It was recorded by al-Nasa'i in al-Sunan al-Kubra (6/362/11236), Abu Ya'la in his Musnad (10/495/6110), Ibn Hibban (2508), through Abu Ya'la, al-Tabari in his Tafsir (11/92, al-Amiriyyah edition), Ibn Abi al-Dunya in al-Ikhwan (45/5), and al-Bayhaqi in Shu'ab al-Iman (6/485/8997), through various routes from Muhammad ibn Fudayl, from his father, from Umarah ibn al-Qa'qa', from Abu Zur'ah, from him, with the same wording.

I say: Its chain of transmission is authentic according to the criteria of al-Bukhari and Muslim. Al-Bayhaqi sought to impugn it on grounds that do not undermine it.

Another is the report of Abu Malik al-Ash'ari, narrated by Abd al-Hamid ibn Bahram from Shahr ibn Hawshab, who said: Abd al-Rahman ibn Ghanm narrated to us from him.

It was recorded by Ahmad (5/343), al-Bayhaqi in Shu'ab al-Iman (6/486/9001) and al-Asma' wa al-Sifat (p. 467), al-Tabarani in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir (3/329/3433), and al-Baghawi in his Tafsir (4/139–140) and Sharh al-Sunnah (13/50/3464), all through Abd al-Razzaq. Abd al-Razzaq also recorded it in al-Musannaf (11/201–202/20324), from Ma'mar; Abdullah ibn al-Mubarak in al-Zuhd (248/714); and Ibn Abi al-Dunya as well (6), from Ali ibn al-Ja'd. All three—Ma'mar, Ibn al-Mubarak, and Ibn al-Ja'd—narrated it from Shahr, with the same wording.

I say: This chain is good as corroborating evidence, because of Shahr ibn Hawshab's poor retention.

Al-Mundhiri was lenient when he said in al-Targhib (4/48/22):

“Ahmad and Abu Ya'la narrated it with a good chain of transmission, as did al-Hakim, who said: ‘Its chain of transmission is authentic.’”

His attribution to al-Hakim is an error, or another instance of leniency, for al-Hakim did not narrate it from Abu Malik; rather, he narrated it only from Ibn Umar, as stated above. *