Is there a difference between a narrator saying, “I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him),” or “from the Prophet,” or “the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said”?

Question:
Honorable Shaykh, is there a difference between a narrator saying, “The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said,” or “from the Prophet,” or “I heard him (peace and blessings be upon him)”?

Answer:
They all mean the same thing. It is one and the same. However, “from the Prophet” is general. It allows for the possibility that he heard it directly and the possibility that he did not. This is what they call *'an'anah*, and it is considered a form of concealment (*tadlis*). But if he says, “I heard the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him),” or “The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said so,” that is explicit. But “from the Messenger of Allah” allows for the possibility that he heard it directly, or that he heard it from someone else, or that it was reported to him from someone else without him hearing it directly from the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). Therefore, *'an'anah* is considered by them to be a defect in the chain of narration. Yes.