On the authority of Umm Salamah, that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) did not fast two consecutive months except Sha'ban and Ramadan. (1)

2353 - Muhammad ibn al-Walid informed us, saying: Muhammad narrated to us, saying: Shu'bah narrated to us, from Tawbah, from Muhammad ibn Ibrahim, from Abu Salamah, from Umm Salamah, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), that he did not fast a complete month of the year except Sha'ban, joining it with Ramadan. (2) (3)

2354 - Ubayd Allah ibn Sa'd ibn Ibrahim informed us, saying: My uncle narrated to us, saying: My father narrated to us, from Ibn Ishaq, saying: Muhammad ibn Ibrahim narrated to me, from Abu Salamah, from 'A'ishah, who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) (4) did not fast more in any month than he did in Sha'ban; he used to fast all of it or most of it. (5)

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(1) Its chain of transmission is authentic. Abu Dawud: he is Sulayman ibn Dawud al-Tayalisi, and Mansur: he is Ibn al-Mu'tamir.
It is in "Al-Sunan al-Kubra" under number (2673).
It was also narrated by Ibn Majah (1648) via the route of Zayd ibn al-Habbab, from Shu'bah, with the same chain, in abbreviated form with the wording: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to join Sha'ban with Ramadan.
It has preceded under number (1275).

(2) In a copy of (M): joining it with Ramadan.

(3) Its chain of transmission is authentic. Muhammad: he is Ibn Ja'far, known as Ghundar. It is in "Al-Sunan al-Kubra" under number (2674).
It was also narrated by Ahmad (26653) and Abu Dawud (2336) via the route of Muhammad ibn Ja'far, with this chain of transmission.
It has preceded in the previous narration and in narration (2175), and in abbreviated form in narration (2176).

(4) After it in (R) and (H) and a copy in the margin of (K), there is an addition: "he fasted."

(5) An authentic hadith, and this chain of transmission is good on account of Ibn Ishaq: he is Muhammad, for he explicitly stated that he heard it (with "haddathani"), thus removing any suspicion of his tadlis (concealment), and he was followed (by other narrators). The uncle of Ubayd Allah ibn Sa'd ibn Ibrahim: he is Ya'qub ibn Ibrahim ibn Sa'd al-Zuhri, and Muhammad ibn Ibrahim: he is Ibn al-Harith al-Taymi. It is in "Al-Sunan al-Kubra" under number (2675). =