Arabic (Original)
أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو الْحُسَيْنِ بْنُ الْفَضْلِ الْقَطَّانُ أنا عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ ثنا يَعْقُوبُ بْنُ سُفْيَانَ ثنا الْحُمَيْدِيُّ ثنا سُفْيَانُ ثنا صَفْوَانُ بْنُ سُلَيْمٍ عَنِ امْرَأَةٍ يُقَالُ لَهَا أُنَيْسَةُ عَنْ أُمِّ سَعِيدٍ بِنْتِ مُرَّةَ الْفِهْرِيِّ عَنْ أَبِيهَا أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ قَالَ أَنَا وَكَافِلُ الْيَتِيمُ لَهُ أَوْ لِغَيْرِهِ فِي الْجَنَّةِ كَهَاتَيْنِ وَأَشَارَ سُفْيَانُ بِأُصْبَعَيْهِ قَالَ الْحُمَيْدِيُّ قِيلَ لِسُفْيَانَ فَإِنَّ عَبْدَ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنَ مَهْدِيٍّ يَقُولُ إِنَّ سُفْيَانَ أَصْوَبُ فِي هَذَا الْحَدِيثِ مِنْ مَالِكٍ قَالَ سُفْيَانُ وَمَا يُدْرِيهِ أَدْرَكَ صَفْوَانَ؟ قَالُوا لَا وَلَكِنَّهُ قَالَ إِنَّ مَالِكًا قَالَهُ عَنْ صَفْوَانَ عَنْ عَطَاءِ بْنِ يَسَارٍ وَقَالَهُ سُفْيَانُ عَنْ أُنَيْسَةَ عَنْ أُمِّ سَعِيدٍ بِنْتِ مُرَّةَ عَنْ أَبِيهَا فَمِنْ أَيْنَ جَاءَ بِهَذَا الْإِسْنَادِ؟ فَقَالَ سُفْيَانُ مَا أَحْسَنَ مَا قَالَ لَوْ قَالَ لَنَا صَفْوَانُ عَنْ عَطَاءِ بْنِ يَسَارٍ كَانَ أَهْوَنَ عَلَيْنَا مِنْ أَنْ يَجِيءَ بِهَذَا الْإِسْنَادِ الشَّدِيدِ
English Translation
Umm Sa'id bint Murrah al-Fihriyyah narrated from her father that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: 'I and the one who sponsors an orphan, whether his own or someone else's, will be like these two in Paradise.' Sufyan indicated with his two fingers. Al-Humaydi said: It was said to Sufyan: 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Mahdi says that Sufyan is more correct in this hadith than Malik.' Sufyan said: 'How would he know? Did he meet Safwan?' They said: 'No, but he says Malik narrated it from Safwan from 'Ata' ibn Yasar, and Sufyan narrated it from Unaysah from Umm Sa'id bint Murrah from her father. So where did he get this chain?' Sufyan said: 'How good is what he says! If Safwan had told us from 'Ata' ibn Yasar, it would have been easier for us than this difficult chain.'