It was narrated by al-Tabarani. It is clear that this hadith is independent of the other one and cannot, in any respect, be regarded as an explanation of it—even if it were established. How then, when it is fabricated, as I have demonstrated in al-Ahadith al-Da'ifah (Weak Hadiths), no. 5145?

2228 — “There is no soul on earth that dies and has goodness with Allah which would wish to return to you, even if it possessed the world, except one killed in Allah’s cause; for he wishes to return and be killed once more.”

Al-Nasa'i (2/62) and Ahmad (5/318, 322) recorded it through two routes from Kathir ibn Murrah, who said that Ubadah ibn al-Samit related to them that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said this; and he mentioned the hadith.

I say: Al-Nasa'i’s chain of transmission is good. Ahmad’s chain is likewise, had Ibn Jurayj explicitly stated his transmission; nevertheless, it serves as corroboration for the preceding report.

Note: Al-Suyuti cited the hadith, on the authority of those aforementioned, with the addition at its end: “because of the reward from Allah that he sees.” This addition is not found in either of their versions, as we have stated. In al-Jami al-Kabir (The Great Compendium), he also attributed it to Ibn Abi al-Dunya in Dhikr al-Mawt (Remembrance of Death), al-Ruyani, al-Tabarani in al-Kabir (The Large Collection), and al-Diya al-Maqdisi, on the authority of Ubadah. Perhaps it is found in one of their works.

I have found a corroborating report in the hadith of Anas, attributed to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, with the wording: “There is no soul that dies and enters Paradise which would wish to return to you, even if it possessed the world and all that it contains, except the martyr. He wishes that he could be killed time after time, because of the reward he has seen.”

Al-Darimi (2/206) recorded it with an authentic chain of transmission meeting the criteria of al-Bukhari and Muslim, and both of them recorded it in a similar sense.