A group of us, companions of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, were sitting together discussing things, and we said, "If only we knew which deeds are most beloved to Allah, we would do them." So Allah revealed, "Whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth glorifies Allah, and He is the Mighty, the Wise. You who believe, why do you say what you do not do?" [Saff 61:1–2]Abdullah bin Salam said, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ then recited it to us."Abu Salama said, "Ibn Salam then recited it to us."Yahya said, "Abu Salama then recited it to us."Ibn Kathir said, "Uzai then recited it to us."Abdullah said, "Ibn Kathir then recited it to us."
قعدنا نفر من أصحاب رسول الله ﷺ، فتذاكرنا، فقلنا: لو نعلم أي الأعمال أحب إلى الله لعملناه، فأنزل الله تعالى: {سبح لله ما في السموات وما في الأرض وهو العزيز الحكيم يايها الذين ءامنوا لم تقولون ما لا تفعلون} قال عبد الله بن سلام: فقرأها علينا رسول الله ﷺ قال أبو سلمة: فقرأها علينا ابن سلام قال يحي: فقرأها علينا أبو سلمة قال ابن كثير: فقرأها علينا الأوزاعي. قال عبد الله: فقرأها علينا ابن كثير.
Tirmidhi (3309), Darimi (2435), and Hakim (2/69) all narrated it via Muhammad bin Kathir Masissi, who said, Uzai narrated to us, from Yahya bin Abu Kathir, from Abu Salama, from Abdullah bin Salam, who said, then he mentioned it. In the chain is Muhammad bin Kathir Masissi, who used to make mistakes regarding Uzai, but he was not alone in narrating it. Walid bin Muslim followed him in it, as narrated by Ibn Hibban (4594) and Hakim (2/69), both via Walid bin Muslim, who said, Uzai narrated to us, with something similar. With the two chains combined, the hadith becomes hasan.Tirmidhi said, "Muhammad bin Kathir was contradicted in the chain of this hadith from Uzai, for Ibn Mubarak narrated it from Uzai, from Yahya bin Abu Kathir, from Hilal bin Abu Maymuna, from Ata bin Yasar, from Abdullah bin Salam, or from Abu Salama from Abdullah bin Salam. And Walid bin Muslim narrated this hadith from Uzai similarly to the narration of Muhammad bin Kathir."I say, the narration of Ibn Mubarak that Tirmidhi referred to was recorded by Ahmad (23789) from Yamar, who said, Ibn Mubarak narrated to us, saying, Uzai informed us of it. Perhaps both routes are preserved.Hakim said, "This is a sahih hadith according to the criteria of the two Shaykhs." Ibn Hajar also judged it sahih in Fath al-Bari (8/641), saying, "We have come across a mutasalsal hearing of this surah in a hadith that mentions at its beginning the reason for its revelation, and its chain is sahih. It is rare to find such a thing among the mutasalsal hadiths, along with the added elevation of its chain."Some of the commentators said that it was revealed concerning the hypocrites, who used to promise victory to the believers while lying, so that failing to fulfill a promise became one of the characteristics of the hypocrites.