Sunan Abi Dawud 4366
سنن أبي داود#4366Sahihحَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الصَّبَّاحِ بْنِ سُفْيَانَ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا ح، وَحَدَّثَنَا عَمْرُو بْنُ عُثْمَانَ، حَدَّثَنَا الْوَلِيدُ، عَنِ الأَوْزَاعِيِّ، عَنْ يَحْيَى، - يَعْنِي ابْنَ أَبِي كَثِيرٍ - عَنْ أَبِي قِلاَبَةَ، عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ، بِهَذَا الْحَدِيثِ قَالَ فِيهِ فَبَعَثَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فِي طَلَبِهِمْ قَافَةً فَأُتِيَ بِهِمْ . قَالَ فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى فِي ذَلِكَ { إِنَّمَا جَزَاءُ الَّذِينَ يُحَارِبُونَ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ وَيَسْعَوْنَ فِي الأَرْضِ فَسَادًا } الآيَةَ .
The tradition mentioned above has also been transmitted by Anas. B. Malik through a different chain of narrators. This version says :The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) sent some people who were experts in tracking in pursuit of them and they were brought (to him). Allah , the Exalted, then revealed the verse about it : “ The punishment of those who wage war against Allah and his Apostle and strive for mischief through the land
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:
In-book reference: 40:16