Al-Baraa’ bin ‘Azib:

There are three paths to the hadith of Al-Baraa’ bin ‘Azib.

• The first and most oft-quoted path is the narration of Ali bin Zaid bin Jud’aan who was weakened by many scholars including Yahya bin Sa’eed, Sufyan bin Uyayna, Ibn Sa’ad, Imam Ahmad, Yahya bin Ma’een, Al-Ijli, Al-Jawzajani, Abu Zur’ah, Abu Hatim, Al-Nasa’ee, Ibn Khuzaima, Abu Ahmad Al-Hakim, Al-Daraqutni, and Ibn Hibban. The narration of Ali bin Zaid also comes complemented by Abu Haroon Al-Abdi, who was described as a liar by Ibn Ulaya, Ibn Ma’een, Uthman bin Abi Shaybah, and Al-Jawzajani. Refer to the biographies of Ali bin Zaid and Abu Haroon in Tahtheeb Al-Kamal.
• The second path is that of Al-Nasa’ee in Al-Khasa’is in which Al-Baraa’ is asked if he heard this hadith. He confirms that he did. However, this narration is weak due to Imran bin Abaan, who is weakened by Al-Nasa’ee himself.
• The third path is the hadith of Ibn Al-A’arabi in his Mu’jam #1643. However it comes through the path of Musa bin Uthman Al-Hadrami who is weakened by Ibn Ma’een and Abu Hatim. See his biography in Al-Takmeel by Ibn Katheer.

Buraida bin Al-Husaib Al-Aslami:

There are three main paths that are used.

• The first path is the hadith of Ibn Abi Ghaniyyah from Al-Hakam from Sa’eed bin Jubair from Ibn Abbas from Buraida. This hadith is authentic.
• The second path is the hadith of Al-A’mash from Sa’ad bin Ubaida from Abdullah bin Buraida from his father. However, the possibility of the tadlees of Al-A’amash causes the narration to not be as strong as the previous one.
• An alternative narration to the previous is the narration of Al-Ajlah from Abdullah bin Buraida from his father. The narration of Al-Ajlah is problematic since the wording is different and includes an addition, which is, “Ali is your walee after me.” Moreover, Al-Ajlah was weakened by many scholars including Ibn Sa’ad, Yahya bin Sa’eed Al-Qattan, Abu Hatim, Al-Nasa’ee, Al-Jawzajani, Abu Dawud, Ibn Hibban, and Al-Uqaili.
• The previous addition can also be found in Tareekh Dimashq from the path of Ibrahim bin Al-Hakam bin Thaheer and his father, however, both men have been accused of fabricating traditions. Refer to their biographies in Mizan Al-I’itidal. This addition is also correctly attributed through the path of Abdullah bin Buraida.
• A fifth path can be found in Musanaf Abdul Razzaq #20388. However, it is disconnected since Tawoos did not witness the event. However, his wording strengthens the wording of the first path. There is a possibility that Tawus did hear it from Buraida as per Al-Mu’jam Al-Sagheer by Al-Tabarani #191.
• Another path is a strange one in which Buraida narrates this hadith from Sa’ad bin Abi Waqqas, through, it comes through the grandfather of Abdul Wahid bin Ayman from Sa’ad, however, he is not known.

Conclusion: The hadith is authentic through the path of Buraida bin Al-Husaib but it is weak through Al-Baraa’ bin ‘Azib.