Are these two narrations the same? Could you please mention the Arabic of the version in Musnad Ahmad?
1) Imam Ahmad ibn Hambal in his Musnad; related by Mu’awiyah ibn Jahimah As Sulami (radiyallahu ‘anhu) in which he came to the Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) and said, ‘O Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) I desire to go on the military expedition and I have come to consult you.’ He (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) asked, ‘Do you have a mother?’ He said, ‘Yes.’ He (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, ‘Stick to her for indeed Jannah lies by her feet.’
2) Imam Nasai (rahimahullah) has authentically recorded a Hadith, in which a Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) told a Sahabi (radiyallahu ‘anhu):
‘Stick to her [his mother] for indeed Jannah lies beneath her feet.’
فَالْزَمْها فاِنَّ الجنّةَ تَحْتَ رِجْلَيْها
Answer
Yes, these are one and the same Hadith.
The wording in Musnad Ahmad has slight differences. The wording is as follows:
عن معاوية بن جاهمة، أن جاهمة جاء إلى رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فقال: يا رسول الله، أردت الغزو وجئتك أستشيرك. فقال: هل لك من أم؟ قال: نعم. فقال: الزمها فإن الجنة عند رجلها، ثم الثانية، ثم الثالثة في مقاعد شتى كمثل هذا القول
(Musnad Ahmad, vol. 3 pg. 429)
Also see here.
And Allah Ta’ala Knows best.
Answered by: Moulana Suhail Motala
Approved by: Moulana Muhammad Abasoomar