Note / Clarification: (2) The one who says "haddathana" is "Abu Abd Allah al-Saffar". He heard from al-Hasan bin Ali bin Bahr a juz' (part) containing hadiths of his father Ali bin Bahr which Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal had selected from Ali bin Bahr.

Grading: (3) This hadith is "sahih li-ghayrihi" (authentic due to other routes). This chain is "hasan" in corroborating chains and supporting reports because of "Wahshi bin Harb bin Wahshi", in whom there is some weakness (lin). But something similar has been narrated, in separate parts, from several Companions.
Reference / Source: Imam Ahmad (1/ 43) recorded it from Ali bin Ayyash, from al-Walid bin Muslim, with this same chain, and added: "and a sword from the swords of Allah which Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, has drawn against the disbelievers and the hypocrites."

Corroborating chains and supporting reports: For the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) about Khalid, "Ni'ma abd Allah" (what an excellent servant of Allah), there is a shahid (supporting report) from the hadith of Abu Hurayrah, found in Ahmad (14/ 8720) and al-Tirmidhi (3846) through two routes. Ibn Abi Shaybah (12/ 123) also has a third route from him. With all these routes combined, the hadith is "sahih". Others have also narrated it from Abu Hurayrah with the wording: "Ni'ma al-rajul Khalid bin al-Walid" and "Ni'ma al-mar' Khalid".

Corroborating chains and supporting reports: And for the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) about Khalid bin al-Walid, "Ni'ma akhu al-'ashirah" (an excellent brother of the clan), there is a shahid from the hadith of Abu Ubaydah bin al-Jarrah, found in Ahmad (28/ 16823).
Grading: Its narrators are thiqah (trustworthy), except that the one who narrates it from Abu Ubaydah did not meet him.

Corroborating chains and supporting reports: And for his (peace and blessings be upon him) saying about Khalid bin al-Walid that "he is a sword from the swords of Allah", there are supporting reports from the hadiths of Abd Allah bin Ja'far bin Abi Talib, Anas bin Malik and Abd Allah bin Abi Awfa; these are the three hadiths that follow with the author (al-Hakim).

Corroborating chains and supporting reports: A fourth shahid is the hadith of Abu Ubaydah bin al-Jarrah referred to just above.

Corroborating chains and supporting reports: The fifth shahid is the hadith of Abu Hurayrah found in al-Tirmidhi (3846).

Corroborating chains and supporting reports: The sixth shahid is the hadith of Abu Qatadah al-Ansari found in Ahmad (37/ 22551), al-Nasa'i (8103) and Ibn Hibban (7048), and its chain is "qawi" (strong).