This chain of transmission is weak, with a succession of defects:

First: al-Harith, namely Ibn Abd Allah al-A‘war. Al-Hafiz said: “Al-Sha‘bi declared him a liar on account of his views; he was accused of Rafidism, and there is weakness in his hadith.”

I say: Ibn al-Madini, however, declared him an outright liar.

Second: Abu Ishaq al-Sabi‘i was trustworthy, but he practised tadlis and became confused in old age. Moreover, he relates it with the ambiguous “from” formula. His biographers have even stated that he heard only four hadiths from al-Harith; the rest came from a book.

Third and fourth: Qays—namely Ibn al-Rabi‘—and Salam ibn Sulayman—namely the blind al-Mada’ini—are both weak. Yet it appears that it has another chain of transmission. Al-Sakhawi cited it in al-Qawl al-Badi‘ (The Wondrous Saying) (p. 223, Beirut), through the narration of al-Bayhaqi in Shu‘ab al-Iman (Branches of Faith), Abu al-Qasim al-Taymi, and others, from al-Harith al-A‘war, from Ali, attributed to the Prophet, with similar wording. He said: “The majority have declared al-A‘war weak, though Ahmad ibn Salih is reported to have deemed him trustworthy.”

I say: He identified no defect in it other than al-A‘war, but he mentioned a corroborating report, saying: “Al-Tabarani narrated it in al-Awsat (The Middle Collection), and al-Bayhaqi in Shu‘ab al-Iman, through al-Harith and Asim ibn Dumrah, from Ali. Al-Tabarani also narrated it, as did al-Harawi in his Dhamm al-Kalam (Censure of Speculative Theology); Abu al-Shaykh and al-Daylami narrated it through his route, as did al-Bayhaqi in Shu‘ab al-Iman. All of them narrated it, in abridged form, as attributed to the Companion: ‘Every supplication is held back until blessings are invoked upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him.’ The Companion-attributed version is more likely.”

Al-Haythami said concerning this report (10/160): “Al-Tabarani narrated it in al-Awsat, and its narrators are trustworthy.”

I say: It effectively has the status of a report attributed to the Prophet, since such a matter cannot be stated on the basis of personal opinion, as al-Sakhawi stated