and ‘Abd al-Razzaq in al-Musannaf (10/457), Ahmad (6/33, 87–88, 166, and 243), and ‘Abd ibn Humayd (1473, al-Muntakhab), through routes from al-Zuhri, who said: ‘Abdullah ibn Abi Bakr related to me that ‘Urwah ibn al-Zubayr informed him that ‘A’ishah, the Prophet’s wife, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

“A woman came to me with her two daughters and asked me for something, but she found that I had only one date. I gave it to her, and she took it and divided it between her two daughters, eating none of it herself. Then she and her daughters got up and left. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, came in to me, and I told him her story. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, then said …” He then cited it.

Al-Tirmidhi, Ibn Hibban, and others did not mention ‘Abdullah ibn Abi Bakr in its chain of transmission. He was Ibn Hazm al-Ansari. This addition is found in al-Bukhari—in one version—and in others.

Zayd ibn ‘Ali also corroborated ‘Urwah’s report, tracing it back to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, but without the story, with the wording:

“No one in my ummah supports three daughters, or three sisters, and treats them kindly, except that they will be a shield for him from the Fire.”

Al-Bayhaqi recorded it in al-Shu‘ab (7/469) through Abu Hammam: “My father narrated to us: Ziyad ibn Khaythamah narrated to us, from Zayd ibn ‘Ali, from ‘Urwah, with it.”

I say: Its chain of transmission is good. Yet I fear that Abu Hammam’s father—whose name was Shuja‘ ibn al-Walid—may have erred in its wording. Although he was among the narrators relied upon by al-Bukhari and Muslim, scholars criticized his retention. Al-Hafiz alluded to this in al-Taqrib, describing him as: “Truthful and devout, but prone to errors.”

Nevertheless, he got the meaning right.

‘Irak ibn Malik also corroborated ‘Urwah, reporting from ‘A’ishah that she said: