For this reason, and for what I mentioned earlier, I was not convinced that the hadith is established through this route. It has, however, been authentically narrated from Abu Saʿid al-Khudri and others, without the additional wording at its end: “thereby disturb the believers.” I have included it in Ṣaḥīḥ Abī Dāwūd (1203).

Al-Suyuti attributed the hadith in Zawāʾid al-Jāmiʿ al-Ṣaghīr (21/1) to al-Baghawi, on the authority of a man from Banu Bayadah; he did likewise in al-Jāmiʿ al-Kabīr (1/74/1).

I then found a corroborating report from Abu Saʿid al-Khudri, attributed to the Prophet, with similar wording: “Indeed, each of you is privately conversing with his Lord. So do not harm one another, and do not raise your voices over one another in recitation”—or, he said, “in prayer.” Its chain of transmission is authentic, as I have explained in Ṣaḥīḥ Abī Dāwūd (1203), and it will also appear under Hadith 1603. Thus, the hadith, including this additional wording, is authentic. All praise is due to Allah for granting success, and I ask Him for still more of His kindness and bounty.

1598 — “A man’s rank in Paradise will be raised, and he will say: ‘How did I attain this?’ It will be said: ‘Through your child’s seeking forgiveness for you.’”

It was narrated by Ibn Majah (3660), Ahmad (2/509), Ibn Abi Shaybah in al-Muṣannaf (12/44/1), al-Asbahani in al-Targhib (85/2), al-Baghawi in Sharḥ al-Sunnah (2/84/2), and al-Diya in al-Muntaqa min Mawsuʿatihi bi-Marw (55/1), through several routes from Hammad ibn Salamah, from ʿAsim ibn Bahdalah, from Abu Salih, from Abu Hurayrah, attributing it to the Prophet.

I say: This is a good chain of transmission. As for al-Busiri’s statement, “Its chain is authentic,” it is somewhat lenient, since ʿAsim has been criticised with regard to his precision, as has been mentioned repeatedly. Ibn Abi Shaybah did, however, narrate a corroborating report of similar meaning through Saʿid ibn al-Musayyib, stopping at him. Its chain is authentic. Although it stops at him, it has the ruling of a report attributed to the Prophet, as is evident; it is therefore equivalent to a mursal report. And Allah knows best.