“A good, authentic hadith.”

It is as he said. Al-Hakim and al-Dhahabi also remained silent concerning it; all its narrators are trustworthy narrators found in the Sahih collections.

It has a corroborating report with the wording:

“If one of you loves his companion, let him go to him at his home and tell him that he loves him for the sake of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic.”

Ahmad narrated it (5/145, 173) through Ibn Lahiʿah, who said: Yazid ibn Abi Habib narrated to us that Abu Salim al-Jayshani came to Abu Umayyah at his home and said: “I heard Abu Dharr say that he heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, say”—and he mentioned it. “I have loved you, so I came to you at your home.”

Al-Haythami said (10/281–282): “Ahmad narrated it, and its chain is good.”

I say: It is not good, for Ibn Lahiʿah is weak on account of his memory.

Then I found it through Ibn al-Mubarak’s narration from him, and it is authentic; see no. 797.

Al-Maqdisi also narrated the hadith in al-Mukhtarah, as cited in al-Jamiʿ. It has also been reported with the wording:

“If one of you loves a servant, let him tell him, for he will find the same feelings from him that he feels for him.”

Al-Bayhaqi narrated it in al-Shuʿab from Ibn Umar, as cited in al-Jamiʿ, where it was marked as weak. Al-Manawi explained this, saying:

“It contains Abdullah ibn Abi Murrah, whom al-Dhahabi listed among the weak narrators and said: ‘An unknown Successor.’”

418 — “If a man loves another man, let him tell him that he loves him.”

Al-Bukhari narrated it in al-Adab al-Mufrad (79): Yahya ibn Bishr narrated to us; Qabisah narrated to us; Sufyan narrated to us, from Ribah, from Abu Ubayd Allah, from Mujahid, who said: