al-Tabaqat (2/145), through several routes from Zakariyya ibn Abi Za'idah, from al-Sha'bi, from al-Harith ibn Malik ibn Barsa', attributed to the Prophet. Al-Tahawi added: “Sufyan—that is, Ibn 'Uyaynah—said: Its interpretation is that they will never disbelieve, nor will they be fought on account of disbelief.”

Al-Tirmidhi said: “A good, authentic hadith.”

I say: Its narrators are trustworthy and are among the narrators of the two Shaykhs, except that Zakariyya ibn Abi Za'idah practised concealment in transmission. He was, however, contradicted by 'Abd Allah ibn Abi al-Safar, who said: From 'Amir al-Sha'bi, from 'Abd Allah ibn Mutay' ibn al-Aswad—of the brethren of Banu 'Adi ibn Ka'b—from his father, Mutay', whose name had been al-'As, but whom the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, named Mutay'. He said: I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, when he ordered the killing of that group in Mecca, say—and he mentioned the hadith—adding: “No man of Quraysh shall ever be executed after this year.”

Ahmad (3/412 and 4/213) and al-Tahawi transmitted it through Ibn Ishaq, who said: Shu'bah ibn al-Hajjaj narrated to me, from 'Abd Allah ibn Abi al-Safar ... This is a good chain of transmission, and in my view it is more authentic than the preceding one. Allah knows best.

Zakariyya also corroborated him in this addition, saying: 'Amir narrated to us the same report. Ahmad transmitted it in this manner, explicitly using the formula of direct transmission. Muslim (5/173), al-Tahawi, and al-Hakim (4/275) also transmitted it from him with an ambiguous transmission formula. Firas likewise followed him, narrating from al-Sha'bi a similar report. Ahmad transmitted it.

It also has a supporting report narrated by Abu Ma'shar, from Yusuf ibn Ya'qub, from al-Sa'ib ibn Yazid, may Allah be pleased