He said: We were informed by Isma'il ibn Muslim, on the authority of al-Hasan,
on the authority of Samurah ibn Jundub, who said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, commanded us that when we were three, one of us should step forward (to lead).(1)

Regarding this chapter, there are also reports from Ibn Mas'ud(2), Jabir(3), and Anas ibn Malik(4).

The hadith of Samurah is a gharib hadith.(5)
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(1) Its chain of transmission is weak. Isma'il ibn Muslim — namely al-Makki — is weak in hadith, and there is a well-known disagreement concerning al-Hasan — namely al-Basri — hearing from Samurah, as he was a mudallis and narrated it without specifying direct hearing ('an'anah).
Al-Tabarani also narrated it in "al-Kabir" (6951) via the chain of Isma'il ibn Muslim al-Makki, with this same chain of transmission.
Al-Tabarani also narrated it (7015) (7016) via two paths from Ja'far ibn Sa'd ibn Samurah, from Khubayb ibn Sulayman ibn Samurah, from his father Sulayman, from Samurah. This chain is also weak, as Ja'far ibn Sa'd is weak in hadith, and Khubayb ibn Sulayman and his father are unknown.
We say: In its meaning are the hadith of Jabir ibn 'Abdillah and the hadith of Anas ibn Malik, and the compiler will mention them among the hadiths of this chapter, and their takhrij will follow.
(2) The hadith of Ibn Mas'ud will be mentioned by the compiler shortly at the end of the chapter, and its takhrij will follow there.
(3) The hadith of Jabir is a sahih hadith, narrated by Ahmad (14496).
It was also narrated within a long hadith by Muslim (3010), Abu Dawud (634), and Ibn Hibban (2197).
(4) The statement "and Anas ibn Malik" we have confirmed it from (S) and (L), and from a copy in the margin of (A), and from the copy upon which Ibn Sayyid al-Nas wrote his commentary, and it does not appear in the rest of our manuscript copies, nor in al-Mubarakfuri's commentary. His hadith will come with the compiler at number (231), and its takhrij will follow there.
(5) Thus it appears in our manuscript sources: "a gharib hadith," and it is likewise in both commentaries.