The Prophet ﷺ looked toward Iraq, Sham, and Yemen, and said, "O Allah, turn their hearts toward Your obedience, and protect them from behind."
أن النبي ﷺ نظر قبل العراق والشام واليمن، فقال: اللهم أقبل بقلوبهم على طاعتك، وحط من ورائهم.
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Tabarani related it in Al-Awsat (3039) and in Al-Sagheer (373) from Ishaq bin Khalaway Wasiti, who said, Ali bin Bahr bin Barri told us, Hisham bin Yusuf Sanaani told us, Mamar informed us, Thabit Bunani and Sulayman Taymi told us, from Anas bin Malik who said, and then he mentioned it. Its chain of transmission is sahih.Haythami said in Al-Majma (10/75), Tabarani related it in Al-Sagheer and Al-Awsat, and its narrators are the narrators of the Sahih, except for Ali bin Bahr bin Barri, who is trustworthy. Tabarani's teacher, Ishaq bin Khalaway Wasiti, was deemed trustworthy by Daraqutni, as mentioned in Suhalat Sahmi (188).His saying, "guard them from behind" means protect them, derived from hata yahutu, which means when he protects and safeguards something.