The Messenger of Allah ﷺ looked toward Yemen and said, "Allah, turn their hearts toward us."Then he looked toward Iraq and said, "Allah, turn their hearts toward us."Then he looked toward Sham and said, "Allah, turn their hearts toward us, and bless us in our saa and our mudd."
نظر رسول الله ﷺ قبل اليمن فقال: اللهم أقبل بقلوبهم ونظر قبل العراق فقال: اللهم أقبل بقلوبهم ونظر قبل الشام فقال: اللهم أقبل بقلوبهم وبارك لنا في صاعنا ومدنا.
Narrated by Tirmidhi (3934), Ahmad (21610), and Tabarani in Al-Kabir (5/124), all through various chains from Imran Qattan, from Qatada, from Zayd bin Thabit, as mentioned. Its chain of transmission is hasan because of Imran bin Dawwar Qattan, concerning whom the scholars differed, though his hadith is hasan when he does not contradict others or bring something objectionable. He has been corroborated. Hajjaj bin Hajjaj Bahili corroborated him, narrating from Qatada, as Mizzi mentioned in Tuhfat Ashraf (3/207). Tirmidhi said, This is a hasan gharib hadith.On this subject there is also a report from Jubayr bin Mutim, who said, While we were with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ on the road to Makkah, he said, "The people of Yemen will appear before you like clouds, they are the best of those on earth." A man from the Ansar said, "Not us too, O Messenger of Allah?" He remained silent. The man said again, "Not us too, O Messenger of Allah?" He remained silent. The man said a third time, "Not us too, O Messenger of Allah?" On the third time he said, in a weak wording, "Except you."This is narrated by Ahmad (16779) and Ibn Abu Shayba (33103), from Yazid bin Harun, who said, Ibn Abu Dhib informed us, from Harith bin Abdul-Rahman, from Muhammad bin Jubayr bin Mutim, from his father, as mentioned. Harith bin Abdul-Rahman is the Qurashi Amiri, the maternal uncle of Ibn Abu Dhib. No one narrated from him except his nephew Muhammad bin Abdul-Rahman, that is, Ibn Abu Dhib. For this reason Ibn Madini judged him to be "unknown," while Ahmad and Nasai said, "There is no harm in him." Nevertheless, he narrated this hadith alone, and he is not among those whose solitary narrations are accepted.On this subject there is also a report from Abdullah bin Abbas, who said, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "Twelve thousand will come out from Adan Abyan, who will support Allah and His Messenger, and they are better than those between me and them." This is narrated by Ahmad (3079), from Abdul-Razzaq, from Mundhir bin Numan Aftas, who said, I heard Wahb narrating from Ibn Abbas, and he mentioned the hadith. He said, Mamar said to me, "Go and ask him about this hadith." Mundhir bin Numan Aftas narrated this hadith alone, and no one affirmed his reliability except Ibn Main, as mentioned in Al-Jarh wal-Tadil (8/242). Mamar's statement at the end of the hadith indicates that there is something objectionable in its wording. And Allah knows best what is correct.