Habib al-Rahman al-Aʿzami, the editor of Kashf al-Astar, also endorsed this statement—as is his habitual practice, which shows researchers that his work of verification in this field consists of nothing but quotation. As for independent scholarly criticism, he has none of it. This is likewise evident from his annotations to certain books, especially the Musannaf of Abd al-Razzaq, may Allah have mercy on him. Whoever examines them derives from them no judgment of authenticity or weakness, although that is the very aim of hadith methodology and narrator criticism. Examples of this are exceedingly numerous; here is one before you. What, dear reader, do you gain from what he quoted from al-Haythami regarding this hadith: that it is authentic or that it is weak? Nothing of the sort!
Moreover, there are two objections to what he quoted. First, the unqualified assertion that its narrators are narrators of the Sahih is incorrect, for al-Mughirah ibn Muslim was cited by al-Bukhari only in al-Adab al-Mufrad; neither al-Bukhari nor Muslim cited him in the Sahih. Nevertheless, he is trustworthy, and no one has declared him weak.
Second, Zakariyya ibn Yahya al-Darir, al-Bazzar’s shaykh, was given a biographical notice by al-Khatib al-Baghdadi in al-Tarikh (8/457), through reports from five trustworthy Baghdadis, some of them well-known hadith masters: Tammam, Ibn Saʿid, and al-Muhamili. He overlooked al-Hafiz al-Bazzar. Although al-Khatib did not record either criticism or accreditation concerning him, a narrator of this sort is accepted in hadith by the scholars, as is known from surveying their hadith sourcing and authentication—especially since he narrated no rejected report.
Thus, the first part of the hadith under discussion has many supporting reports, among them the Prophet’s saying, peace and blessings be upon him: “One of you sets about beating his wife as he beats a slave; yet perhaps he will lie with her at the end of the day.” Reported by al-Bukhari and Muslim. It is cited in al-Irwaʾ (7/97/2031), and there are other hadiths with a similar meaning; consult them, if you wish, in al-Mishkat (3241, 3260, and 3261).