Abu Ayyub al-Ansari, who said: He then mentioned it. I say: This is an authentic chain of transmission; all its narrators are trustworthy and are among al-Bukhari’s narrators. Abu ‘Aqil’s name was Zuhrah ibn Ma‘bad.

Ibn Abi Hatim cited this hadith in Hidden Defects (2/13), through the narration of Muhammad ibn Mu‘awiyah al-Naysaburi, a resident of Mecca, from Layth ibn Sa‘d, from Zuhrah ibn Ma‘bad, through the same chain. He said: “Abu Zur‘ah said: ‘This is not among the hadith of Layth ibn Sa‘d.’” I say: This is from the hadith of Ibn Wahb, from Sa‘id ibn Abi Ayyub, from Abu ‘Aqil Zuhrah ibn Ma‘bad ... I say: He means this very report. Al-Naysaburi is abandoned and thus cannot be relied upon, especially in view of the conflicting report.

2062 — “Whenever he ate food, he would eat what was directly before him.”

Abu al-Shaykh narrated it in The Prophet’s Character (p. 206), from Abu Qutaybah, who said: A man from Banu Thawr informed us, from Hisham ibn ‘Urwah, from his father, from ‘A’ishah, attributed to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him.

I say: All the narrators in this chain are trustworthy and are among al-Bukhari’s narrators, except for the Thawri man, whom I have not identified. It is possible that he was Sufyan ibn Sa‘id al-Thawri, the well-known imam, since Hisham ibn ‘Urwah was among his teachers. Allah, Most High, knows best.

He also has, on p. 207, a supporting narration from the hadith of Abu Raja’: ‘Abd Allah ibn Ja‘far informed us; ‘Abd al-Hakam narrated to me, saying: “Abd Allah ibn Ja‘far saw me while I was a boy, eating from here and there. He said: ‘The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, when he ate, would not let his hand go beyond what was directly before him.’”

But Nu‘man ibn Shibl al-Bahili contradicted him: ‘Abd Allah ibn Ja‘far al-Makhzumi informed us, from ‘Abd al-Hakim