Hadith No. 2

“The Ummah is never without a guiding Imam.”

رَوَى مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عِيسَى التِّرْمِذِيُّ [ت279هـ] فِي «سُنَنِهِ»[1]، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادُ بْنُ زَيْدٍ، عَنْ أَيُّوبَ، عَنْ أَبِي قِلَابَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي أَسْمَاءَ الرَّحَبِيِّ، عَنْ ثَوْبَانَ، قَالَ:

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «إِنَّمَا أَخَافُ عَلَى أُمَّتِي الْأَئِمَّةَ الْمُضِلِّينَ»، وَقَالَ: «لَا تَزَالُ طَائِفَةٌ مِنْ أُمَّتِي عَلَى الْحَقِّ ظَاهِرِينَ لَا يَضُرُّهُمْ مَنْ يَخْذُلُهُمْ حَتَّى يَأْتِيَ أَمْرُ اللَّهِ».

Translation:

Muhammad ibn Isa al-Tirmidhi [d. 279 AH] has narrated in his Sunan, (in this manner that) he has said: Qutaybah ibn Sa‘id narrated to us, he said: Hammad ibn Zayd narrated to us, from Ayyub, from Abu Qilabah, from Abu Asma’ al-Rahabi, from Thawban, who said:

The Messenger of Allah said: “I fear for my Ummah from misguiding imams.” And he said: “A group from my Ummah will always be steadfast upon the truth. And one who does not help them does not harm them, until the decree of Allah comes.”

Attestation No. 1

وَرَوَى أَسْلَمُ بْنُ سَهْلٍ الرَّزَّازُ [ت292هـ] فِي «تَارِيخِ وَاسِطَ»[2]، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ مَاهَانَ، قَالَ: أَخْبَرَنِي أَبِي، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ خَالِدٍ، عَنْ قَتَادَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي قِلَابَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي أَسْمَاءَ، عَنْ ثَوْبَانَ، قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «إِنَّ أَكْثَرُ مَا أَخَافُ عَلَى أُمَّتِيَ الْأَئِمَّةَ الْمُضِلِّينَ، وَلَنْ تَزَالَ طَائِفَةٌ مِنْ أُمَّتِي عَلَى الْحَقِّ، لَنْ يَضُرَّهُمْ مَنْ خَالَفَهُمْ، حَتَّى يَأْتِيَ أَمْرُ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى».

Translation:

Also, Aslam ibn Sahl al-Razzaz [d. 292 AH] has narrated in Tarikh Wasit and said: Muhammad ibn Mahan narrated to us, he said: My father informed me, he said: Sulayman ibn Khalid narrated to us, from Qatadah, from Abu Qilabah, from Abu Asma’, from Thawban, who said: The Messenger of Allah said: “I fear for my Ummah from misguiding imams more than anything else. And a group from my Ummah will always be steadfast upon the truth. And one who opposes them will not harm them, until the decree of Allah Almighty comes.”

Consideration

قَالَ الْمَنْصُورُ حَفِظَهُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: هَذَا حَدِيثٌ مُتَوَاتِرٌ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ، فَقَدْ رَوَاهُ عَنْهُ عِشْرُونَ رَجُلًا، وَهُمْ ثَوْبَانُ، وَجَابِرُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، وَعِمْرَانُ بْنُ حُصَيْنٍ، وَسَعْدُ بْنُ أَبِي وَقَّاصٍ، وَعُمَرُ بْنُ الْخَطَّابِ، وَعُقْبَةُ بْنُ عَامِرٍ، وَأَنَسُ بْنُ مَالِكٍ، وَعَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عُمَرَ، وَجَابِرُ بْنُ سَمُرَةَ، وَزَيْدُ بْنُ أَرْقَمَ، وَالْمُغِيرَةُ بْنُ شُعْبَةٍ، وَالنُّعْمَانُ بْنُ بَشِيرٍ، وَأَبُو هُرَيْرَةَ، وَأَبُو أُمَامَةَ، وَأَبُو الدَّرْدَاءِ، وَمُعَاوِيَةُ، وَقُرَّةُ بْنُ إِيَاسٍ الْمُزَنِيُّ، وَشُرَحْبِيلُ بْنُ السِّمْطِ الْكِنْدِيُّ، وَكَعْبُ بْنُ مُرَّةَ الْبَهْزِيُّ، وَسَلَمَةُ بْنُ نُفَيْلٍ الْحَضْرَمِيُّ، وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ لَا يَفْقَهُونَ أَنَّ الطَّائِفَةَ الَّتِي لَا تَزَالُ عَلَى الْحَقِّ هُمْ أَهْلُ الشَّامِ، وَأَدْخَلَ ذَلِكَ بَعْضُهُمْ فِي الْحَدِيثِ، وَلَا أَدْرِي مَتَى كَانَ أَهْلُ الشَّامِ عَلَى الْحَقِّ؟! أَحِينَ خَرَجُوا عَلَى عَلِيٍّ وَفَتَنُوا أَصْحَابَهُ، أَوْ حِينَ قَتَلُوا حُسَيْنًا وَطَافُوا بِرَأْسِهِ فِي الْبِلَادِ، أَوْ حِينَ أَغَارُوا عَلَى الْمَدِينَةِ وَسَفَكُوا دِمَاءَ الْمُهَاجِرِينَ وَالْأَنْصَارِ؟! كَلَّا، بَلْ لَمْ يَزَالُوا عَلَى الْبَاطِلِ مُنْذُ كَانُوا، وَسَيَكُونُونَ أَعْوَانَ السُّفْيَانِيِّ فِي آخِرِ الزَّمَانِ، وَكُلُّ حَدِيثٍ فِي فَضْلِهِمْ مَوْضُوعٌ لَا أَصْلَ لَهُ، وَإِنَّمَا وَضَعَهُ شِيعَةُ بَنِي أُمَيَّةَ عَلَى عَهْدِ مُعَاوِيَةَ وَمَرْوَانَ وَآلِهِمَا؛ لِأَنَّهُ كَذِبٌ، وَمَا كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ لِيَقُولَ كَذِبًا، وَقَالَ رِجَالٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْحَدِيثِ أَنَّ الطَّائِفَةَ الَّتِي لَا تَزَالُ عَلَى الْحَقِّ هُمْ أَهْلُ الْحَدِيثِ، ﴿كُلُّ حِزْبٍ بِمَا لَدَيْهِمْ فَرِحُونَ﴾[3]، وَقِيلَ أَنَّهُمْ أَهْلُ الْغَرْبِ لِمَا رَوَاهُ سَعْدُ بْنُ أَبِي وَقَّاصٍ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: «لَا يَزَالُ أَهْلُ الْغَرْبِ ظَاهِرِينَ عَلَى الْحَقِّ حَتَّى تَقُومَ السَّاعَةُ»[4]، وَلَعَلَّهُ تَصْحِيفٌ؛ فَقَدْ جَاءَ فِي بَعْضِ النُّسَخِ: «لَا تَزَالُ الْعَرَبُ ظَاهِرِينَ عَلَى الْحَقِّ حَتَّى تَقُومَ السَّاعَةُ»[5] يَعْنِي طَائِفَةً مِنَ الْعَرَبِ، وَقِيلَ أَنَّ الْمُرَادَ بِالْغَرْبِ الدَّلْوُ الْعَظِيمَةُ تُتَّخَذُ مِنْ جِلْدِ ثَوْرٍ وَهِيَ مِنْ أَثَاثِ الْعَرَبِ، وَقِيلَ أَنَّ الْمُرَادَ بِهِ أَهْلُ الشِّدَّةِ وَالْبَأْسِ وَغَرْبُ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ حَدُّهُ، وَالصَّوَابُ أَنَّ الطَّائِفَةَ الَّتِي لَا تَزَالُ عَلَى الْحَقِّ هُمْ أَئِمَّةُ الْهُدَى. أَلَمْ تَرَ أَنَّهُ ذَكَرَهُمْ بَعْدَ التَّخْوِيفِ مِنَ الْأَئِمَّةِ الْمُضِلِّينَ؟ وَفِي هَذَا دَلَالَةٌ عَلَى أَنَّ الْأُمَّةَ لَا تَخْلُو مِنْ إِمَامِ هُدًى حَتَّى تَقُومَ السَّاعَةُ.

Translation:

Mansoor said: This is a mutawatir Hadith from the Messenger of Allah ; because twenty individuals have narrated it from him. And they are Thawban, Jabir ibn Abdullah, Imran ibn Husayn, Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqas, Umar ibn al-Khattab, Uqbah ibn Amir, Anas ibn Malik, Abdullah ibn Umar, Jabir ibn Samurah, Zayd ibn Arqam, Mughirah ibn Shu‘bah, Nu‘man ibn Bashir, Abu Hurairah, Abu Umamah, Abu al-Darda’, Mu‘awiyah, Qurrah ibn Iyas al-Muzani, Shurahbil ibn al-Simt al-Kindi, Ka‘b ibn Murrah al-Bahzi, and Salamah ibn Nufayl al-Hadrami. And those who do not understand have said that the group who will always be steadfast upon the truth refers to the people of Sham. And some of them have even inserted this into the Hadith. And I do not know—when were the people of Sham ever upon the truth?! Was it when they rebelled against Ali and led his companions into error, or when they killed Husain and paraded his head through the cities, or when they invaded Medina and put the Muhajirin and the Ansar to the sword[6]?! It is not so. Rather, they have been upon falsehood for as long as they have been around. And also, in the end time, they will be the helpers of Sufyani. And any hadith in their virtue is fabricated and has no basis, and the followers of Banu Umayyah during the time of Mu‘awiyah, Marwan, and their dynasty have invented it; because it is a lie, and the Messenger of Allah would not lie. And some among Ahl al-Hadith have said that the group who will always be steadfast upon the truth refers to Ahl al-Hadith; “Each group rejoices in what it has.” And it has been said that it refers to the people of Gharb (الغرب), because of the narration of Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqas from the Messenger of Allah , in which it has been stated: “The people of Gharb (الغرب) will always be steadfast upon the truth until the Day of Judgment arrives.” And this may be a transcription error; because in some versions of this narration, it is stated: “The Arabs (العرب) will always be steadfast upon the truth until the Day of Judgment arrives,” meaning a group from among the Arabs. And it has been said that “Gharb” (الغرب) refers to a large waterskin made from cowhide, which is part of the equipment used by the Arabs. And it has been said that it refers to the people of resistance and war, and that (is because) the Gharb of anything is its sharp edge. And the correct view is that the group who will always be steadfast upon the truth is the Imams of guidance. Do you not see that he has mentioned them after warning about the misguiding Imams? And this indicates that the Ummah will never be without a guiding Imam until the Day of Judgment arrives.

Attestation No. 2

وَرَوَى الْحَاكِمُ [ت405هـ] فِي «الْمُسْتَدْرَكِ عَلَى الصَّحِيحَيْنِ»[7]، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الْعَبَّاسِ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَعْقُوبَ، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ سِنَانٍ الْقَزَّازُ، حَدَّثَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِدْرِيسَ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبَانُ بْنُ يَزِيدَ، حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ أَبِي كَثِيرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو قِلَابَةَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ زَيْدٍ الْجَرْمِيُّ، حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو أَسْمَاءَ الرَّحَبِيُّ، أَنَّ ثَوْبَانَ حَدَّثَهُ، أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ: «سَيَخْرُجُ فِي أُمَّتِي كَذَّابُونَ ثَلَاثُونَ كُلُّهُمْ يَزْعُمُ أَنَّهُ نَبِيٌّ، وَأَنَا خَاتَمُ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ، لَا نَبِيَّ بَعْدِي، وَلَكِنْ لَا تَزَالُ فِي أُمَّتِي طَائِفَةٌ يُقَاتِلُونَ عَلَى الْحَقِّ ظَاهِرِينَ، لَا يَضُرُّهُمْ مَنْ خَذَلَهُمْ حَتَّى يَأْتِيَ أَمْرُ اللَّهِ».

Translation:

Also, Hakim [d. 405 AH] has narrated in the book al-Mustadrak Ala al-Sahihain and said: Abu al-Abbas Muhammad ibn Ya‘qub narrated to us, (he said:) Muhammad ibn Sinan al-Qazzaz narrated to us, (he said:) Ishaq ibn Idris narrated to us, (he said:) Aban ibn Yazid narrated to us, (he said:) Yahya ibn Abi Kathir narrated to us, (he said:) Abu Qilabah Abdullah ibn Zayd al-Jarmi narrated to us, (he said:) Abu Asma’ al-Rahabi narrated to me that Thawban narrated to him that he heard the Messenger of Allah say: “In my Ummah, thirty liars will arise, each of whom will claim to be a prophet, while I am the seal of the Prophets, and there is no prophet after me. However, there will always be a group in my Ummah who openly fight for the truth, and one who forsakes them does not harm them, until the command of Allah comes.”