Sunan an-Nasa'i 4657
سنن النسائي#4657Sahihأَخْبَرَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ مَسْعُودٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا خَالِدٌ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ دِينَارٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، رضى الله عنه أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم نَهَى عَنْ بَيْعِ الْوَلاَءِ وَعَنْ هِبَتِهِ .
it was narrated from 'Abdullah that:the Messenger of Allah forbade selling loyalty or giving it away
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:
Abu GhuddahSahih
Al-AlbaniSahih
Zubair Ali ZaiSahih Muslim
In-book reference: 44:209