Al-Mundhiri likewise failed to notice this in al-Targhib (1/152/1). The annotator of Musnad Abi Yaʿla followed him in this, and omitted the word “open wilderness” from it.

Moreover, Ibn Majah (788) recorded its first part through another route from Abu Muʿawiyah, with the same wording.

Al-Bukhari (646), al-Bayhaqi as well (2830) and in al-Sunan (3/60), and Ahmad (3/55) recorded it through routes from Ibn al-Had, from ʿAbd Allah ibn Khabbab, from Abu Saʿid, with the same wording.

Note: Abu Dawud said after the hadith:

“ʿAbd al-Wahid ibn Ziyad said regarding this hadith: ‘A man’s prayer in the open wilderness is multiplied over his prayer in congregation,’ and he cited the hadith.”

I say: This is a suspended report; Abu Dawud did not provide its chain from ʿAbd al-Wahid, and we do not know whether he transmitted it with a chain or with a double break. For this reason, I did not feel at ease including it in the new edition of my book Sahih al-Targhib, which is due to be published shortly along with the remainder of the book and its companion, Daʿif al-Targhib, Allah willing.

The scholars have differed concerning his statement in the hadith under discussion, “and if he performs it in an open wilderness …”: does it mean that he performs it in congregation, as is apparent from the hadith? Or that he performs it alone, as is explicit in the narration of ʿAbd al-Wahid? Al-Shawkani inclined to the latter view in Nayl al-Awtar, contrary to al-Hafiz in al-Fath (2/134–135). Strangely, he passed over the aforementioned narration in silence, though you have now seen what is wrong with it!