Discussion of the chain of narration of the hadith of Abu Hurayrah: (Why should I say that I am competing with the Qur'an?)

The Shaykh : This is why the hadith we mentioned in *The Description of Prayer*, from the hadith of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), in which the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), when they competed with him in reciting the Qur'an, said to them: Abu Hurayrah said: So the people stopped reciting behind the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in what the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) recited aloud.
And when I mention this, it does not escape my mind that this addition has been much discussed. However, when I traced it, I found that a group followed him with the complete hadith, and some attributed it to Imam al-Zuhri. Even if we assume that the stronger position is that the hadith with this addition is a mursal (a report missing the Companion link), because al-Zuhri was a young Tabi'i (from the generation after the Companions), if al-Zuhri said: "So the people stopped," meaning the Companions stopped reciting behind the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) in what the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) recited aloud, then the worst of its states is that it is a mursal hadith. And a mursal hadith, if it has corroborating narrations, especially the noble verse and the second hadith I mentioned earlier: there is no doubt that this mursal, if its status as mursal is accepted, serves as proof in this matter. This is what we believe and we testify to Allah with it, and Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) knows best.