The Sufficient (Vol 4) · Hadith 1708 (#Ḥadīth #2)

2ـ أَبُو عَلِيٍّ الأَشْعَرِيُّ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْجَبَّارِ عَنْ صَفْوَانَ بْنِ يَحْيَى عَنْ سَيْفٍ التَّمَّارِ قَالَ قُلْتُ لأَبِي عَبْدِ الله إِنَّا كُنَّا نَحُجُّ مُشَاةً فَبَلَغَنَا عَنْكَ شَيْءٌ فَمَا تَرَى قَالَ إِنَّ النَّاسَ لَيَحُجُّونَ مُشَاةً وَيَرْكَبُونَ قُلْتُ لَيْسَ عَنْ ذَلِكَ أَسْأَلُكَ قَالَ فَعَنْ أَيِّ شَيْءٍ سَأَلْتَ قُلْتُ أَيُّهُمَا أَحَبُّ إِلَيْكَ أَنْ نَصْنَعَ قَالَ تَرْكَبُونَ أَحَبُّ إِلَيَّ فَإِنَّ ذَلِكَ أَقْوَى لَكُمْ عَلَى الدُّعَاءِ وَالْعِبَادَةِ.

2. Abu Ali al-Ash’ariy has narrated from Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Jabbar from Safwan ibn Yahya from Sayf al-Tammar who has said the following: “I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah , about performing al-Hajj on foot, a Hadith that had been narrated from him (the Imam) and his view about it. He (the Imam) said, ‘People perform al-Hajj both on foot and riding.’ I then said that that is not my question.’ He (the Imam) asked, ‘What was your question?’ I asked, ‘Which way is more desirable to you?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘I like that you travel riding because it preserves your strength for supplications and worship.’”

Gradings are classical jarḥ-wa-taʿdīl, name-matched to a rijāl index (not individually re-verified).