“By Allah, I shall never abandon them after having seen the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, pray them.” He said: Umar then sat beside him and said:

“O Zayd! Were it not that I fear people would use them as a stepping-stone to continue praying until nightfall, I would not have struck you for them.”

It was narrated by Abd al-Razzaq in al-Musannaf (2/431–432)—the wording is his—and from him and others by Ahmad (4/115) and al-Tabarani in al-Mu‘jam al-Kabir (5/260/5166 and 5157).

After attributing it to Ahmad and al-Tabarani, al-Haythami said:

“Its chain of transmission is good.”

I say: No one—not even Ibn Hibban—declared Abu Sa‘d al-A‘ma trustworthy. For this reason, al-Hafiz said in al-Taqrib:

“Unknown.”

Perhaps al-Haythami meant that it is good on account of supporting reports, in view of what has preceded. Allah knows best.

Now, something has been narrated from Aishah that differs from her preceding approval of this practice: al-Mughirah narrated from Ibrahim, from al-Aswad, from Aishah that she said:

“Are you striking someone for praying them?! The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, never entered upon me without praying them.”

Ibn Hibban narrated it in his Sahih (3/52/1570, al-Ihsan edition) through Khalid ibn Abd Allah, from al-Mughirah, with this chain of transmission.

I say: All its narrators are trustworthy.

Jarir differed from him, narrating it from al-Mughirah with this chain, but without the statement concerning striking.