But Abu Khalid al-Ahmar was not alone in this addition; rather, Muhammad ibn Sa'd al-Ansari—who is trustworthy—followed him in it, as in the hadith that comes after this one, for he narrated it from Ibn 'Ajlan with this chain of transmission.

He was also followed in it by Muhammad ibn Muyassar al-Saghani—who is weak—for he narrated it from Ibn 'Ajlan, from his father, from Abu Hurayrah, as in the Musnad of Ahmad (8889).

The author said in al-Sunan al-Kubra following (996): We do not know that anyone followed Ibn 'Ajlan in his statement: "And when he recites, then listen attentively."

This wording has come in the hadith of Abu Musa al-Ash'ari in Sahih Muslim (404): (63), and Muslim was asked after it about the hadith of Abu Hurayrah—meaning "And when he recites, then listen attentively"—and he said: It is authentic in my view… not everything that is authentic in my view have I placed here.

Ibn 'Abd al-Barr mentioned in al-Tamhid 11/33 that Imam Ahmad declared both hadiths authentic, then said: And sufficient for you is his imamate and knowledge of this matter.

Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar reconciled in al-Fath 2/242 between the hadiths on the obligation of reciting al-Fatihah for the one praying behind an imam, whether the imam recites silently or aloud, and his statement: "And when he recites, then listen attentively," and he said: There is no indication in it [against this]; for it is possible to reconcile the two matters, so one listens attentively apart from al-Fatihah, or one listens attentively when the imam recites, and recites when he is silent. And on this basis, it is incumbent upon the imam to be silent in the audible prayers so that the one praying behind him may recite, lest he cause him to fall into committing what is prohibited, since he does not listen attentively when the imam recites… And the rest of his words may be consulted.

And it was also narrated (without his statement: "And when he recites, then listen attentively") by: Ahmad (8502), (9401), and (9682), Muslim (409) and (415), Abu Dawud (603), the author in al-Sunan al-Kubra (11904) and (11905), Ibn Majah (960), and Ibn Hibban (1909) through multiple chains from Abu Salih with similar wording, and some narrations are abridged, and in some of them there is an addition not found in others.

And it was narrated by Ahmad (7144), (9329), (9652), and (10149), and Ibn Majah (1239) through the path of Abu Salamah ibn 'Abd al-Rahman; and Ahmad (8156), al-Bukhari (722), and Muslim (414) through the path of Hammam ibn Munabbih; and Ahmad (9015), (9385), and (10037), and Muslim (416) through the path of Abu 'Alqamah al-Ansari; and al-Bukhari (734), Muslim (414), and Ibn Hibban (2107) through the path of 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Hurmuz al-A'raj; and Muslim (417) and Ibn Hibban (2115) through the path of Abu Yunus Sulaym ibn Jubayr, the freed slave of Abu Hurayrah—all five of them from Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, with similar wording.