Ibn Hibban

Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates this statement of the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): "The distance between the two banks of my Hawd (Pond) is as much as the distance between Madinah and Sana'a (the narrator is in doubt, perhaps the words are:) between Madinah and Oman."

(Imam Ibn Hibban, may Allah have mercy on him, says:) These four narrations can confuse a person who does not have expertise in the science of hadith (and he may think) that there is contradiction or difference among them. In the narrations transmitted by Sulaiman Taymi, the words are: as much as the distance between Sana'a and Madinah. In the narration transmitted from Sayyiduna Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him), the words are: as much as the distance from Eila to Makkah. In the narration transmitted by Utbah bin Abd, the words are: as much as the distance between Sana'a and Busra. In the narration transmitted by Qatadah, the words are: as much as the distance between Madinah and Oman. However, there is no contradiction or difference in these narrations, because these are answers to questions, and the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) mentioned them according to the questions. The narrations we have mentioned, in all of them, refer to one of the banks of the Hawd al-Kawthar, that each side of this Hawd is as much as a month's journey. So, from Sana'a to Madinah Munawwarah is as much as a month's journey, provided a person is not traveling at a fast pace. The journey from Eila to Makkah is also the same. The journey from Sana'a to Busra is also the same. And the distance from Madinah to Oman or Shaam is also the same.