“Ahmad likewise narrated it.” This is what he said, but it is not found in his Musnad—the work intended whenever a report is cited simply as being recorded by him. Its chain of transmission is authentic according to the criteria of the two Shaykhs, al-Bukhārī and Muslim. Abū Ayyūb is al-Marāghī al-Azdī.

Shuʿbah differed from him, reporting it from Qatādah, from ʿIkrimah, from ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAmr, with the same wording. Abū al-Shaykh recorded it in al-Ṭabaqāt (42), and al-Khaṭīb in al-Tārīkh (5/56), through the route of Yūnus ibn Ḥabīb, who said: Bakr ibn Bakkār narrated to us; Shuʿbah narrated to us. Al-Khaṭīb said: “Bakr ibn Bakkār alone narrated it from Shuʿbah.”

I say: Bakr’s status is disputed. The first narration is more sound, and Allah knows best. Abū Nuʿaym also cited it in Akhbār Aṣbahān (2/8), through his route, as attributed to the Companion. Ibn Qutaybah recorded it in Gharīb al-Ḥadīth (1/51/1), from al-Qūmasī, who said: al-Aṣmaʿī informed us, from Abū Hilāl al-Rāsibī, from ʿAbd Allāh ibn Buraydah, from his father, attributed to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, with the same wording, except that he said “fāghiyah (henna blossom)” instead of “henna”; they are one and the same. (See Addendum no. 408/13.)

1421 — “Remember death in your prayer, for when a man remembers death in his prayer, he is likely to perform his prayer well. Pray as one who does not expect to perform another prayer, and beware of every matter for which one must apologize.”

Al-Daylamī recorded it in Musnad al-Firdaws (1/1/51—its abridgement), through the route of Abū al-Shaykh: Ibn Abī ʿĀṣim narrated to us; my father narrated to us; Shabīb ibn Bishr narrated to us, from Anas, attributed to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him.

Al-Ḥāfiẓ left its assessment blank. However, al-Suyūṭī reported from him in al-Jāmiʿ al-Kabīr (1/47/1) that he graded it good in Zahr al-Firdaws, meaning this abridgement. Perhaps this occurred in al-Ḥāfiẓ’s own autograph copy, or in some of the copies read to him, to which additional notes had been appended. This chain is not far from being graded good, for all its narrators are trustworthy except Shabīb ibn Bishr, concerning whom there is disagreement. Ibn Maʿīn said: “Trustworthy.” No one other than Abū ʿĀṣim narrated from him.