Ibn Majah (2/105) and al-Bayhaqi (10/348) also transmitted it through the route of ‘Abd al-Razzaq. Ahmad (3/321) and Ibn Hibban (1215) transmitted it through the route of Ruh ibn ‘Ubadah, who said: Ibn Jurayj narrated it to us through the same chain.

Qays ibn Sa‘d corroborated him, from ‘Ata’, from Jabir ibn ‘Abd Allah, who said: “We used to sell ummahat al-awlad during the time of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and of Abu Bakr. Then, when ‘Umar came to power, he prohibited us from doing so, and we stopped.” It was recorded by Abu Dawud (2/163), Ibn Hibban (1216), al-Hakim (2/18–19), and al-Bayhaqi (10/347). Al-Hakim said: “Authentic according to Muslim’s criteria,” and al-Dhahabi concurred with him. It is as they said.

Al-Hakim then narrated in support of it, through the route of Shu‘bah, from Zayd al-‘Ammi, from Abu al-Siddiq al-Naji, from Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri, who said: “We used to sell ummahat al-awlad during the time of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him.” Al-Tayalisi recorded it through this route (1/245), and al-Bayhaqi and Ahmad (3/22) narrated it from him. Al-Hakim said: “Authentic,” and al-Dhahabi concurred with him!

I say: Zayd al-‘Ammi is weak, as al-Hafiz decisively stated in al-Taqrib. Therefore, he said in al-Talkhis al-Habir (4/218): “Its chain of transmission is weak.” Al-Dhahabi himself included him in al-Mughni and said: “His status is somewhat close to acceptable.” Ibn ‘Adi said: “Perhaps Shu‘bah did not narrate from anyone weaker than him.”

I say: There is no doubt that the sale of ummahat al-awlad took place during his lifetime, peace and blessings be upon him, on account of these hadiths. The doubt concerns whether this practice continued and whether he, peace and blessings be upon him, did not prohibit it. Al-Bayhaqi said: