Note / Clarification: (4) The manuscripts have "from Abd al-Rahman bin Mukmil", which is an error, because the hadith belongs to his son, whose nickname is "al-A'sha" (and whose name is Sa'id), as in "Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah" and al-Bukhari's "al-Tarikh al-Kabir", where both of them narrated this hadith from Khalid bin Makhlad with this same chain.

Grading: (1) Its chain can possibly be graded hasan, on account of "al-A'sha bin Abd al-Rahman bin Mukmil" and "Azhar bin Abd Allah".
Technical note / Defect ('illah): Both of them are Successors, and Ibn Hibban mentioned them in "al-Thiqat". Two thiqah narrators narrated from al-A'sha. And Azhar (although no one other than Ibn Mukmil narrated from him) is a Successor who lived in the time of 'Ubadah bin al-Samit and 'Uthman bin 'Affan (may Allah be pleased with them both). A narration similar to their report has also passed earlier from 'Ubadah through another route.

Reference / Source: Ibn Abi Shaybah narrated it in his "Musannaf" 15/ 233 and in his "Musnad" (as in Ibn Hajar's "al-Matalib al-'Aliyah" 2161 and 4347), and Imam al-Bukhari in his "al-Tarikh al-Kabir" 1/ 458 in suspended form (ta'liqan), from Khalid bin Makhlad (who is al-Qatawani) with this same chain.

Reference / Source: Al-Tabarani narrated it likewise (as in Ibn Kathir's "Jami' al-Masanid wa al-Sunan" 5678) via Abd al-'Aziz bin Abd Allah al-Uwaysi, from Sulayman bin Bilal.