I say: This is an authentic mursal chain of transmission. Its narrators are trustworthy and are narrators of the two Sahih collections, apart from Bishr—namely, Bishr ibn Muʿādh al-ʿAqdī al-Baṣrī. Al-Mizzī listed him among the narrators from Yazīd ibn Zurayʿ, and Abū Ḥātim described him as truthful, a judgment followed by al-ʿAsqalānī. Ibn Ḥibbān included him in al-Thiqāt (Trustworthy Narrators) (8/144). A number of hadith masters narrated from him, including the compilers of the Sunan, apart from Abū Dāwūd, as well as Ibn Khuzaymah, Ibn Jarīr al-Ṭabarī, and others. Ibn Ḥibbān also recorded many hadiths from him in his Sahih; if you wish, see their numbers in Fihāris al-Rijāl (Indexes of Narrators), p. 107, the Foundation edition.

Yazīd ibn Zurayʿ was trustworthy and exceptionally precise, especially in his narrations from Saʿīd ibn Abī ʿArūbah. Indeed, Aḥmad said:

“Whatever Yazīd ibn Zurayʿ narrated from Saʿīd ibn Abī ʿArūbah, it does not matter if you hear it from no one else, for his hearing from Saʿīd was early.”

The Imam was indicating that this Saʿīd later became confused in his memory, though he had been among the most reliable of people in his narrations from Qatādah. Abū Ḥātim even said:

“He was the most knowledgeable of people concerning Qatādah’s hadiths.”

I say: ʿAbd Allāh ibn Rajāʾ differed from him in its chain of transmission, reporting it from Qatādah, from Anas, with the same wording. Thus, he transmitted it through a connected chain from Anas.

Al-Bazzār recorded it (3/254/2692): Muḥammad ibn al-Muthannā narrated to us; ʿAbd Allāh ibn Rajāʾ narrated to us, with the same chain. He said:

“We know of no report of it from Qatādah, from Anas, except through this route.”

I say: It appears to me to be anomalous, for ʿAbd Allāh ibn Rajāʾ—al-Ghudānī, as mentioned