Hadith No. 5

The Ummah is never devoid of one who rises upon the truth.

رَوَى أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عَمْرٍو الْبَزَّارُ [ت292هـ] فِي «مُسْنَدِهِ»[1]، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ مِسْكِينٍ، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ يُوسُفَ، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ سَالِمٍ، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ سُلَيْمَانَ الْأَفْطَسُ، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنِي الْوَلِيدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، عَنْ جُبَيْرِ بْنِ نُفَيْرٍ، عَنْ سَلَمَةَ بْنِ نُفَيْلٍ، قَالَ:

قَالَ رَجُلٌ: «يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، بُوهِيَ بِالْخَيْلِ وَأُلْقِيَ السِّلَاحُ وَزَعَمُوا أَنْ لَا قِتَالَ»، فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «كَذَبُوا، الْآنَ حَانَ الْقِتَالُ، لَا تَزَالُ مِنْ أُمَّتِي أُمَّةٌ قَائِمَةٌ عَلَى الْحَقِّ ظَاهِرَةٌ».

Translation:

Ahmad ibn Amr al-Bazzar [d. 292 AH] has narrated in his Musnad, (in this way that) he has said: Muhammad ibn Miskin narrated to us, he said: Abdullah ibn Yusuf narrated to us, he said: Abdullah ibn Salim narrated to us, he said: Ibrahim ibn Sulayman al-Aftas narrated to us, he said: Walid ibn Abd al-Rahman narrated to me, from Jubayr ibn Nufayr, from Salamah ibn Nufayl who said:

A man said: “O Messenger of God! (People) have abandoned the horses, laid down the weapons, and think that there is no more war.” So the Messenger of God, peace and blessings of God be upon him and his family, said: “They are lying. The war has just begun. A group of my Ummah will always victoriously rise upon the truth.”

Consideration

قَالَ الْمَنْصُورُ حَفِظَهُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: لَمْ يَنْفَرِدْ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ سَالِمٍ بِرِوَايَتِهِ عَنِ الْأَفْطَسِ، بَلْ تَابَعَهُ إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ عَيَّاشٍ، وَلَمْ يَنْفَرِدِ الْأَفْطَسُ بِرِوَايَتِهِ عَنِ الْوَلِيدِ، بَلْ تَابَعَهُ إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ أَبِي عَبْلَةَ وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ مُهَاجِرٍ الْأَنْصَارِيُّ، وَلَمْ يَنْفَرِدِ الْوَلِيدُ بِرِوَايَتِهِ عَنْ جُبَيْرِ، بَلْ تَابَعَهُ نَصْرُ بْنُ عَلْقَمَةَ، وَالظَّاهِرُ عِنْدَهُمْ أَنَّ جُبَيْرًا لَمْ يَنْفَرِدْ بِرِوَايَتِهِ عَنْ سَلَمَةَ، بَلْ تَابَعَهُ سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ سُلَيْمٍ، وَلَيْسَ ذَلِكَ بِظَاهِرٍ عِنْدِي، وَفِي رِوَايَاتِهِمْ زِيَادَةٌ، وَهِيَ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: «يُزِيغُ اللَّهُ لَهُمْ قُلُوبَ أَقْوَامٍ، وَيَرْزُقُهُمْ مِنْهُمْ حَتَّى تَقُومَ السَّاعَةُ، وَحَتَّى يَأْتِيَ وَعْدُ اللَّهِ»[2]، وَفِي رِوَايَاتِهِمُ اضْطِرَابٌ، فَأَحْيَانًا رَوَوْا عَنْ سَلَمَةَ بْنِ نُفَيْلٍ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: «دَنَوْتُ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ حَتَّى كَادَتْ رُكْبَتَايَ تَمَسَّانِ فَخِذَهُ، فَقُلْتُ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، بُهِيَ بِالْخَيْلِ وَأُلْقِيَ السِّلَاحُ وَزَعَمُوا أَنْ لَا قِتَالَ»، وَأَحْيَانًا رَوَوْا عَنْهُ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: «كُنْتُ جَالِسًا عِنْدَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ، فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، أَذَالَ النَّاسُ الْخَيْلَ، وَوَضَعُوا السِّلَاحَ، وَقَالُوا: لَا جِهَادَ، قَدْ وَضَعَتِ الْحَرْبُ أَوْزَارَهَا»، فَالْقَائِلُ لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ فِي الرِّوَايَةِ الْأُولَى سَلَمَةُ بْنُ نُفَيْلٍ، وَفِي الرِّوَايَةِ الثَّانِيَةِ رَجُلٌ آخَرُ، وَقَدْ رَوَوُا الرِّوَايَةَ الْأُولَى عَنْ رَجُلَيْنِ آخَرَيْنِ، وَهُمَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ نُفَيْلٍ الْكِنْدِيُّ[3] وَالنَّوَّاسُ بْنُ سَمْعَانَ[4]، وَهَذَا اضْطِرَابٌ أَكْبَرُ، وَأَصَحُّ رِوَايَاتِهِمْ عِنْدِي مَا رَوَوْا عَنْ سَلَمَةَ بْنِ نُفَيْلٍ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: «كُنْتُ جَالِسًا عِنْدَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ، فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ»، وَأَمَّا رِوَايَتُهُمُ الَّتِي فِيهَا: «دَنَوْتُ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ حَتَّى كَادَتْ رُكْبَتَايَ تَمَسَّانِ فَخِذَهُ، فَقُلْتُ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ»، فَالْأَقْرَبُ عِنْدِي أَنَّهَا رِوَايَةُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ نُفَيْلٍ، وَلَيْسَتْ رِوَايَةَ سَلَمَةَ بْنِ نُفَيْلٍ، وَإِنَّمَا صَحَّفُوهَا لِظَنِّهِمْ أَنَّهُمَا رَجُلٌ وَاحِدٌ، وَقَدْ ذَكَرَ أَهْلُ الْمَعْرِفَةِ بِالرِّجَالِ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ نُفَيْلٍ فِي عِدَادِ الصَّحَابَةِ[5] وَسَاقُوا لَهُ حَدِيثًا غَيْرَ هَذَا الْحَدِيثِ[6]، وَالظَّاهِرُ أَنَّ هَذَا الْحَدِيثَ أَيْضًا مِنْ حَدِيثِهِ، وَلَعَلَّهُ كَانَ أَخَا سَلَمَةَ، وَكَانَ الْقَائِلَ لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ فِي رِوَايَةِ سَلَمَةَ، إِلَّا أَنَّهُ مِنَ الْبَعِيدِ إِشَارَةُ سَلَمَةَ إِلَى أَخِيهِ بِهَذَا السِّيَاقِ، كَأَنَّهُ رَجُلٌ غَرِيبٌ؛ فَلَعَلَّهُ لَمْ يَكُنْ أَخَاهُ، وَالْمُؤَيِّدُ لِذَلِكَ وُجُودُ الْإِخْتِلَافِ فِي اسْمِ أَبِيهِ وَقَوْمِهِ؛ فَقَدْ ذَكَرَهُ بَعْضُهُمْ فَقَالَ: «عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ بُغَيْلٍ الْكِنَانِيُّ»[7]، وَهَذَا أَنْسَبُ بِالسِّيَاقِ، وَظَنِّي أَنَّ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ وَالنَّوَّاسَ بْنَ سَمْعَانَ قَدْ دَخَلَا مَعًا عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَقَالَا لَهُ ذَلِكَ الْقَوْلَ، ثُمَّ رَوَى كُلُّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْهُمَا عَلَى حِدَةٍ، وَرَوَى عَنْهُمَا سَلَمَةُ بْنُ نُفَيْلٍ، فَاخْتَلَطَتْ رِوَايَاتُهُمْ، وَهَذَا مِثَالٌ جَيِّدٌ عَلَى مَا يُوجَدُ فِي رِوَايَاتِ الْآحَادِ مِنَ الْإِشْتِبَاهِ، وَهُوَ مِمَّا يَمْنَعُ الْإِعْتِمَادَ عَلَى أَلْفَاظِهَا، ﴿فَاعْتَبِرُوا يَا أُولِي الْأَبْصَارِ﴾[8]!

Translation:

Mansoor, may God protect him, said: Abdullah ibn Salim is not alone in narrating this Hadith from al-Aftas, but rather Isma‘il ibn Ayyash has accompanied him, and al-Aftas is not alone in narrating it from Walid, but rather Ibrahim ibn Abi Ablatah and Muhammad ibn Muhajir al-Ansari have accompanied him, and Walid is not alone in narrating it from Jubayr, but rather Nasr ibn Alqamah has accompanied him, and what is apparent to them is that Jubayr is not alone in narrating it from Salamah, but rather Sulayman ibn Sulaim has accompanied him, but it is not apparent to me, and there is an excess in their narration, which is, the Messenger of God, peace and blessings of God be upon him and his family, (went on to) say: “God will turn the hearts of some people against them and provide them with sustenance from them until the Day of judgment arrives and the promise of God comes.” Also, there is a perplexity in their narration; in this way that sometimes they have narrated from Salamah ibn Nufayl who said: “I approached the Messenger of God, peace and blessings of God be upon him and his family, to the extent that my knees were about to touch his thigh, then I said: ‘O Messenger of God! They have abandoned the horses, laid down the weapons, and think that there is no more war,’” and sometimes they have narrated from him that he said: “I was sitting near the Messenger of God, peace and blessings of God be upon him and his family, then a man said: ‘O Messenger of God! People have abandoned the horses, laid down the weapons, and think that there is no more jihad and the war is ended.’” So the speaker of the words to the Messenger of God, peace and blessings of God be upon him and his family, is Salamah ibn Nufayl in the first narration and another man in the second narration, and they have also narrated the first narration from two other men, and those two are Abdullah ibn Nufayl al-Kindi and Nawwas ibn Sam‘an, and this is a greater perplexity, and their most authentic narration to me is that they have narrated from Salamah ibn Nufayl who said: “I was sitting near the Messenger of God, peace and blessings of God be upon him and his family, then a man said: ‘O Messenger of God!’” As for their other narration in which it has been said: “I approached the Messenger of God, peace and blessings of God be upon him and his family, to the extent that my knees were about to touch his thigh, then I said: ‘O Messenger of God!’” So the more likely to me is that this is the narration of Abdullah ibn Nufayl, not the narration of Salamah ibn Nufayl, and they have misrepresented it thinking that those two were the same person, while those who know about men have mentioned Abdullah ibn Nufayl among the Sahabah and narrated a Hadith other than this Hadith from him, and it appears that this Hadith too is from him, and perhaps he was the brother of Salamah and the speaker of the words to the Messenger of God, peace and blessings of God be upon him and his family, in the narration of Salamah, except that Salamah’s reference to his brother in this manner is unlikely, as if he was a stranger; so perhaps he was not his brother, and the proof of this is the existence of disagreement about his father’s name and his people; because some of them have mentioned him by the name “Abdullah ibn Bughayl al-Kinani,” and this fits better with the manner (of Salamah’s narration), and my guess is that Abdullah and Nawwas ibn Sam‘an both have come to the Messenger of God, peace and blessings of God be upon him and his family, and said those words to him, and then each of them has narrated from him separately, and Salamah ibn Nufayl has also narrated from them, so their narrations have been mixed with each other, and this is a good example of the mistake that exists in ahad narrations, and it is one of the things that obstruct trusting the words of ahad narrations, “so learn a lesson, O people of insight!”