How authentic is the story of Pharaoh’s hairdresser?

Ahmad b. Hanbal relays in his Musnad:

‎حدثنا أبو عمر الضرير أخبرنا حماد بن سَلَمة عن عطاء ابن السائب عن سعيد بِن جُبير عن ابن عباس قال: قال رسول الله – صلى الله عليه وسلم -: “لما كانت الليلةُ التي أسري بي فيها، أتتْ على رائحةٌ طيبة، فقلت: يا جبريل، ما هذه الرائحة الطيبة؟، فقال: هذه رائحة ماشطةِ ابنةِ فرعون وأولادها، قال: قلت: وما شأنها؟، قال: بينا هي تمشط ابنةَ فرعون ذات يوم إذْ سقطتْ المدْرَى من يديها، فقالت: بسم الله، فقالت لها ابنة فرعون: أبي!، قالت: لا، وَلكن ربي ورب أبيك الله، قالت: أُخْبِره بذلك؟، قالت: نعم، فأخبرتْه، فدعاها، فقال: يا فلاَنة، وِإن لك رَباً غيري؟، قالت: نعم، ربي وربُّك الله، فأمر ببقرةٍ: من نحاس فأُحْميَتْ، ثم أَمر بها أن تلقى هي وأولادُها فيها، قالت له: إن لي إليك حاجة، قالَ: وما حاجتك؟، قالت: أحب أن تجمع عظامي وعظامَ ولدي في ثوب واحد وتدفننا، قال: ذلك لك علينا من الحق، قال: فأمر بِأولادها فأُلقوا بين يديها واحداً واحداً، إلى أن انتَهى ذلك إلى صبي لها مُرْضعٌ، وكأنها تقاعستْ من أجله، قال: يا أُمَّه، اقتحمي، فإن عذاب الدنيا أهونُ من عذاب الآخرة، فاقتحمتْ

It is narrated that Ibn `Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the Messenger of Allah, Muhammad, (may Allah bless and grant him peace) said, “On the night in which I was taken by a night Journey, a pleasant fragrance came my way, and so I said, “O Gabriel! What is this pleasant fragrance?” He said, “This is the fragrance of the hairdresser of Pharaoh’s daughter, and [of the hairdresser]’s children.” He said: “I said: And what was her story?” He said: “When she was combing the hair of the daughter of Pharaoh, the comb fell to the ground and [as she subconsciously picked up the comb] she said, “Bismillah, in the name of Allah.” The daughter of Pharaoh said, “[Are you saying Allah] my father?” And she said, “No! Allah, the God of your father” The daughter said: “Shall I inform him [i.e. the Pharaoh]” She said: “Yes.” And so the daughter informed him, and he called her [to his presence] and said: “O Woman! Do you have a God other than Me?” She said: “Yes, my God and your God is Allah.” So, Pharaoh commanded that a cow made from metal be brought and melted down such that it becomes hot oil, and then commanded that the woman and her children be thrown into it. She, however, said to him: “I have a need from me.” He said: “What is it?” She said: “I want you to gather whatever is remaining of our bodies and I want you to bury us together in the same grave.” He said: “This is your right upon us.” He [the narrator] said: “He [Pharaoh] commanded that the children be thrown into the oil, one by one, until it ended with a cradling child of hers, and she hesitated for his sake. He [the baby] said: “O Mother! Proceed! For indeed the punishment of this world is easier than the punishment of the Hereafter.” And so she proceeded.”

It’s likely that this Hadith is inauthentic for a few reasons:

Reason 1: Ataa’ b. Al Saa’ib is a reporter who became confused and got his reports mixed up later in his life (اختلط)

Reason 2: The narrator of this report from Ataa’ is Hammaad b. Salamah. It is known that Hammaad took reports from Ataa’ before and after his اختلاط and the separation of these reports into two categories (one before Ataa’s اختلاط and one after Ataa’s اختلاط) could not be done.

Ibn Hajar relays in his Tahdheeb Al Tahdheeb:

‎وقال العقيلي أيضا وسماع حماد بن سلمة بعد الاختلاط كذا نقله عنه ابن القطان ثم وقفت على ترجمته في العقيلي فنقل عن الحسن بن علي الحلواني عن علي بن المديني قال قال وهيب قدم علينا عطاء بن السائب فقلت كم حملت عن عبيدة يعني السلماني قال أربعين حديثا قال علي وليس عنده عن عبيدة حرف واحد فقلت علام يحمل ذلك قال على الاختلاط قال علي وكان أبو عوانة حمل عنه قبل أن يختلط ثم حمل عنه بعد فكان لا يعقل ذا من ذا وكان حماد بن سلمة…. انتهى ‎فاستفدنا من هذه القصة ان رواية وهيب وحماد وأبي عوانة عنه في جملة ما يدخل في الاختلاط

Ibn Hajar relays this via Al Uqayli who mentions that Yahya b. Sa’eed Al Qattan was asked by Wuhaib (from who Ali b. Al Madini took) Ibn Hajar then says that what we benefit from this quote that the reports of Hammaad b. Salamah from Ataa’ fall under those reports which occurred after Ataa’s اختلاط

This Hadith has a شاهد (ie potentially corroborating report) in Sunan Ibn Majah 4030

Ibn Majah said:

‎حدثنا هشام بن عمار ، قال : حدثنا الوليد بن مسلم ، قال : حدثنا سعيد بن بشير ، عن قتادة ، عن مجاهد ، عن ابن عباس ، عن أبي بن كعب ، عن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم

This report is also weak due to the Tadlees of Al Walid b. Muslim + the weakness of Sa’eed b. Bishr.

Ahmad was asked about Sa’eed:

‎قال ابن هانئ: سألت أبا عبد اللَّه عن سعيد بن بشير؟ ‎قال: ليس حديثه بشيء.

“His Hadith is nothing”

Bukhari says in his Tarikh Al Kabir:

‎سَعِيد بن بشير مولى بني نصر، ‎عَنْ قتادة، روى عنهُ الوليد بْن مُسْلِم ومَعْن بْن عيسى، يتكلمون فِي حفظه

“They have criticised his memorisation”

In conclusion, this Hadith seems to be inauthentic to the Prophet ﷺ

And Allah knows best!