“Ahmad narrated it with a good chain of transmission. Al-Bazzar and al-Tabarani also narrated it on the authority of Abu Musa; al-Tabarani likewise on the authority of Usamah ibn Sharik; and al-Bazzar likewise on the authority of Sharik ibn Tariq, with a sound chain of transmission.” I say: His grading of Ahmad’s chain as good is not sound, because of the weakness of Atiyyah—unless he meant that it is good due to corroborating evidence, in which case it is acceptable.

5—As for the hadith of Usamah, al-Mufaddal ibn Salih narrated it from Ziyad ibn Alaqah, from him; it contains the second supplementary wording. It was recorded by al-Tabarani in al-Muʿjam al-Kabir (1/25/2), and this al-Mufaddal is likewise weak. There are also reports on this subject from a number of other Companions; whoever wishes may consult al-Majmaʿ (10/356–357).

Know that this hadith may perplex some people, who may imagine it to contradict Allah’s saying:

“And that is Paradise, which you have been made to inherit for what you used to do,”

and similar verses and hadiths indicating that entry into Paradise is through deeds. This has been answered in several ways, the one closest to what is correct being that the word “by” in the hadith, “by his deeds,” denotes a price, whereas the word “by” in the verse denotes a cause. That is, righteous deeds are an indispensable cause for entering Paradise, but they are not the price for entering it, nor for the everlasting bliss and ranks within it. Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy on him, said in one of his legal verdicts: “For this reason, some have said: Reliance upon means is associationism in affirming Allah’s oneness; denying that means are means is a deficiency in reason; and abandoning means altogether constitutes a violation”