“It was transmitted by al-Tabarani, and its chain of transmission is good, unobjectionable as supporting evidence.” It is as he said—or even better—for it has corroborating reports. One of them was graded good by al-Mundhiri and authenticated by al-Hakim, with al-Dhahabi concurring, as noted in my comments on al-Targhib (2/244). It is narrated from Abu Hurayrah.

The hadith was also narrated by Ishaq ibn Abi Isra'il from Imran. Al-Bukhari cited it in suspended form in al-Tarikh (3/2/427), in the biographical entry on this Imran ibn Ubayd Allah, and said: “There is some question concerning him.”

Moreover, the hadith has another, abbreviated corroborating report from Jabir, whose documentation has preceded under no. 64. Abu Hurayrah’s hadith also has another route, transmitted by al-Bazzar (3078—Kashf al-Astar) through Humayd, the client of Alqamah: Ata ibn Abi Rabah narrated to us from Abu Hurayrah a similar report. He said: “We know of no narration of it from Abu Hurayrah except through this chain of transmission, and we know of no one who narrated from Humayd except Zayd ibn al-Hubab!”

I say: This is why al-Hafiz described him as “unknown.” Yet al-Tirmidhi graded as good a hadith narrated by him: “When you pass by the gardens of Paradise, then graze …” Its documentation has preceded under no. 2562.

Note: In al-Tabarani’s al-Du'a, it appears as: “Imran ibn Ubayd, the client of Ubayd al-Sayd.” The commentator on it did not identify him and said: “I have not found his biographical entry, and the rest of its narrators are acceptable.”