and al-Tahawi in Mushkil al-Athar (2/184), through several routes from Ibn Abi Dhi’b, from Shurahbil ibn Sa‘d, from Jabir ibn ‘Abd Allah, who said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said … and he cited it.

Ibn Khuzaymah also recorded it in his Sahih (2/52/897), as did Ahmad (3/300) and Ibn Abi Shaybah in al-Musannaf (2/411–412). They said: Waki‘ narrated to us from Ibn Abi Dhi’b, through the same chain from him, who said:

“I asked the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, about smoothing the pebbles during prayer, and he said: ‘Once; yet refraining from it is better for you than one hundred black-eyed camels.’”

I say: Shurahbil ibn Sa‘d—the Ansari—was declared weak by the majority, though Ibn Ma‘in deemed him trustworthy in one report, as did Ibn Hibban. Al-Hafiz said in al-Taqrib:

“Truthful, but became confused late in life.”

Al-Haythami said in Majma‘ al-Zawa’id (2/86):

“Ahmad narrated it, and its chain contains Shurahbil ibn Sa‘d, who is weak.”

However, it has a supporting report from the hadith of Abu Dharr that strengthens it. Al-Tayalisi said in his Musnad (63/469): Hammad ibn Salamah narrated to us from ‘Amr ibn Dinar, from Abu Basrah al-Ghifari, from Abu Dharr, who said:

“Smoothing the pebbles is once, and not doing it is dearer to me than one hundred black-eyed camels.”

Al-Bayhaqi recorded it through the route of al-Tayalisi in al-Sunan al-Kubra (2/285) and said:

“Mujahid also narrated it from Abu Dharr, from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, concerning smoothing the pebbles once. And it was said: from Mujahid, from Abu Wa’il, from Abu Dharr …”