(3/526/3015), as well as by Abu Muhammad al-Jawhari in al-Fawa'id al-Muntaqah (1/2), al-Hakim (1/426), al-Bayhaqi (4/218), and Ahmad (2/423 and 510), through several routes from Hammad ibn Salamah, from Muhammad ibn Amr, from Abu Salamah, from Abu Hurayrah, who said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said it.

Al-Hakim said: “Authentic according to Muslim’s conditions.” Al-Dhahabi agreed with him. However, this is open to question, since Muslim only narrated Muhammad ibn Amr’s reports in conjunction with those of others; thus, the report is good. Yet Ibn Amr was not alone in narrating it: Hammad ibn Salamah also narrated from Ammar ibn Abi Ammar, from Abu Hurayrah, from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, something similar, adding: “The muezzin would give the call when dawn broke.” Ahmad (2/510), Ibn Jarir, and al-Bayhaqi recorded it.

I say: This is an authentic chain of transmission according to Muslim’s conditions. It also has many corroborating reports:

1. A strong mursal corroborating report, also narrated by Hammad, from Yunus, from al-Hasan, from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, mentioning it. Ahmad recorded it (2/423) together with his first narration.

2. Another corroborating report with a connected chain is narrated by al-Husayn ibn Waqid, from Abu Ghalib, from Abu Umamah, who said: “The final call to begin the prayer was given while a vessel was in Umar’s hand. He said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, should I drink it?’ He replied, ‘Yes,’ so he drank it.” Ibn Jarir recorded it (3/527/3017) through two chains from him, and this is a good chain of transmission.

3. Ibn Lahi'ah narrated from Abu al-Zubayr, who said: “I asked Jabir about a man who intends to fast and has a vessel in his hand from which he is drinking, when he hears the call to prayer. Jabir said: ‘We used to relate that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: Let him drink.’” Ahmad recorded it (3/348): Musa narrated to us; Ibn Lahi'ah narrated to us.