Note: Its complete chain of transmission in al-Mu'jam is as follows: “Musa ibn Harun narrated to us: Sa'd ibn Abd Allah ibn Abd al-Hakam narrated to us: my father narrated to us ...,” and so on.
The printed edition of Majma' al-Bahrayn (3/378) omitted “Sa'd ibn” from its chain of transmission, and its editor left a blank space in its place! This is strange, for he referred it back to the original source, indicating the volume and folio, and that is the source from which I have quoted. It seems to me that he was unable to read the name Sa'd, since it is far from clear in the original—which is a facsimile. If that was the case, he should have consulted the biography of Sa'd's father, where he would have found that this son of his was among those who narrated from him. And if he did not do so, then why did he omit the patronymic marker “ibn,” when it is plainly visible?!
The exception mentioned in this route has a corroborating report in the mursal narration of Tariq ibn Abd al-Rahman al-Qurashi, who said:
Rifa'ah ibn Rafi' came to a gathering of the Ansar and said: “Today, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) prohibited us from ...” He then mentioned several matters and said: “He prohibited us from the earnings of a slave woman, except for what she earns through the work of her own hand”—and he gestured with his finger—“such as spinning, baking, and embroidery.”
It was recorded by Abu Dawud (3426) and al-Bayhaqi.
I say: It is a mursal report with a good chain of transmission, which strengthens the exception in the connected hadith of Abu Hurayrah. This is especially so since it has also been reported with a connected chain through Ibn Abi Fudayk, from Ubayd Allah ibn Hurayr, from his father, from his grandfather Rafi' ibn Khadij, who said:
“The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) prohibited the earnings of a slave woman until it is known where they come from.”
It was also recorded by Abu Dawud (3427) and al-Bayhaqi, as well as by al-Hakim (2/42) as a corroborating report.