We were told by Sa'id ibn 'Amr al-Ash'athi: 'Abthar informed us. (Another chain:) And I was told by Muhammad ibn Bakkar ibn al-Rayyan, who said: Isma'il ibn Zakariyya told us. (Another chain:) And Ibn al-Muthanna told us, who said: Ibn Abi 'Adi told us, on the authority of Shu'bah — all of them on the authority of al-A'mash, with this chain of transmission, relating something of similar meaning.