1138 — “There is no supplication that a servant makes better than: ‘O Allah, I ask You for well-being in this world and the Hereafter.’”

It was narrated by Ibn Majah (2/435) through Hisham, the companion of al-Dastuwaʾi, from Qatadah, from al-ʿAlaʾ ibn Ziyad al-ʿAdawi, from Abu Hurayrah, who said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said it.

Al-Busiri said in al-Zawaʾid (232/2): “This is an authentic chain of transmission. Its narrators are trustworthy. Al-ʿAlaʾ ibn Ziyad was mentioned by Ibn Hibban in al-Thiqat, and I have not seen anyone who criticized him; the rest of the chain’s narrators are trustworthy.”

I say: There is disagreement concerning its transmission from Qatadah. Al-Dastuwaʾi narrated it from him in this manner, whereas Hammam narrated from him, from al-ʿAlaʾ ibn Ziyad, that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said it as a mursal report. Ahmad narrated it in al-Zuhd (255).

ʿImran al-Qattan said: from him, from al-ʿAlaʾ ibn Ziyad, from Muʿadh ibn Jabal, that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said it. Abu Nuʿaym narrated it in al-Hilyah (2/247) and said: “None of Qatadah’s students corroborated ʿImran al-Qattan in relating it from Muʿadh ibn Jabal. Hammam and others narrated it from Qatadah, from al-ʿAlaʾ, as a mursal report; while Wakiʿ narrated it from Hisham, from Qatadah, from al-ʿAlaʾ, from Abu Hurayrah, from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him.”

Al-Haythami cited the hadith of Muʿadh in al-Majmaʿ (10/175) and said: “Al-Tabarani narrated it, and its narrators are those of the Sahih, apart from al-ʿAlaʾ ibn Ziyad, who is trustworthy; however, he did not hear from Muʿadh.” He also mentioned a corroborating report from the hadith of Abu al-Dardaʾ, attributed to the Prophet, with the wording: “The servants have asked for nothing better than that they be forgiven and granted well-being.” Al-Bazzar narrated it, and its narrators are those of the Sahih.”