Muʿammar also transmitted the report from al-Zuhrī in a shortened version that omits both the mention of the mosque and ʿUmar’s censure of Hassān; in it appears the fifth additional detail. Muslim, Abū Dāwūd, and Aḥmad all recorded this version.

Ibrāhīm ibn Saʿd likewise related it from al-Zuhrī, though without the portion traced back to the Prophet, and his wording includes the third—and final—additional detail; Aḥmad alone preserved this route.

Aḥmad then cited it through Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr, from Yaḥyā ibn ʿAbd al-Raḥmān, who said, “ʿUmar passed by …,” a narration that resembles Ibrāhīm’s and contains the fourth additional detail.

It later became clear to me that this chain is broken, for this Yaḥyā ibn ʿAbd al-Raḥmān is the son of Ḥāṭib ibn Abī Baltaʿah, and the scholars do not list him as having narrated from any Companion. His death occurred in 104 AH, whereas ʿUmar died in 23 AH; it is therefore highly unlikely that he witnessed the incident. For that reason this extra detail must be struck out, and so we have done.

The ḥadith was also related by al-Bukhārī and Muslim through several chains from al-Zuhrī. He said: “Abū Salamah ibn ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn ʿAwf told me that he heard Hassān ibn Thābit al-Anṣārī appeal to Abū Hurayrah, saying, ‘I adjure you by Allah: did you hear the Prophet ﷺ say, “O Hassān, answer on behalf of the Messenger of Allah—O Allah, support him with the Holy Spirit”?’ Abū Hurayrah replied, ‘Yes.’ The Prophet ﷺ also said, ‘The believer strives with his sword and with his tongue.’”