The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "There are no two Muslims who lose three children who have not yet reached the age of accountability except that those children become a strong fortress for them against the Fire."Someone asked, "Messenger of Allah, what if there were only two?"He replied, "Even if there were only two."Abu Dharr said, "Messenger of Allah, I have only sent ahead two."He answered, "Even if there were only two."Then Ubayy bin Kaab, Abu al-Mundhir, the master of the reciters, said, "I have only sent ahead one."It was said to him, "Even if it were only one?"He replied, "That reward applies only to one who endures patiently at the first shock of grief."
حدثنا هشيم أنبأنا العوام عن محمد بن أبي محمد مولى لعمر بن الخطاب عن أبي عبيدة بن عبد الله
قال رسول الله ﷺ ما من مسلمين يموت لهما ثلاثة من الولد لم يبلغوا الحنث إلا كانوا له حصنا حصينا من النار فقيل يا رسول الله فإن كان اثنين قال وإن كانا اثنين فقال أبو ذر يا رسول الله لم أقدم إلا اثنين قال وإن كانا اثنين قال فقال أبي بن كعب أبو المنذر سيد القراء لم أقدم إلا واحدا قال فقيل له وإن كان واحدا فقال إنما ذاك عند الصدمة الأولى
Its isnad is daif, because Abu Ubayda did not hear from his father. Awwam is Ibn Hawshab. As for Muhammad bin Abu Muhammad, freedman of Umar bin Khattab, he is discussed in al-Tajil, pages 376-377, where it says, the hadith which Ahmad narrated for him has also been narrated by Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah, and there is disagreement concerning Awwam bin Hawshab. It has been said, from him, from Muhammad bin Abu Muhammad, and it has also been said, from him, from Abu Muhammad, freedman of Umar. Ahmad narrated it both ways, narrating it from Hushaym from Awwam according to the second version, while Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah narrated it through Ishaq Azraq from him, as Yazid said. Thus the narration of three is stronger than the isolated narration of one. Mizzi said, in the entry on Abu Muhammad, regarding Abu Ubayda, in the section on kunyas, and it has been said, Muhammad bin Abu Muhammad, pointing to this narration of Ahmad's. Ibn Khuzayma narrated in his Sahih the hadith which they narrated, through the route of Muhammad bin Yazid, saying, from Abu Muhammad, and this is what Abu Ahmad Hakim asserted definitively in the section on kunyas. The two narrations to which he referred will come again along with this narration as well, 4079-4079. What the Hafiz established is the correct view, for Bukhari, in the section on kunyas, gave an entry for this Abu Muhammad, number 615, saying, Abu Muhammad, freedman of Umar bin Khattab, heard from Abu Ubayda bin Abdullah, and Awwam narrated from him.Tirmidhi's narration is in his Sunan, 2:159, where he said, this is a gharib hadith, and Abu Ubayda did not hear from his father. Ibn Majah's narration is in his Sunan, 1:251.