Sahih Muslim — Hadith #7639

Narrated by Mahmud bin Ghaylān: He said, “I said to Abū Dāwud at-Tayālisī, ‘You narrate many things from Abbād bin Mansūr—how is it that you did not hear from him the hadith of the “perfume seller” that an-Naḍr bin Shumayl transmitted to us?’ [Abū Dāwud] said to me, ‘Be quiet, for Abd ar-Rahman bin Mahdī and I met Ziyād bin Maymūn and asked him, “Are these hadiths that you narrate from Anas authentic?” [Ziyād] said, “Have you ever seen a man commit a sin and then repent—doesn’t Allah forgive him?” [Abu Dawud] said: ‘We replied: “Yes.”’ [Ziyad] said: ‘I heard nothing from Anas, neither much nor little; if people did not know, neither would you know that I never met Anas.’ Abu Dawud said: ‘Then we learned that he was narrating [from Anas], so Abd ar-Rahman and I went to him, and he said: “I have repented.” But then he started narrating [in the same way] again, so we abandoned him.’”