The tradition mentioned above has also been transmitted by Salman through a different chain of narrators. This version goes:

Salman said: The Messenger of Allahﷺ was asked about locusts. He replied in a similar way(as mentioned above) saying: The most numerous of Allah’s host. The narrator ‘Ali said: His name is Fa’id, that is the name of al-Awwam.

Abu Dawud said: This tradition has been transmitted by Hammad b. Salamah, from Abu al-Awwam from Abu uthman, from the Prophet ﷺ. He did not mention salman (i.e., the companions).

حَدَّثَنَا نَصْرُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ، وَعَلِيُّ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا زَكَرِيَّاءُ بْنُ يَحْيَى بْنِ عُمَارَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي الْعَوَّامِ الْجَزَّارِ، عَنْ أَبِي عُثْمَانَ النَّهْدِيِّ، عَنْ سَلْمَانَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ سُئِلَ فَقَالَ مِثْلَهُ فَقَالَ " أَكْثَرُ جُنْدِ اللَّهِ " . قَالَ عَلِيٌّ اسْمُهُ فَائِدٌ يَعْنِي أَبَا الْعَوَّامِ . قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ رَوَاهُ حَمَّادُ بْنُ سَلَمَةَ عَنْ أَبِي الْعَوَّامِ عَنْ أَبِي عُثْمَانَ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ لَمْ يَذْكُرْ سَلْمَانَ .