I say: This chain is weak. ʿUmārah ibn Zādhān was truthful but made frequent mistakes, and Muʾammal ibn Ismāʿīl was truthful but had a poor memory, as stated in al-Taqrīb.
However, the hadith has a strong mursal supporting narration, reported by Hishām ibn Ḥassān from Bakr ibn ʿAbd Allāh al-Muzanī, who said: “The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, had a wrap dyed with wars; whenever he took his turn among his wives, he would sprinkle it with water.” Ibn Saʿd reported it (1/451). I say: This is an authentic mursal chain. Perhaps al-Muzanī received it from Anas, for he narrated extensively from him. Abū al-Shaykh also reported it in Akhlāq al-Nabī (p. 169), through ʿUthmān ibn Ḥafṣ: “Salām ibn Abī Khabzah informed us; Thābit informed us from Anas.” Ibn Abī Khabzah is abandoned. Al-Dhahabī mentioned him in al-Mushtabih under the letter ḥāʾ, and stated that “Khubzah” is the feminine form of khubz, or bread. ʿUthmān ibn Ḥafṣ appears to be al-Zuraqī. Al-Bukhārī said: “There is concern regarding his chain of transmission.” Ibn Ḥibbān and Ibn ʿAbd al-Barr declared him trustworthy. Thus, reliance rests on the mursal report, together with the connected chain cited earlier.
- “Among the things he would say to his servant was: ‘Do you have a need?’ Then, one day, he said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, my need!’ He asked, ‘And what is your need?’ He replied, ‘My need is that you intercede for me on the Day of Resurrection.’ He asked, ‘Who directed you to this?’ He replied, ‘My Lord.’ He said, ‘Very well, then; help me by performing abundant prostrations.’”
Aḥmad reported it in his Musnad (3/500) from Khālid—that is, al-Wāsiṭī—who said: ʿAmr ibn Yaḥyā al-Anṣārī narrated to us from Ziyād ibn Abī Ziyād, the client of the Banū Makhzūm, from a servant of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him,