In sum, the hadith under discussion, as narrated by al-Zuhrī from Anas, is anomalous. The preserved narration from him is another hadith, stating that the ring was “of silver.” For this reason, Muslim did not include it; rather, he and al-Bukhārī narrated it only through the hadith of Ibn ʿUmar. Thus, the annotator of al-Iḥsān (12/305) erred in attributing it to Muslim.

2976 — “If one of you breaks his ablution while praying, let him hold his nose and then leave.”

Ibn Mājah (1222) narrated it from ʿUmar ibn ʿAlī al-Muqaddamī, from Hishām ibn ʿUrwah, from his father, from ʿĀʾishah, from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, who said this. It was also narrated through ʿUmar ibn Qays, from Hishām ibn ʿUrwah, with the same chain.

I say: This is a weak chain of transmission by both routes. All the narrators of the first route are trustworthy, except that al-Muqaddamī practised grave concealment in transmission. Al-Dhahabī said: “He was a well-known trustworthy narrator, but he practised concealment in transmission. Ibn Saʿd said: ‘Trustworthy, but he practised severe concealment in transmission: he would say, “I heard” and “He narrated to us,” then pause, and then say, “Hishām ibn ʿUrwah” and “al-Aʿmash.”’ Ibn Maʿīn said: ‘There is no harm in him.’ Abū Ḥātim said: ‘He is not to be relied upon as proof.’ He also said: ‘Were it not for his concealment in transmission, we would have accepted his reports when he came with an additional detail; but we fear that he may have taken it from someone untrustworthy.’”

The narrators in the other route are likewise trustworthy, apart from ʿUmar ibn Qays, the Meccan known as Sandal. He is abandoned, as stated in al-Taqrīb. I therefore fear that the hadith revolves around him, and that al-Muqaddamī received it from him and then concealed this in transmission. Allah knows best.

I later came across trustworthy corroborating narrators for him, and the hadith is therefore authentic, praise be to Allah. I have documented their chains in Ṣaḥīḥ Abī Dāwūd (1020).