Question
Can you provide a reference for this narration?
كان الشَّعبي يحدِّث بالمغازي، فمرَّ ابنُ عمر فسمعَهُ وهو يحدِّث بها، فقال: لهو أحفَظُ لها منِّي، وإن كنتُ قد شَهدتها مع رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم
Answer
Imam Tabarani (rahimahullah) has recorded this statement of Sayyiduna ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (radiyallahu ‘anhuma). ‘Allamah Haythami (rahimahullah) has declared the narrators reliable.
(Al Mu’jamul Kabir, Hadith: 13885, Majma’uz Zawaid, vol. 10 pg. 23. Also see: Tarikh Baghdad, vol. 14 pg. 146 and Tarikh Dimashq, vol. 25 pg. 355)
Translation
Sha’bi (rahimahullah) would narrate the battles of Nabi (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam). Once Sayyiduna ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (radiyallahu ‘anhuma) passed by and heard him narrating these incidents. He said, ‘He recalls it better than I do, whereas I participated in these battles with Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) myself.
And Allah Ta’ala Knows best.
Answered by: Moulana Suhail Motala
Approved by: Moulana Muhammad Abasoomar
Checked by: Moulana Haroon Abasoomar