Fudayk, from Ibn Abi Habibah, from Zayd ibn Saʿd …
I say: This chain of transmission is weak. Zayd ibn Saʿd is not mentioned in the biographical works on narrators.
Ibn Abi Habibah—whose name was Ibrahim ibn Ismaʿil ibn Abi Habibah—is weak, as stated in al-Taqrib. As for al-Haythami’s statement (10/36):
“Al-Tabarani narrated it. I do not know Zayd ibn Saʿd ibn Zayd al-Ashhali, but the rest of its narrators are trustworthy.”
It appears that he adopted Ahmad’s assessment of Ibn Abi Habibah as trustworthy. Yet it is more appropriate to rely on the view of the majority, who declared him weak—particularly since this accords with the principle that negative criticism takes precedence over positive accreditation. This is especially so given that some of them graded him extremely weak, including al-Daraqutni, who said of him:
“Abandoned.”
This is also the assessment adopted by al-Dhahabi in al-Kashif.
Note: In al-Isabah, al-Hafiz gave a very brief biographical notice for the Companion in this hadith, Saʿd ibn Zayd al-Ashhali. He cited a portion of another hadith from him through a different route, and mentioned that al-Baghawi had said:
“I know of no other report from him.”
Al-Hafiz endorsed this statement; thus, this hadith should be added to it.
- Among them is the report of Kaʿb ibn Malik, who said:
The last sermon that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, delivered to us was: