Grading: Its chain is hasan. Muhammad bin Ishaq stated explicitly that he heard it directly, in Imam Ahmad's narration, which removes the suspicion of his tadlis. Ibn Kathir said in his "Tafsir": "This is a good (jayyid) chain."

Reference / Source: Imam Ahmad (23/ 14866) and Ibn Hibban (5008) narrated it via the route of Ibrahim bin Sa'd al-Qurashi, and Ahmad (14867), Abu Dawud (1662) and Ibn Hibban (3289) via the route of Muhammad bin Salamah al-Harrani (both of them from Muhammad bin Ishaq), with this same chain.

General principle: The Prophet's (peace and blessings be upon him) permission for "'araya" (selling fruit by estimation) is reported from Jabir bin 'Abd Allah (may Allah be pleased with him) through various routes, which Ahmad, al-Bukhari (2189 and others), Muslim (1543 and others), Abu Dawud, al-Tirmidhi and al-Nasa'i narrated.

Note / Clarification: The narration of Ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) about the permission for 'araya will come later at number (8288).

Important point: "Rakhkhasa fi al-'araya" (he gave permission for 'araya): Ibn al-Athir says in "al-Nihayah" (3/ 224) that when "muzabanah" (selling dates on the palm in exchange for picked dry dates) was forbidden, a permission was given in the form of "'araya". This refers to a needy person who has no palm tree of his own and wants fresh dates for his children, but has no cash, though he does have some dry dates beyond his needs. He goes to the owner of the orchard and buys the fruit of one or two trees by estimation (khars) in exchange for his dry dates, so that he too can eat fresh dates along with the people. The permission was given for quantities of less than five wasqs.

Important point: His (peace and blessings be upon him) words "jadd 'asharah": al-Khattabi says that according to Ibrahim al-Harbi this means the quantity of palms from whose harvest (jadd) ten wasqs are obtained. Here "jadd" (active participle) is in the sense of "majdud" (passive participle).

Important point: "Al-qinw" means the bunch of fresh and unripe dates that is hung up for the poor to eat. This is general voluntary charity, not the obligatory zakat.