In his al-Bidaya wa-Nihaya ibn Kathir quotes a hadith he says that only al-Bazzar أبو بكر البزار has compiled it:
وقال الحافظ أبو بكر البزار : حدثنا محمد بن معمر ، حدثنا مؤمل ، يعني ابن إسماعيل ، حدثنا حماد ، يعني ابن سلمة ، عن عبد الكريم ، يعني ابن أبي المخارق ، عن مجاهد ،
عن جابر بن عبد الله : أن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم شغل يوم الخندق عن صلاة الظهر ، والعصر ، والمغرب ، والعشاء ، فأمر بلالا فأذن وأقام فصلى الظهر ، ثم أمره فأذن وأقام فصلى العصر ، ثم أمره فأذن وأقام ، فصلى المغرب ، ثم أمره فأذن وأقام ، فصلى العشاء ، ثم قال : " ما على وجه الأرض قوم يذكرون الله في هذه الساعة غيركم ". تفرد به البزار ، وقال لا نعرفه إلا من هذا الوجه ، وقد رواه بعضهم عن عبد الكريم ، عن مجاهد ، عن أبي عبيدة ، عن عبد الله .
Abu Bakr al-Bazzar said we don't know of it except this way (version?), And some narrated it from Abdulkarim, from Mujahid, from Abu 'Obaydah, from Abdullah (ibn Masu'd) (for example in Jami' at-Tirmidhi). According to al-Haythami -in his majma' az-Zawaid- Abdulkarim is ibn al-Mukhariq (a da'if narrator, see also Is there Hadith for the Maliki way of praying?), this might lead to the conclusion that this hadith might be weak.
But at-Tabarani الطبراني has quoted a similar narration in his al-Mo'jam al-Awsat too and commented the narrator chain saying:
" لم يرو هذا الحديث عن حماد بن سلمة إلا مؤمل "
None else has narrated this ahdith from Hammad ibn Salamah except with al-Mu'ammil.
The major difference to me seems to be the wording:
على ظهر الأرض (at-Tabarani): on the surface of the earth
على وجه الأرض (al-Bazzar): upon the face of the earth
Which seems to mean the same, both ahadith are compiled on the authority of Jabir ibn Abdullah.
Now here's my translation of this Hadith -take it carefully-:
Jabir ibn Abdullah said that the prophet Allah's prayers and blessings be upon him was occupied from praying dhohr, 'asr, maghrib, 'isha' (on time) then he ordered Bilal to call for prayer (Adhan), Bilal then performed the adhan then the iqamah and he (the prophet as imam of congregation) prayed dhor,
then he (the prophet) ordered him (Bilal) again, he (Bilal) performed adhan and iqamah and he(they) prayed 'asr,
then he ordered him again, he performed adhan and iqamah and he prayed maghrib,
then he ordered him again, he performed adhan and iqamah and he prayed 'isha',
Then he (the prophet) said: "There's none (no group of people) on the surface of earth remembering Allah at this hour (moment) except for you."
I'd like to know the authenticity of this hadith especially as it seems to have been narrated via -at least- three different chains on the authority of Jabir ibn Abdullah:
- al-Bazzar-> Muhammad ibn Ma'mar-> Mu'ammil ibn Isma'il > Hammad ibn Salamah -> Abdulkarim -> Mujahid -> Jabir ibn Abdullah
- ... ->Abdulkarim-> Mujahid ->Abu 'Obaydah -> Abdullah.
- at-Tabarni -> Ahmad > Muhammad ibn Ma'mar al-Bahrani > Mu'ammil ibn Isma'il -> Hammad ibn Salamah -> Mujahid -> Jabir ibn Abdulah.
Also, could it be that Hammad here just jumped a narrator in the 3rd chain?
