was a Successor, whereas that one was among the Followers of the Successors, despite the difference in their grandfathers’ names. Allah knows best.

In sum, the chain of transmission is weak because this ‘Abdullah ibn Rabi‘ah is unknown. However, I found a corroborating report that strengthens the hadith. It is related by ‘Ikrimah ibn ‘Ammar: Yahya ibn Abi Kathir narrated to me; Abu Salamah ibn ‘Abd al-Rahman narrated to us; and ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr ibn al-‘As said:

“The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, sent for me and said, ‘Have I not been informed that you spend the night in prayer and fast by day?’”—and he related the hadith in full—“Then the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: ‘Fast as David fasted, for he was the most devout of all people. He would fast one day and break his fast the next. You do not know; perhaps you will live a long life.’”

Muslim (3/162–163) and Ibn Khuzaymah in his Sahih (1/217/1) reported it, and the wording is his. It also has another corroborating report from Anas, attributed to the Prophet. Abu Nu‘aym reported it in Akhbar Asbahan (1/267).

It is also reported from Ibn Jud‘an, from ‘Ata’, in mursal form. Ibn Nasr reported it in al-Salah (8/1).

And from ‘Abdullah ibn Yazid ibn Rabi‘ah al-Dimashqi: Abu Idris al-Khawlani narrated to us from Abu al-Darda’, attributed to the Prophet. Al-Bukhari reported it in al-Tarikh (3/1/229).

708 — “Iblis said: ‘You have apportioned every one of Your creatures his provision; so what is my provision?’ He said: ‘Whatever My name has not been mentioned over.’”

Abu al-Shaykh reported it in Kitab al-‘Azamah (12/128/1), and Abu Nu‘aym in al-Hilyah.