Sunan Abi Dawud 2331
سنن أبي داود#2331Da'ifحَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْوَاحِدِ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مُسْهِرٍ، قَالَ كَانَ سَعِيدٌ - يَعْنِي ابْنَ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ - يَقُولُ سِرُّهُ أَوَّلُهُ . قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ وَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ سِرُّهُ وَسَطُهُ وَقَالُوا آخِرُهُ .
Narrated Ahmad b. 'Abd al-Wahid:On the authority of Abu Mushir. He said: Sa'id, that is, Ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz said: The meaning of the word sirraha is "in the beginning of it (the month)
Scholarly Authentication
The label above is the grade most of these scholars gave — one dissenting opinion no longer speaks for all of them. If any scholar calls a narration fabricated, that verdict is shown instead, whatever the others say. Each scholar's own wording:
Al-AlbaniShadh
Muhammad Muhyi Al-Din Abdul HamidShadh
Zubair Ali ZaiIsnaad Sahih
In-book reference: 14:19