And ‘Abd Allah ibn al-Hakam al-Balawi corroborated him, narrating it similarly from ‘Ali ibn Rabah. It was narrated by al-Tahawi, al-Daraqutni, al-Hakim, and al-Bayhaqi through al-Mufaddal ibn Fadalah; and also by al-Daraqutni (p. 73), from whom al-Diya al-Maqdisi narrated it in al-Ahadith al-Mukhtarah (no. 240—edited by me), through Haywah. Both narrated from Yazid ibn Abi Habib, who said: ‘Abd Allah ibn al-Hakam al-Balawi informed me of it.

However, this al-Balawi is unknown. Lisan al-Mizan states: “Al-Daraqutni said in the marginal notes to al-Sunan: ‘He is not well-known.’ Elsewhere, he said: ‘He is not strong.’ Al-Jawzaqani said in Kitab al-Abatil: ‘He is not known to possess uprightness, nor has he been subject to criticism.’” As for Yazid ibn Abi Habib, he was trustworthy and among the narrators relied upon by the two Shaykhs. There is, however, a difference in the chain of transmission and the text as narrated from him.

As for the chain, al-Mufaddal and Haywah narrated it from him as we have mentioned. Ibn Lahi‘ah, ‘Amr ibn al-Harith, and al-Layth ibn Sa‘d corroborated them in narrating it from Yazid ibn Abi Habib, except that they said, “You have done right,” without mentioning, “the sunnah.” It was narrated by al-Tahawi and the other four. Yahya ibn Ayyub differed from them, narrating it from Yazid ibn Abi Habib, from ‘Ali ibn Rabah, omitting ‘Abd Allah ibn al-Hakam al-Balawi from its chain of transmission, and saying: “You have acted in accordance with the sunnah.” It was narrated by al-Daraqutni, from whom al-Diya al-Maqdisi also narrated it (no. 241).

As for the text, the preceding source documentation has made clear that, in summary, al-Mufaddal, Haywah, and Yahya ibn Ayyub—all three—said: “You have acted in accordance with the sunnah.”