3044—“When news came of the Negus’s death, the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

‘Pray over him.’

They said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, are we to pray over an Abyssinian slave [who is not a Muslim]?’ So Allah, Exalted is He, revealed:

‘And indeed, among the People of the Scripture are those who believe in Allah and in what has been revealed to you and what was revealed to them, humbly submissive to Allah. They do not exchange Allah’s verses for a small price.’

Al-Nasa’i narrated it in al-Sunan al-Kubra (6/319/11088), through Abu Bakr ibn Ayyash; while al-Bazzar narrated it in his Musnad (1/392/832), al-Wahidi in Asbab al-Nuzul (p. 104), and al-Daraqutni in al-Afrad (vol. 3, no. 36—in my copy), through al-Mu‘tamir ibn Sulayman. Both narrated it from Humayd, from Anas.

I say: This is an authentic chain of transmission.

It also has another route from Anas, as well as a supporting mursal report from Qatadah.

As for the other route, it is narrated by Mu’ammal ibn Isma‘il: Hammad ibn Salamah narrated to us from Thabit al-Bunani, from Anas, who said:

When the Negus died, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, ‘Seek forgiveness for your brother.’ Some people said, ‘He is commanding us to seek forgiveness for him, though he died in the land of Abyssinia?!’ Then the verse was revealed …

Ibn Abi Hatim narrated it in al-Tafsir (2/100/1), and al-Tabarani in al-Mu‘jam al-Awsat (1/150/1/2826), where he said:

‘No one narrated it from Hammad except Mu’ammal.’

I say: He is weak due to his poor retention; more than one hadith master described him as such.