Question
What is the status of this narration:
عَنْ أَنَسٍ فَخَرَجْتُ أَنَا وَالرَّجُلُ إِلَى السُّوقِ فَإِذَا سِلْعَةٌ تُبَاعُ فَسَاوَمْتُهُ فَقَالَ بِثَلَاثِينَ فَنَظَرَ الرَّجُلُ فَقَالَ قَدْ أَخَذْتُهَا بِأَرْبَعِينَ فَقَالَ صَاحِبُهَا مَا يَحْمِلُكَ عَلَى هَذَا وَأَنَا أُعْطِيكَهَا بِأَقَلَّ مِنْ هَذَا ثُمَّ نَظَرَ أَيْضًا فَقَالَ قَدْ أَخَذْتُهَا بِخَمْسِينَ فَقَالَ صَاحِبُهَا مَا يَحْمِلُكَ عَلَى هَذَا وَأَنَا أُعْطِيكَهَا بِأَقَلَّ مِنْ هَذَا قَالَ إِنِّي سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ لَا يُؤْمِنُ عَبْدٌ حَتَّى يُحِبَّ لِأَخِيهِ مَا يُحِبُّ لِنَفْسِهِ وَأَنَا أَرَى أَنَّهُ صَالِحٌ بِخَمْسِينَ
Answer
Translation
Sayyiduna Anas (radiyallahu ‘anhu) mentions that he went with a man to the market, when they noticed a particular item being sold. [Sayyiduna Anas says] I enquired about it, the seller asked for thirty. The man [that I was with] looked at it and said: ‘I will take it for forty.’ The seller asked: ‘What makes you do this, whereas I am giving it to you for less?’ The man took another look and said: ‘I will take it for fifty.’ The seller asked: ‘What makes you do this, whereas I’m giving it to you for less?’ He replied: ‘I heard Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) saying: ‘A bondsman will not be a true believer until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself’, and I see this to be worth fifty.
Reference
Imam Bazzar (rahimahullah) has recorded this narration with a weak chain.
(Musnad Bazzar, Hadith: 7548 and Majma’uz Zawaid, vol. 1, pg. 95)
Authenticity
However, the Hadith itself (without the incident) is recorded in Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim from Sayyiduna Anas (radiyallahu ‘anhu) himself.
(Sahih Bukhari, Hadith: 13 and Sahih Muslim, Hadith: 168-169)
Therefore, the Hadith itself is authentic (sahih) and the incident is weak, but suitable to quote for the purpose of encouraging this practice.
See another such inspirational incident here.
May Allah Ta’ala inspire us with such sublime Islamic teachings, especially in our era wherein the opposite is so rife.
And Allah Ta’ala Knows best,
Answered by: Mawlana Muhammad Abasoomar
Checked by: Mawlana Haroon Abasoomar