I say: This is open to question, for Ibn Salih was weak due to deficiencies in his memory. As for Abu ‘Amir al-Hawzani, whose name was ‘Abd Allah ibn Luhay, he was trustworthy; yet he appears to be someone other than al-Alhani. Ibn Abi Hatim listed the latter in al-Kuna (4/2/411), without mentioning either any criticism or accreditation concerning him. Ibn Hibban likewise listed him among the kunyahs in al-Thiqat (1/271–272). As for ‘Abd Allah ibn Luhay, both of them listed him among the names. This is evidence that they distinguished between the two, even though the treatment of al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar indicates otherwise: he listed Abu ‘Amir al-Alhani among the kunyahs and said, “His name is ‘Abd Allah ibn ‘Amir, mentioned earlier.” We then returned to the names, but did not find anyone in this generation of narrators named ‘Abd Allah ibn ‘Amir whose kunyah was Abu ‘Amir. However, in the biography of ‘Abd Allah ibn Luhay, we found him saying: “‘Abd Allah ibn ‘Amir ibn Luhay.” This suggests that, in his view, ‘Abd Allah ibn ‘Amir—whose kunyah was Abu ‘Amir al-Alhani—was ‘Abd Allah ibn ‘Amir ibn Luhay, whose kunyah was Abu ‘Amir al-Hawzani. Yet this is contradicted by his distinguishing between them in the section on kunyahs—and that is correct. Allah knows best.
In al-Targhib (2/271), al-Mundhiri also attributed this hadith to al-Hakim on the authority of Salman. This should be checked, for I did not find it in the section on remembrance and supplication in his al-Mustadrak.
- “Supplicate to Allah Most High while certain that He will answer, and know that Allah does not answer a supplication that comes from a heedless, distracted heart.”
It was recorded by al-Tirmidhi (2/261), al-Hakim (1/493), Abu Bakr al-Kalabadhi in Miftah Ma‘ani al-Athar (6–7), and Ibn ‘Asakir (5/61/1), through Salih al-Murri, from Hashim ibn Hassan, from Muhammad ibn Sirin, from Abu Hurayrah, attributed to the Prophet. Al-Tirmidhi said: “It is a singular hadith; we know it only through this route.” Al-Hakim said: “It is a hadith with a sound chain of transmission; Salih al-Murri is alone in transmitting it, and he was one of the ascetics of Basra.”