2223 - Yahya ibn Muhammad—he is Ibn al-Sakan, Abu Ubayd Allah—informed us, saying: Yahya ibn Kathir narrated to us, Shu'bah said: We were told(1) on the authority of Muhammad ibn Abi Ya'qub al-Dabbi, on the authority of Abu Nasr al-Hilali, on the authority of Raja' ibn Haywah, on the authority of Abu Umamah, who said: I said: O Messenger of Allah, command me to do a deed. He said: "You must fast, for there is nothing equal to it." I said(2): O Messenger of Allah, command me to do a deed. He said: "You must fast, for there is nothing equal to it."(3)

2224 - Muhammad ibn Isma'il ibn Samurah informed us, saying: al-Muharibi narrated to us, on the authority of Fitr, who said: Habib ibn Abi Thabit informed me, on the authority of al-Hakam ibn Utaybah, on the authority of Maymun ibn Abi Shabib, on the authority of Mu'adh ibn Jabal(4), who said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "Fasting is a shield."(5)

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= Humayd ibn Hilal al-Adawi al-Hilali; see the verification of his attribution in "Musnad Ahmad" at narration (22149). It is in "al-Sunan al-Kubra" under number (2543).
Also narrated by Ahmad (22149), Ibn Hibban (3426) via the path of Abd al-Samad, and Abu Nu'aym in "al-Hilyah" 7/165 via the path of Umar ibn Sahl al-Mazini, both on the authority of Shu'bah, with this chain.
Also narrated by Ahmad (22276) from Sulayman ibn Dawud, from Shu'bah, from Muhammad ibn Abi Ya'qub, from Abu Nasr, from Abu Umamah with it. He did not mention Raja' ibn Haywah in the chain, and the correct version includes him.
It will follow in the next narration (2223) via the path of Yahya ibn Kathir, from Shu'bah, with it in the standard manner.
See also narrations (2220) and (2221).
(1) In (M) and a copy of (K) and (H): he said: Shu'bah narrated to us; the established reading is marked with a sign of correctness in (K).
(2) From here to the end of the hadith is omitted from (R).
(3) A sound hadith, but this chain is weak due to the unnamed intermediary between Shu'bah and Muhammad ibn Abd Allah ibn Abi Ya'qub; the rest of its narrators are trustworthy. Yahya ibn Kathir: he is Ibn Duraym al-Anbari al-Basri. It is in "al-Sunan al-Kubra" under number (2544).
It preceded in the one before it.
(4) In a copy in the margin of (K): he said: Mu'adh ibn Jabal said.
(5) Sound through its paths and supporting evidence; Maymun ibn Abi Shabib is truthful and good in hadith, except that he did not hear =