynah with this chain, but without the hadith cited in the heading. Ahmad also recorded it (5/153 and 162) through another route from Abu Dharr.

I say: This is an authentic chain of transmission; all its narrators are trustworthy. Fitr—meaning Ibn Khalifah—was declared trustworthy by Ahmad and Ibn Ma‘in, and al-Bukhari narrated from him in conjunction with another narrator, as al-Dhahabi stated in al-Kashif.