It was recorded by Muslim (8/130), al-Nasa’i—in part—in al-Sunan al-Kubra (6/518/11683), al-Tabari (3/165), al-Bayhaqi (2/189), and Ahmad (2/370). *

3297—“The chiefs of Quraysh passed by the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, while Suhayb, Bilal, ʿAmmar, Khabbab, and others among the poor Muslims were with him. They said, ‘O Muhammad, send them away! Are these the ones you have chosen from among your people? Are we then to become followers of these people? Are these the ones among us upon whom Allah has bestowed His favor? Perhaps, if you send them away, we will come to you!’ He said: Then the following was revealed: ‘Do not dismiss those who call upon their Lord morning and evening, seeking His Countenance. You are not accountable for them in any way, nor are they accountable for you in any way, such that you would dismiss them and thus become one of the wrongdoers.’”

Ahmad (1/420) recorded it through the route of Asbat, in an abbreviated wording similar to this. Al-Bazzar (3/48/2209)—whose wording is given here—recorded it through Ibn Jarir in al-Tafsir (7/137). Both narrated it through Jarir ibn ʿAbd al-Hamid. Ibn Jarir also recorded it through Abu Zubayd (the original has: Abu Zayd), and al-Tabarani in al-Muʿjam al-Kabir (10/268/10520) through Yazid ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAziz. All four narrated it from Ashʿath—al-Bazzar added: Ibn Suwar—from Kardus al-Thaʿlabi, from ʿAbd Allah ibn Masʿud, who said: and he then mentioned it. Al-Bazzar said:

“We know of it being narrated from ʿAbd Allah only through this chain of transmission.”

I say: It is weak, because Ashʿath ibn Suwar was deemed weak by the majority, and al-Hafiz decisively declared him weak in al-Taqrib. As for al-Haythami’s statement (7/21):

“Ahmad and al-Tabarani narrated it. Ahmad’s narrators are narrators of the Sahih, except for Kardus, who is trustworthy”!