Sahih Muslim 1264a

Translation

I said to Ibn ʿAbbas (Allah be pleased with them): Do you think that walking swiftly round the House in three circuits, and just walking in four circuits is the Sunnah (of the Holy Prophet), for your people say that it is Sunnah? Thereupon he (Ibn ʿAbbas) said: They have told the truth and the lie (too). I said: What do your words "They have told the truth and the lie (too)" imply? Thereupon he said: Messenger of Allah ﷺ came to Mecca and the polytheists said that Muhammad and his Companions had emaciated and would, therefore, be unable to circumambulate the House; and they felt jealous of him (the Holy Prophet). (It was due to this) that Messenger of Allah ﷺ commanded them to walk swiftly in three (circuits) and walk (normally) in four. I said to him: Inform me if it is Sunnah to observe Tawaf between al-Safa and al-Marwa while riding, for your people look upon it as Sunnah. He (Ibn ʿAbbas) said: They have told the truth and the lie too. I said: What do your words "They have told the truth and the lie too" imply? He said: When Messenger of Allah ﷺ had come to Mecca, there was such a large gathering of people around him that even the virgins had come out of their houses (to catch a glimpse of his face). And they were saying: He is Muhammad; He is Muhammad. Messenger of Allah ﷺ (was so gentle and kind) that the people were not beaten back (to make way) in front of him. When there was a throng (of people) around him, he rode (the she-camel). However, walking and trotting are better.

Notes

• أَخْبِرْنِي عَنِ الطَّوَافِ بَيْنَ الصَّفَا وَالْمَرْوَةِ رَاكِبًا أَسُنَّةٌ هُوَ فَإِنَّ قَوْمَكَ يَزْعُمُونَ أَنَّهُ سُنَّةٌ قَالَ صَدَقُوا وَكَذَبُوا قَالَ قُلْتُ وَمَا قَوْلُكَ صَدَقُوا وَكَذَبُوا قَالَ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ كَثُرَ عَلَيْهِ النَّاسُ يَقُولُونَ هَذَا مُحَمَّدٌ هَذَا مُحَمَّدٌ حَتَّى خَرَجَ الْعَوَاتِقُ مِنَ الْبُيُوتِ قَالَ وَكَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ لاَ يُضْرَبُ النَّاسُ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ فَلَمَّا كَثُرَ عَلَيْهِ رَكِبَ وَالْمَشْىُ وَالسَّعْىُ أَفْضَلُ

Grades by grader

Other narrations of this report

Sunan Abi Dawud 1893Sahih Ibn Hibban 3845al-Sunan al-Kubra (al-Bayhaqi) 8947al-Sunan al-Kubra (al-Bayhaqi) 9373al-Sunan al-Kubra (al-Nasa'i) 3700Musnad Abi Ya'la 2029

Narrators

1. 1
   ʿAbdullāh b. ʿAbbās

   One of the Companions who narrated most prolifically (mukthirūn).d. 65 AH, or 67 AH, or 68 AH, also said: 69 AH, also said: 70 AH; also said: 73 AH
   عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ عَبَّاسٍأحد المكثرين من الصحابة
   قلت
2. 2
   ʿĀmir b. Wāthilah

   He saw the Prophet (ruʾyah) but did not meet him as a Companiond. 100 AH, or: 102 AH, or: 107 AH, or: 110 AH
   أَبِي الطُّفَيْلِله رؤية
   عن
3. 3
   al-Jurayrī

   trustworthy (thiqah); his memory became confused (ikhtalaṭa) three years before his deathd. 144 AH
   الْجُرَيْرِيُّثقة ، اختلط قبل موته بثلاث سنين
   حدثنا
4. 4
   ʿAbd al-Wāḥid b. Ziyād

   Trustworthy (thiqah); there is some criticism concerning his narrations from al-Aʿmash aloned. 176 AH, or 177 AH, or 179 AH
   عَبْدُ الْوَاحِدِ بْنُ زِيَادٍثقة ، في حديثه عن الأعمش وحده مقال
   حدثنا
5. 5
   Abū Kāmil

   trustworthy, a memorizer (thiqah ḥāfiẓ)d. 237 AH
   أَبُو كَامِلٍ فُضَيْلُ بْنُ حُسَيْنٍ الْجَحْدَرِيُّثقة حافظ
   حدثنا
6. 6
   Muslim

   Trustworthy (thiqah), a retentive memorizer (ḥāfiẓ), an imam, an author of compilations, knowledgeable in jurisprudence (fiqh)d. Muḥammad b. Yaʿqūb said: 261 AH, Makkī b. ʿAbdān said: 259 AH
   مُسْلِمٌثقة حافظ ، إمام ، مصنف ، عالم بالفقه

Who each narrator was and how reliable, from hdith.com

Latin names and English verdicts with a dotted underline are machine translations, not reviewed.