Its chain of transmission is also authentic. Indeed, this is authentically established from his own practice, peace and blessings be upon him, in the account of the illness preceding his death: when he came out while Abu Bakr al-Siddiq was leading the people in prayer, he sat level with him, on his left. (Mukhtasar al-Bukhari, 366) Among al-Bukhari’s chapter headings is: “When there are two people, one stands at the imam’s right, level with him.” See the abridgement, 10—The Book of the Call to Prayer—and its commentary.

Note: The hadith corresponding to this chapter heading has already preceded under no. 606, but it was decreed that it be repeated here with additional benefits; and what Allah chooses is best.

2591 — “Has he not fasted Ramadan after him, performed six thousand rak‘ahs after him, and so many further rak‘ahs in voluntary sunnah prayers?”

Al-Bayhaqi narrated it in al-Zuhd (73/2), from Muhammad ibn ‘Amr, from Abu Salamah, from Talhah ibn ‘Ubayd Allah: Two men from Bali—a tribe of Quda‘ah—were such that one of them was killed in the way of Allah, while the other outlived him by one year and then died. Talhah said: “I saw in a dream that Paradise had been opened, and I saw the latter of the two men enter Paradise before the former, which astonished me. When morning came, I mentioned this, and word reached the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, then said to me…” and he mentioned it.

I say: This chain is good, provided that Abu Salamah heard from Talhah. Ibn Ma‘in and others, however, denied that he heard from him. Nevertheless, the hadith is authentic because of its corroborating reports, some of which will be indicated below. Ibn Majah (3925) and Ibn Hibban (2466) also narrated it, through Muhammad ibn Ibrahim al-Taymi, from Abu Salamah, with a more complete wording.