I say: This is mursal, since “from Abū Maḥdhūrah” is not mentioned in its chain of transmission—unless it was omitted by the copyist or printer, which is possible. This ʿAbd Allāh is trustworthy and was among Muslim’s shaykhs. He is ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿUmar ibn Muḥammad ibn Abān, known as Mushkadānah.

In sum, the chain is weak. Even if it is free of mursal transmission, it is not free of the weakness of Ibrāhīm, his father, or his grandfather. Yet al-Haythamī said regarding each of the two hadiths (1/311): “Its chain is good!” I had relied on him when I traced the hadiths of al-Jāmiʿ al-Ṣaghīr and its Supplement and divided them into the two sections, “Authentic” and “Weak.” Since I had not then examined its chain of transmission, I included it in “Authentic” as no. (295). Now that I have examined it and its weakness has become clear to me—as has al-Haythamī’s laxity in declaring it good—it ought to be placed in “Weak al-Jāmiʿ.” What prevented me from doing so, however, was that I found a strong corroborating report from Salamah ibn al-Akwaʿ, who said: “The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, would pray Maghrib as soon as the sun set, when its upper rim disappeared.” It was recorded by al-Bukhārī and Muslim and others, and is documented in Ṣaḥīḥ Abī Dāwūd (443).

His statement, “hasten it,” means the Maghrib prayer. Ibn al-Athīr said in al-Nihāyah: “Fa-aḥdir means: hasten. One says that he recites or gives the adhān swiftly. It is derived from descending, the opposite of ascending, and it may be used transitively or intransitively.”

I say: This is among the neglected sunnahs in the lands of Greater Syria, including Amman. My house is on Mount Hamlan, one of its mountains. I see the sunrise and sunset with my own eyes, yet I hear them give the adhān for Maghrib approximately ten minutes after sunset, even though the sun sets for those in central Amman and its valleys before it sets for us! Conversely, they give the adhān for the Fajr prayer approximately half an hour before its time begins. Surely we belong to Allah, and to Him we shall return.