And al-Bazzar (1059—al-Kashf) narrated it through Muhammad ibn Jaʿfar and Yahya ibn Saʿid al-Qattan; al-Tabarani in al-Muʿjam al-Kabir (19/26/53), and also al-Darimi (2/19), through Abu al-Walid al-Tayalisi. All six narrated from Shuʿbah, from Muʿawiyah ibn Qurrah, from his father, from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, who said: He then mentioned it.
I say: This is an authentic chain of transmission, as al-Mundhiri said (2/82), and all its narrators are narrators of the Sahih collections, as al-Haythami said (3/196). Ibn Hibban also declared it authentic, and transmitted it (3645—al-Ihsan) by way of Wakiʿ, with this chain.
He then said (3644): “Abu Yaʿla informed us: ʿUbayd Allah ibn ʿUmar al-Qawariri related to us: Yahya ibn Saʿid related to us with this chain,” except that he said, “and his standing in prayer,” in place of “and his breaking his fast.” Ibn Hibban said: “Wakiʿ narrated from Shuʿbah in this report: ‘and his breaking his fast,’ whereas Yahya al-Qattan narrated from Shuʿbah: ‘and his standing in prayer.’ Both were precise and accomplished preservers.”
That is what he said, thereby indicating that both wordings are preserved and authentic. Yet I consider the wording, “and his standing in prayer,” anomalous and unpreserved, since it contradicts the wording upon which the six agreed—including al-Qattan himself—namely: “and his breaking his fast.” Their agreement is proof, whereas one who differs from them carries no evidentiary weight. Nor was it al-Qattan, as Ibn Hibban’s words suggest; rather, it was one of the narrators below him, whoever he may have been. Thus, the discrepancy is not between al-Qattan and Wakiʿ, but between one of those indicated in Ibn Hibban’s narration and the one who transmitted it from al-Qattan to al-Bazzar, in accordance with the narration of the group.
Even if we were to assume that al-Bazzar’s narration was an error attributed to al-Qattan, and that Ibn Hibban’s narration was what is preserved from him, it would still be anomalous, because it contradicts the narration of the five trustworthy narrators. An anomalous hadith is nothing other than a trustworthy narrator contradicting trustworthy narrators. Indeed, in my view, this narration is among the finest examples of an anomalous hadith. And Allah knows best.