On the authority of Anas, who said: "It is as if I can see the whiteness of the Prophet's ring — peace and blessings be upon him — on his left finger."(1)

5285 — Abu Bakr ibn Nafi' informed us, saying: Bahz ibn Asad narrated to us, saying: Hammad narrated to us, saying: Thabit narrated to us that they asked Anas about the ring of the Messenger of Allah — peace and blessings be upon him — and he said: "It is as if I can see the glimmer(2) of his ring, made of silver," and he raised his left little finger.(3)

5286 — Muhammad ibn Bashshar informed us, saying: Muhammad narrated to us, saying: Shu'bah narrated to us, from 'Asim.

(1) Its chain is sound (hasan) on account of Salm ibn Qutaybah, for he is truthful and good in hadith, and the rest of its narrators are trustworthy. It is found in "Al-Sunan al-Kubra" under number (9454). A similar but longer version has preceded it via the path of Bishr ibn al-Mufaddal, from Shu'bah, under number (5201), without mentioning that the ring was on the left finger, and his — peace and blessings be upon him — wearing the ring on the left little finger will follow in the next hadith.

(2) In (R) and (M): "whiteness," and on the margin of (M) is a variant reading as I have recorded.

(3) A sound (sahih) hadith. Hammad: he is Ibn Salamah. It is found in "Al-Sunan al-Kubra" under number (9457), and the author said after it: "This is more correct than what is narrated concerning it from Anas." Muslim also transmitted it (640): (222) from Abu Bakr ibn Nafi', with this chain, with the wording: "They asked Anas..." and he said: "The Messenger of Allah — peace and blessings be upon him — delayed the night prayer one night until half the night, or nearly half the night had passed, then he came and said: 'Indeed, the people have prayed and slept, but you have remained in prayer as long as you have waited for the prayer.'" Anas said: "It is as if I can see..." the hadith. Ahmad also transmitted it (13819) in a longer version mentioning the delay of the night prayer, from 'Affan ibn Muslim al-Saffar, from Hammad ibn Salamah, from him. A longer version mentioning the delay of the night prayer has also preceded via the path of Humayd al-Tawil under number (539), and via the path of Qatadah under number (5202), both from Anas — may Allah be pleased with him — without mentioning the position of the ring. Muslim also transmitted it (2095) from Abu Bakr ibn Khallad, from 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Mahdi, from Hammad ibn Salamah, from him, with the wording: "The ring of the Messenger of Allah — peace and blessings be upon him — was on this," and he pointed to the little finger of his left hand.