Ahmad (5/399), al-Tirmidhi, Ibn Hibban (2193), and al-Tahawi narrated it through Salim Abu al-Ala, from him, with the wording: “I do not know how long I shall remain among you, so follow the example of the two who come after me”—and he indicated Abu Bakr and Umar. Ibn Hibban and Ahmad added: “Be guided by Ammar’s guidance, and accept whatever Ibn Masud tells you.” Ahmad said: “Follow the guidance of Ammar and of Ibn Umm Abd.”
I say: This is a good chain of transmission. All its narrators, apart from Salim Abu al-Ala, are trustworthy narrators used by Muslim. Salim is acceptable in hadith, as al-Tahawi stated; Ibn Hibban and al-Ijli declared him trustworthy, while Ibn Ma'in said: “He is weak in hadith.” Abu Hatim said: “His hadith may be recorded.”
- As for the hadith of Anas ibn Malik, it is narrated by Hammad ibn Dalil, from Umar ibn Nafi, from Amr ibn Hurm, who said: Jabir ibn Zayd and I entered upon Anas ibn Malik, and he said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said—and he mentioned it. Ibn Adi (75/1) narrated it through Muslim ibn Salih Abu Raja, from him, with the same wording. He also narrated through the same route from him: Hammad ibn Dalil narrated to us, from Amr ibn Hurm, from Rib'i, from Hudhayfah, from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, with similar wording. He said: “This Hammad narrated little, and Hammad ibn Dalil has narrated this hadith through two chains of transmission; no one other than Hammad ibn Dalil narrates these two chains.”
I say: Al-Hafiz said of him: “Truthful; they criticized him for his reliance on personal opinion.”
I say: This is not a ground for impugning him. Thus, the hadith has a good chain of transmission and is a strong corroboration for Salim Abu al-Ala, from Amr ibn Hurm, from Rib'i ibn Hirash, from Hudhayfah. The hadith is therefore authentic, praise be to Allah.
- As for the hadith of Ibn Umar, it is narrated by Ahmad ibn Sulayh ibn Waddah: Muhammad ibn Qatan informed us; Dha [sic] al-Nun informed us; Malik ibn Anas informed us, from Nafi, from him, with the same wording but without the second part.