Grading: Its chain is weak.
Technical note / Defect ('illah): The narrator Muhammad bin Talhah (Ibn 'Abd al-Rahman bin Talhah) is not very solid; Abu Hatim al-Razi (7/ 292) said: "His standing is truthfulness; his hadith is written down but not used as proof." There is disagreement over the name of his shaykh 'Abd al-Rahman bin Salim, as al-Mizzi mentioned in "al-Tahdhib" (17/ 127 - 128), and he is "majhul" (unknown), since only Muhammad bin Talhah narrated from him; his father is also "majhul", as only his son 'Abd al-Rahman narrated from him.

Reference / Source: Abu Nu'aym narrated it in "Mu'jam al-Sahabah" (5324) and "al-Hilyah" (2/ 11) from Muhammad bin Ahmad bin al-Hasan, and al-Khatib al-Baghdadi in "Talkhis al-Mutashabih" (2/ 361) via Muhammad bin 'Abd Allah bin Ibrahim; both of them from Bishr bin Musa, from al-Humaydi, from Muhammad bin Talhah, from 'Abd al-Rahman bin Salim, from his father, from his grandfather 'Uwaym bin Sa'idah.
Technical note / Defect ('illah): In both narrations of Abu Nu'aym the grandfather is explicitly named "'Uwaym bin Sa'idah", whereas in al-Khatib's narration his name is not mentioned.

Reference / Source: Ibn Abi Khaythamah in the second part of "al-Tarikh al-Kabir" (1526); al-Tabarani in "al-Kabir" (17/ 349), al-Ajurri in "al-Shari'ah" (1989), Abu Nu'aym in "Mu'jam al-Sahabah" (5324), al-Bayhaqi in "al-Madkhal" (47) and al-Khatib al-Baghdadi in "Talkhis al-Mutashabih" (2/ 361) via Khalaf bin 'Amr; and al-Tabarani in "al-Awsat" (455) via Ahmad bin Khulayd; all three (Ibn Abi Khaythamah, Khalaf and Ibn Khulayd) from al-Humaydi, from Muhammad bin Talhah, from 'Abd al-Rahman bin Salim, from his father, from his grandfather.
Technical note / Defect ('illah): In the narrations of Ibn Abi Khaythamah and Abu Nu'aym the grandfather is clearly named 'Uwaym bin Sa'idah.

Technical note / Defect ('illah): Imam al-Bayhaqi said after it that Muhammad bin Talhah is alone in narrating it, and that there is "irsal" in it, because 'Abd al-Rahman bin 'Uwaym is not a Companion (he is a Successor).

Technical note / Defect ('illah): Ibn Qani', differing from the others, narrated it in "Mu'jam al-Sahabah" (2/ 288) from Khalaf bin 'Amr al-'Ukbari, from al-Humaydi, from Muhammad bin Talhah, with a long genealogical chain: from 'Abd al-Rahman bin Salim bin 'Abd al-Rahman bin 'Utbah bin 'Uwaym bin Sa'idah, from 'Uwaym bin 'Utbah bin 'Uwaym bin Sa'idah, from his father, from his grandfather.

Reference / Source: Ibn Abi 'Asim in "al-Sunnah" (1000) and "al-Ahad wa-l-Mathani" (1772) and (19460), Abu Bakr al-Khallal in "al-Sunnah" (834), al-Mahamili in his "Amali" in the transmission of Ibn Mahdi (29) (and via him al-Khatib al-Baghdadi in "al-Jami' li-Akhlaq al-Rawi" (1352) and "Talkhis al-Mutashabih" 2/ 361), al-Ajurri in "al-Shari'ah" (1990), Ibn Ghitrif in his "Juz'" (37) and Abu Nu'aym in "al-Ma'rifah" (5350) narrated it through various routes from Muhammad bin Talhah, from 'Abd al-Rahman bin Salim, from his father, from his grandfather.

Technical note / Defect ('illah): Muhammad bin 'Abbad al-Makki went against the other students of Muhammad bin Talhah, in Ibn Qani's "Mu'jam al-Sahabah" (2/ 142) and Abu al-Qasim al-Baghawi's "Mu'jam al-Sahabah" (1628) (and via him Abu Tahir al-Mukhallis in "al-Mukhallisiyyat" (1912 and 2157) and Abu Nu'aym in "al-Ma'rifah" (4424)), narrating it from Muhammad bin Talhah al-Taymi, from 'Abd al-Rahman bin Salim bin 'Abd Allah bin 'Uwaym bin Sa'idah, from his father, from his grandfather. On this basis al-Baghawi, Ibn Qani' and Abu Nu'aym gave an entry in their books on the Companions to 'Abd Allah bin 'Uwaym, making him the Companion who narrated the hadith.

General principle: The words of the hadith "sarf wa la 'adl" were explained by one of the narrators of the hadith, Ibrahim bin al-Mundhir: "sarf" means the obligatory deed, and "'adl" means the voluntary (nafl) deed.