I was riding behind Ali. When he placed his foot in the stirrup, he said, "In the name of Allah." Once he settled onto the back of the animal, he said, "Praise be to Allah," three times, then, "Allah is the greatest," three times. Then he said, "Glory to the One who has subjected this to us, for we could never have done it on our own, and indeed to our Lord we shall return" [Zukhruf 43:13–14]. Then he said, "There is no god but You. Glory be to You. I have wronged myself, so forgive me my sins, for none forgives sins except You."Then he laughed.I asked, "Commander of the Believers, what makes you laugh?"He replied, "I was riding behind the Messenger of Allah, and he did just as I did, then I said to him what you said to me. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, 'Allah indeed smiles upon His servant when he says, "There is no god but You. Glory be to You. I have wronged myself, so forgive me my sins, for none forgives sins except You." He says, "My servant has recognized that I forgive and I punish."'"
كنت ردفا لعلي، فلما وضع رجله في الركاب قال: باسم الله، فلما استوى على ظهر الدابة قال: الحمد لله ثلاث مرات، الله أكبر ثلاث مرات، ثم قال: سبحان الذي سخر لنا هذا وما كنا له مقرنين وإنا إلى ربنا لمنقلبون ثم قال: لا إله إلا أنت سبحانك إني ظلمت نفسي فاغفر لي ذنوبي إنه لا يغفر الذنوب إلا أنت، ثم ضحك فقلت: يا أمير المؤمنين ما يضحكك؟ فقال: كنت رديف رسول الله فصنع كما صنعت، ثم قلت له كما قلت لي فقال رسول الله ﷺ: إن الله عز وجل ليضحك إلى عبده إذا قال: لا إله إلا أنت سبحانك إني ظلمت نفسي فاغفر لي ذنوبي إنه لا يغفر الذنوب إلا أنت. قال: عبدي عرف أني أغفر وأعاقب.
Recorded by Mahamili in Duaa (23), and Tabarani in Duaa (778), and graded sahih by Hakim (2/98), all of them through the route of Fudayl bin Marzuk, from Maysara bin Habib, from Minhal bin Amr, from Ali bin Rabia, who mentioned it. Its chain is hasan because of Fudayl bin Marzuk, Maysara, and Minhal, since they are all narrators of hasan hadiths. There has been considerable disagreement about its chain, and the best chain is that of the hadith of Minhal bin Amr from Ali bin Rabia, as Daraqutni said in Ilal (4/62). Some of the disagreement has been mentioned in the Book of Faith, in the chapter on affirming laughter for Allah .As for Hakim, he said, "This is a sahih hadith according to the criterion of Muslim." I say, Muslim did not narrate from either Maysara bin Habib or Minhal bin Amr. As for the first, Bukhari narrated from him in Adab al-Mufrad, as did Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, and Nasai. As for the second, Bukhari and the four narrated from him.