Jami` at-Tirmidhi 1990
جامع الترمذي#1990Sahihحَدَّثَنَا عَبَّاسُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ الدُّورِيُّ الْبَغْدَادِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ الْحَسَنِ، أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ الْمُبَارَكِ، عَنْ أُسَامَةَ بْنِ زَيْدٍ، عَنْ سَعِيدٍ الْمَقْبُرِيِّ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ قَالُوا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّكَ تُدَاعِبُنَا . قَالَ " إِنِّي لاَ أَقُولُ إِلاَّ حَقًّا " . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صحيح
Abu Hurairah narrated:"They said: 'O Messenger of Allah! You joke with us?' He said: 'Indeed I do not say except what is true.'" (Hasan)
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: 27:96