Al-Tirmidhī narrated (1), through Kathīr ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAmr ibn ʿAwf, from his father, from his grandfather, that in both Eid prayers the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) proclaimed Allah’s greatness seven times before reciting in the first rakʿah, and five times before reciting in the second. Al-Tirmidhī said (2): “I asked Muhammad—meaning al-Bukhārī—about this hadith, and he replied: ‘There is nothing on this subject more authentic than this, and this is the view I adopt.’ He also said: ‘The hadith on this subject narrated by ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAbd al-Rahmān al-Tāifī, from ʿAmr ibn Shuʿayb, from his father, from his grandfather, is also authentic.’”
I say: He is referring to his report that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) proclaimed Allah’s greatness twelve times in an Eid prayer: seven in the first rakʿah and five in the second, and that he did not pray before or after it (3). Ahmad said (4): “This is the view I follow.”
(1) Reported under no. (536); also reported by ‘Abd ibn Humayd (290), Ibn Mājah (1279), al-Dāraqutnī (1731), and al-Bayhaqī in al-Sunan al-Kubrā (3/286) and Ma‘rifat al-Sunan (5/69). Ibn Khuzaymah authenticated it (1438, 1439). See Sahīh Abī Dāwūd—al-Umm (4/313–318).
(2) In al-‘Ilal al-Kabīr (pp. 98–99).
(3) Reported by Ahmad (6688), Abū Dāwūd (1151, 1152), al-Nasā’ī in al-Kubrā (1817), Ibn Mājah (1278, 1292), al-Dāraqutnī (1729, 1730), and al-Bayhaqī (3/285). Al-Bukhārī described this al-Tā’ifī as “muqārib al-hadīth (his reports are close to those of reliable narrators)” and authenticated his hadith; see al-‘Ilal al-Kabīr (p. 98). In his biography in al-Kāmil (6/522), Ibn ‘Adī said: “As for his remaining hadiths, he narrates sound reports from ‘Amr ibn Shu‘ayb, and he is among those whose hadiths may be recorded.” Al-Dāraqutnī said in Su’ālāt al-Barqānī (258): “His reports may be used for corroboration.” Among those who considered him somewhat weak were Ibn Ma‘īn, Abū Hātim, and al-Nasā’ī; see Mīzān al-I‘tidāl (2/452).
(4) In Masā’il ‘Abd Allāh (pp. 127–128). For the wording quoted here, see Sharh al-Zarkashī (2/222).