Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥārith—namely, Ibn Sufyān al-Makhzūmī al-Makkī—was mentioned by Ibn Ḥibbān in al-Thiqāt (7/407–408), on the basis that two trustworthy narrators reported from him: Ibn Jurayj, in this instance, and Sufyān ibn ʿUyaynah. Three other trustworthy narrators also reported from him, and their names are given in al-Tahdhīb. Thus, he is trustworthy, if Allah wills. The Ḥāfiẓ’s classification of him in al-Taqrīb as “acceptable” is itself unacceptable, for in comparable cases he customarily says: “truthful.”

Al-Dhahabī follows the same practice in al-Kāshif, except that he did not include a biographical entry for this man, since he was not among the narrators of the Six Books. Al-Bukhārī narrated from him only in al-Adab al-Mufrad. Al-Haythamī, however, declared him trustworthy, saying after the hadith (7/327):

“… Its narrators are those of the Ṣaḥīḥ collections, except for Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥārith ibn Sufyān, who is trustworthy.”

This is how it appears there. He did not mention the source of the hadith at the point marked by the ellipsis, which I have supplied; apparently, what has been omitted is: “Al-Ṭabarānī narrated it in al-Awsaṭ.”

I had overlooked citing his statement concerning the first route (7/324–325):

“Al-Ṭabarānī narrated it in al-Awsaṭ, and its chain includes Muḥammad ibn Sulaymān ibn Walbah, whom I do not know; the rest of its narrators are trustworthy.”

That is what he said! He overlooked the fact that this man has a biographical entry in the three books, including Ibn Ḥibbān’s al-Thiqāt.

It remains to discuss the biographical notice of al-Ṭabarānī’s teacher in the other route, Aḥmad ibn Bashīr al-Ṭayālisī, Abū Ayyūb. He said in al-Lisān: