“It was related by Abu al-Qasim al-Asbahani, and its chain of transmission requires examination.” Ibn ‘Adi also transmitted it in al-Kamil (7/256) through a very weak chain from ‘Abdah, with the same wording. Thus, reliance rests upon the narration of Abu al-Sha‘tha’.

2536 — “Allah does not look at the prayer of a servant who does not straighten his back between its bowing and prostration.”

Imam Ahmad related it (4/22): Waki‘ narrated to us; he said: ‘Ikrimah ibn ‘Ammar narrated to us, from ‘Abd Allah ibn Zayd—or Badr; I am uncertain—from Talq ibn ‘Ali al-Hanafi, who said: The Messenger of Allah said it. I say: This is a good chain of transmission. Its narrators are trustworthy and are among Muslim’s narrators, except for ‘Abd Allah ibn Zayd—or Badr, concerning whom ‘Ikrimah was uncertain. If he is Ibn Zayd, I have not identified him; but if he is Ibn Badr—as is more likely—then he is indisputably trustworthy. He is ‘Abd Allah ibn Badr ibn ‘Umayrah al-Hanafi al-Yamami. He narrated from a number of Companions, including Talq ibn ‘Ali, and a number of the Successors of the Successors narrated from him, including this ‘Ikrimah, Ayyub ibn ‘Utbah, and others.

Ayyub ibn ‘Utbah corroborated him in narrating this hadith from him, but differed from him in its chain of transmission. Ahmad said: Abu al-Nadr narrated to us; he said: Ayyub ibn ‘Utbah narrated to us; ‘Abd Allah ibn Badr narrated to us, from ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn ‘Ali ibn Shayban, from his father, that the Messenger of Allah said it.

Ahmad cited this immediately after the preceding narration, apparently to indicate Ayyub’s discrepancy with ‘Ikrimah. There is no doubt that Ayyub’s differing report is to be rejected, for he was weak due to his poor retention. Ibn Hibban even said: “He made frequent mistakes and confused matters, until his errors became excessive.”