Sources of the Hadith

Ibn Mājah recorded this hadith in full (2/512–516), and al-Rūyānī in abridged form (30/8 / - 0 / and 10/1), through Ismāʿīl ibn Rāfiʿ, from Abū Zurʿah al-Saybānī, Yahyā ibn Abī ʿAmr, [from ʿAmr ibn ʿAbdullāh al-Hadramī], from Abū Umāmah al-Bāhilī, who said:

“The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, delivered a sermon to us. Most of it concerned the Dajjāl, about whom he spoke and against whom he warned us. Among his words were the following.” He then related the hadith in full.

I say: This chain of transmission is weak. No one narrated from ʿAmr ibn ʿAbdullāh al-Hadramī except al-Saybānī, and no one declared him trustworthy except Ibn Hibbān (1/185). Accordingly, al-Hāfiz said:

“Acceptable.”

Ismāʿīl ibn Rāfiʿ has a poor memory.

However, Damrah ibn Rabīʿah also transmitted it, saying, “Al-Saybānī narrated it to us,” except for the passage beginning, “They said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, what will make horses so cheap? …’” and continuing to the end of the hadith.

It was recorded by Hanbal ibn Ishāq al-Shaybānī—Imam Ahmad’s paternal cousin—in al-Fitan (fols. 52/1–53/2), with its full text in al-Fawā’id (3/37/1–38/1); by al-Ājurrī in al-Sharīʿah (p. 375)—although he did not reproduce its wording, but referred instead to the forthcoming hadith of al-Nawwās; by Ibn Abī ʿĀsim in al-Sunnah (no. 391—in my edition); by ʿAbdullāh ibn Ahmad in al-Sunnah (p. 138 - 13); and by Abū Dāwūd (2/213)