I heard the Prophet ﷺ say, "There are two men from my nation. One of them rises during the night and struggles with himself to perform ablution, while knots are tied upon him. When he washes his hands, a knot is untied. When he washes his face, a knot is untied. When he wipes his head, a knot is untied. When he washes his feet, a knot is untied. Then Allah says to those behind the veil, 'Look at this servant of Mine, struggling with himself and asking of Me. Whatever My servant asks of Me, it is his.'"
سمعت النبي ﷺ يقول: رجلان من أمتي يقوم أحدهما من الليل يعالج نفسه إلى الطهور، وعليه عقد، فيتوضأ، فإذا وضأ يديه انحلت عقدة، فإذا وضأ وجهه انحلت عقدة، وإذا مسح برأسه انحلت عقدة، وإذا وضأ رجليه انحلت عقدة، فيقول الله للذين وراء الحجاب: انظروا إلى عبدي هذا يعالج نفسه يسألني، ما سألني عبدي فهو له.
Ahmad (17791) and Tabarani in al-Kabir (17), number (301), both narrated it through Abdullah bin Wahb, from Amr bin Harith, that Abu Ashana told him that he heard Uqba bin Amir, and he related the hadith, with the wording being Ahmad's. Its chain is sahih. Abu Ashana is Hayy bin Yumn, the Egyptian, well known by his kunya, and Ahmad, Ibn Main, and others deemed him reliable. Ibn Hibban (2555) graded it sahih and narrated it through this same route.Imam Ahmad also narrated the hadith in other places, but Ibn Lahia is in it. See (17458). However, in some of its routes Abdullah bin Mubarak narrated from him, and he was one of those who heard from him in his early period, so his narration from him is sahih. There are other hadiths on this subject. See Night Prayer.As for what is narrated from Abdullah Sanabihi as a raised report with the wording, "When the believing servant performs wudu and rinses his mouth, the sins come out from his mouth, and when he blows his nose, the sins come out from his nose. Then when he washes his face, the sins come out from his face, even coming out from beneath his eyelashes. Then when he washes his hands, the sins come out from his hands, even coming out from beneath his fingernails. Then when he wipes his head, the sins come out from his head, even coming out from his ears. Then when he washes his feet, the sins come out from his feet, even coming out from beneath his toenails." He said, "Then his walking to the masjid and his prayer become a surplus reward for him."Malik narrated it in the book of Purification (30), from Zayd bin Aslam, from Ata bin Yasar, from Abdullah Sanabihi, and he related something similar. Nasai narrated it (103) through Malik with this chain, and Ibn Majah (282) through another route from Zayd bin Aslam with this chain, similarly.The correct view is that the hadith is missing a link in its chain, for Abdullah Sanabihi was one of the successors. Ibn Abdul-Barr said in Istidhkar (2/190), "Abu Isa Tirmidhi said, 'I asked Muhammad bin Ismail Bukhari about the hadith of Malik, from Zayd bin Aslam, from Ata bin Yasar, from Abdullah Sanabihi, and he related the hadith. He said to me, Malik erred in saying Abdullah Sanabihi, for he is actually Abu Abdullah, whose name is Abdul-Rahman bin Usayla, and he did not hear from the Prophet ﷺ. The hadith is missing a link.'"Ibn Abdul-Barr said, "It is as Bukhari said."And he related in Tamhid (3/4–4) from Ibn Main that his hadiths lack a link in the chain and he had no companionship with the Prophet. Then he said, "Yahya bin Main spoke the truth, there is no one among the companions called Abdullah Sanabihi." Rather, among the companions is Sanabih al-Ahmasi, who is Sanabih bin Asar, a Kufan, from whom Qays bin Abu Hazim narrated hadiths, including his hadith about the Basin. Nor is there anyone among the successors called Abdullah Sanabihi. So the soundest view is that of the one who said he is Abu Abdullah, for Abu Abdullah Sanabihi is well known among the successors, a great figure among their elders, whose name is Abdul-Rahman bin Usayla, and he is a man of standing. Ubada bin Samit used to praise him greatly. End of quote.So these three, namely Yahya bin Main, Bukhari, and Ibn Abdul-Barr, who are pillars of this discipline, have testified that Abdullah Sanabihi is Abu Abdullah Sanabihi, one of the successors, and that his hadith is missing a link in its chain. Malik erred in making him a companion.