Ahmad recorded it (2/118–119) through Haywah, who said: Abu ‘Uthman informed me of the same report.

I say: This chain of transmission is authentic according to Muslim’s criteria, for this Abu ‘Uthman is al-Walid ibn Abi al-Walid, as is clear from another hadith recorded by Ahmad (2/97), which he likewise narrated through Haywah: “Abu ‘Uthman al-Walid narrated to us, from ‘Abd Allah ibn Dinar,” attributed to the Prophet, with the wording:

“Indeed, among the finest acts of filial devotion is for a man to maintain ties with those whom his father loved.”

Al-Bukhari also recorded it in al-Adab al-Mufrad (no. 41) through Ahmad’s very same chain, stating: “Abu ‘Uthman al-Walid ibn Abi al-Walid narrated to me …” Ibn Hibban (431) likewise narrated it.

Muslim (8/6) recorded it through Sa‘id ibn Abi Ayyub, who said: “From al-Walid ibn Abi al-Walid, from ‘Abd Allah ibn Dinar,” relating the same report. It includes an account concerning Ibn ‘Umar.

Al-Haythami erred when he categorically asserted in al-Majma‘ (7/174) that this Abu ‘Uthman was al-‘Abbas ibn al-Fadl al-Basri, the abandoned narrator. Al-Hafiz refuted him on this point in al-Ta‘jil (p. 504), and the eminent scholar Ahmad Shakir followed him in his commentary on al-Musnad (8/243–244)—may Allah reward them both. Yet they overlooked another proof—as al-Haythami also did—namely, that al-Bazzar likewise recorded the hadith through Abu ‘Uthman using his name rather than his kunyah. He said in his Musnad (1/115/211—Kashf al-Astar): “Muhammad ibn Miskin narrated to us: Sa‘id ibn Abi Maryam narrated to us: Nafi‘ ibn Yazid narrated to us, from al-Walid ibn Abi al-Walid, from Yazid ibn al-Had, from ‘Abd Allah ibn Dinar,” relating it in a fuller version, with the wording:

“Among the gravest lies is for someone to claim descent from someone other than his father; among the gravest lies is for someone to claim that his eyes saw what they did not see; and among the gravest lies is to attribute to me what I did not say.”