The tradition mentioned above has also been transmitted by Qatadah through a different chain of narrators. This version has "nine years".Abu Dawud said:The other narrators mentioned "nine years" from Hisham except Mu'adh.
حَدَّثَنَا هَارُونُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الصَّمَدِ، عَنْ هَمَّامٍ، عَنْ قَتَادَةَ، بِهَذَا الْحَدِيثِ وَقَالَ " تِسْعَ سِنِينَ " . قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ وَقَالَ غَيْرُ مُعَاذٍ عَنْ هِشَامٍ " تِسْعَ سِنِينَ " .
AbuDaud
The Promised Deliverer (Kitab Al-Mahdi) • Hadith 4287