(1/386/562 and 578), al-Bayhaqī in al-Shuʿab (7/54/9435), and Aḥmad (4/404–405), through Abū Burdah, from Abū Mūsā, from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him.

Abū Kabshah corroborated him, saying: “I heard Abū Mūsā say it …,” and then mentioned it in abbreviated form.

Aḥmad narrated it (4/408) through ʿĀṣim al-Aḥwal, from him.

Its narrators are trustworthy and are among the narrators relied upon by al-Bukhārī and Muslim, apart from this Abū Kabshah—who was al-Sadūsī al-Baṣrī—concerning whom al-Dhahabī said: “He is unknown.”

Anas also corroborated him, narrating it from Abū Mūsā.

Al-Ṭayālisī narrated it in his Musnad (no. 515): “Ḥammād ibn Salamah related to us, from Thābit, from Anas,” with the same wording; Abū Dāwūd did not attribute it to the Prophet.

I say: This chain of transmission is authentic according to Muslim’s criteria.

It has also been narrated as attributed to the Prophet through two other routes from Anas, without mentioning Abū Mūsā.

Abū Dāwūd narrated it in his Sunan (4829), from Qatādah, from him. Its beginning contains an additional phrase.

I say: Its chain of transmission is authentic according to the criteria of both al-Bukhārī and Muslim.

Then Abū Dāwūd (4831) and Abū Yaʿlā in his Musnad (no. 2954) narrated it through two routes, from Shabīl ibn ʿUzrah, from Anas, with the same wording.

Its chain of transmission is good, due to the disagreement concerning this Shabīl.

Note: One of the benefits of this hadith is what al-Bayhaqī indicated in his chapter heading:

“Chapter: Avoiding immoral sinners, innovators, and those who do not help you obey Allah, the Mighty and Majestic.”