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