Hadith No. 21

Among the people of religion, there is always one whom Allah has employed.

رَوَى أَبُو نُعَيْمٍ [ت430هـ] فِي «مَعْرِفَةِ الصَّحَابَةِ»[1]، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ سُلَيْمٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ الْأَبَّارُ، حَدَّثَنَا الْهَيْثَمُ بْنُ خَارِجَةَ، وَهِشَامُ بْنُ عَمَّارٍ، قَالَا: حَدَّثَنَا الْجَرَّاحُ بْنُ مَلِيحٍ، حَدَّثَنَا بَكْرُ بْنُ زُرْعَةَ، سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عِنَبَةَ الْخَوْلَانِيَّ، وَكَانَ مِمَّنْ صَلَّى الْقِبْلَتَيْنِ جَمِيعًا مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَأَكَلَ الدَّمَ فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ، سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ:

لَا يَزَالُ اللَّهُ يَغْرِسُ فِي هَذَا الدِّينِ بِغَرْسٍ يَسْتَعْمِلُهُمْ فِي طَاعَتِهِ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ.

Translation:

Abu Nu‘aym [d. 430 AH] has narrated in the book Ma‘rifah al-Sahabah, (in this manner that) he has said: Ahmad ibn Ja‘far ibn Sulaym narrated to us, (he said): Ahmad ibn Ali al-Abbar narrated to us, (he said): Haytham ibn Kharijah and Hisham ibn Ammar narrated to us, they said: Jarrah ibn Malih narrated to us, (he said): Bakr ibn Zur‘ah narrated to us, (he said): I heard Abu Inabah al-Khawlani—who had performed prayer facing both Qiblas alongside the Messenger of Allah and had drunk blood in the time of ignorance—(say:) I heard the Messenger of Allah say:

Allah always plants seedlings in this religion, whom He employs in His obedience until the Day of Judgment.

Consideration

قَالَ الْمَنْصُورُ حَفِظَهُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: هَذَا حَدِيثٌ غَرِيبٌ فِي اللَّفْظِ، وَلَكِنَّهُ مُوَافِقٌ لِسَائِرِ أَحَادِيثِ الْبَابِ فِي الْمَعْنَى، وَقَدْ صَحَّحَهُ قَوْمٌ، وَحَسَّنَهُ آخَرُونَ، وَرَوَاهُ يَعْقُوبُ بْنُ سُفْيَانَ [ت277هـ] هَكَذَا: «لَا يَزَالُ اللَّهُ يَغْرِسُ فِي هَذَا الدِّينِ غَرْسًا يَسْتَعْمِلْهُمْ فِيهِ لِطَاعَتِهِ، أَوْ يَسْتَعْمِلْهُمْ بِطَاعَتِهِ»[2]، وَاسْتِعْمَالُهُمْ يَعْنِي اتِّخَاذَهُمْ عُمَّالًا، فَهُمْ عُمَّالُ اللَّهِ فِي طَاعَتِهِ، وَإِنَّمَا قَالَ أَنَّهُ يَغْرِسُهُمْ لِأَنَّهُمْ كَشَجَرَةٍ طَيِّبَةٍ بَعْضُهَا مِنْ بَعْضٍ؛ كَمَا قَالَ: ﴿أَلَمْ تَرَ كَيْفَ ضَرَبَ اللَّهُ مَثَلًا كَلِمَةً طَيِّبَةً كَشَجَرَةٍ طَيِّبَةٍ أَصْلُهَا ثَابِتٌ وَفَرْعُهَا فِي السَّمَاءِ ۝ تُؤْتِي أُكُلَهَا كُلَّ حِينٍ بِإِذْنِ رَبِّهَا ۗ وَيَضْرِبُ اللَّهُ الْأَمْثَالَ لِلنَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَذَكَّرُونَ﴾[3]، وَقَالَ: ﴿مَثَلُ نُورِهِ كَمِشْكَاةٍ فِيهَا مِصْبَاحٌ ۖ الْمِصْبَاحُ فِي زُجَاجَةٍ ۖ الزُّجَاجَةُ كَأَنَّهَا كَوْكَبٌ دُرِّيٌّ يُوقَدُ مِنْ شَجَرَةٍ مُبَارَكَةٍ زَيْتُونَةٍ لَا شَرْقِيَّةٍ وَلَا غَرْبِيَّةٍ يَكَادُ زَيْتُهَا يُضِيءُ وَلَوْ لَمْ تَمْسَسْهُ نَارٌ ۚ نُورٌ عَلَى نُورٍ ۗ يَهْدِي اللَّهُ لِنُورِهِ مَنْ يَشَاءُ ۚ وَيَضْرِبُ اللَّهُ الْأَمْثَالَ لِلنَّاسِ ۗ وَاللَّهُ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمٌ﴾[4]، وَهِيَ عِنْدَنَا شَجَرَةُ النُّبُوَّةِ، بِمَعْنَى أَهْلِ بَيْتِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ؛ كَمَا رُوِيَ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: «نَحْنُ أَهْلُ الْبَيْتِ شَجَرَةُ النُّبُوَّةِ»[5]، وَقَالَ اللَّهُ: ﴿فِي بُيُوتٍ أَذِنَ اللَّهُ أَنْ تُرْفَعَ﴾[6]، وقال: ﴿إِنَّ اللَّهَ اصْطَفَى آدَمَ وَنُوحًا وَآلَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَآلَ عِمْرَانَ عَلَى الْعَالَمِينَ ۝ ذُرِّيَّةً بَعْضُهَا مِنْ بَعْضٍ ۗ وَاللَّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ﴾[7]، وَقَدْ أَصَابَ الْحَكِيمُ التِّرْمِذِيُّ [ت‌نحو320هـ] إِذْ قَالَ: «غَرْسُ اللَّهِ مَحْرُوسٌ فِي الْأَحْوَالِ، وَمَحْفُوظٌ فِي الْأَصْلَابِ وَالْأَرْحَامِ، يَكْلَؤُهُ وَيَرْعَاهُ، وَهُمْ رِجَالُهُ فِي أَرْضِهِ، وَأَوْلِيَاؤُهُ وَالدُّعَاةُ إِلَيْهِ، وَغَرَسَهُمْ أَيِ اجْتَبَاهُمْ»[8].

Translation:

Mansoor said: This Hadith is unusual in wording, but in meaning, it aligns with other Hadiths in the chapter. And one group has considered it authentic, and another group has considered it good. And Ya‘qub ibn Sufyan [d. 277 AH] has also narrated it in this form: “Allah always plants seedlings in this religion, whom He employs for His obedience in it, or employs with His obedience.” And “employing them” means appointing them as agents. So they are Allah’s agents in His obedience. And he has said “He plants them” because, like a pure tree, some of them are from some others; as He has said: “Have you not seen how Allah gives an example of a pure word as a pure tree, whose root is firm and whose branches are in the sky?! It gives its fruit at all times by the permission of its Lord. And Allah gives examples to people so that they may take heed,” and He has said: “The example of His light is like a niche containing a lamp—the lamp is in a glass, the glass is as if it were a shining star, lit from a blessed olive tree, neither of the east nor of the west. Its oil would almost glow even without being touched by fire; light upon light. Allah guides whomever He wills with His light. And Allah gives examples to people. And Allah has full knowledge of everything.” And that, in our view, is the tree of Prophethood; that is, the Ahl al-Bayt of the Prophet ; as it has been narrated that he said: “We, the Ahl al-Bayt, are the tree of Prophethood,” and Allah has said: “(The light of Allah is) in houses that Allah has permitted to be exalted,” and He has said: “Indeed, Allah has chosen Adam, Nuh, the family of Ibrahim, and the family of Imran over the worlds; descendants—some of whom are from some others. And Allah is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing.” And Hakim al-Tirmidhi [d. around 320 AH] has rightly said: “Allah’s seedling is preserved through vicissitudes and safeguarded in the loins (of men) and the wombs (of women). Allah protects and watches over it. And they are His men on His earth, His guardians, and callers to Him. And ‘He has planted them’ means that He has chosen them.”