Al-Hakim said: “Its chain of transmission is authentic.” Al-Dhahabi agreed with him. Al-Bazzar said: “Its chain is acceptable.” I say: This is closer to the actual standing of Asim ibn Raja, for there has been criticism of him. Al-Dhahabi said in al-Kashif: “Ibn Ma'in said: ‘Somewhat acceptable.’” Al-Hafiz said in al-Taqrib: “Truthful, but prone to error.” For this reason, al-Haythami said in Majma' al-Zawa'id (1/171): “It was narrated by al-Bazzar and al-Tabarani in al-Kabir; its chain is good, and its narrators have been declared reliable.”

He—that is, Asim—is among those whom Ibn Hibban mentioned in his Thiqat (7/259), and in his Sahih Collection he authenticated, through him, a hadith concerning the virtue of the seeker of knowledge (no. 88, al-Ihsan).

2257 — “Neither of you is stronger than I am at walking, nor am I less in need of reward than you two.”

Ibn Hibban recorded it in his Sahih Collection (4713, al-Ihsan), as did al-Hakim (30/20), Ahmad (1/411, 418, 422, and 424), Ibn Sa'd in al-Tabaqat (2/21), al-Bazzar in his Musnad (2/310/1759, al-Kashf), and al-Diya in al-Muntaqa min Masmu'atihi bi-Marw (folio 29/1), through several routes from Hammad ibn Salamah, from Asim ibn Bahdalah, from Zirr ibn Hubaysh, from Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, who said: