Hadith No. 12

The Ummah is never without one who is upon the truth until Isa, son of Maryam , is sent down.

رَوَى يَعْقُوبُ بْنُ سُفْيَانَ الْفَسَوِيُّ [ت277هـ] فِي «الْمَعْرِفَةِ وَالتَّارِيخِ»[1]، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنِي صَفْوَانُ بْنُ صَالِحٍ، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا الْوَلِيدُ يَعْنِي ابْنَ مُسْلِمٍ، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو عَمْرٍو يَعْنِي الْأَوْزَاعِيَّ، عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ أَبِي كَثِيرٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، يَرْوِيهِ -يَعْنِي عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ- قَالَ:

لَا تَزَالُ عِصَابَةٌ مِنْ أُمَّتِي عَلَى الْحَقِّ ظَاهِرِينَ عَلَى النَّاسِ، لَا يُبَالُونَ مَنْ خَالَفَهُمْ، حَتَّى يَنْزِلَ عِيسَى بْنُ مَرْيَمَ.

قَالَ أَبُو عَمْرٍو: فَحَدَّثْتُ هَذَا الْحَدِيثَ قَتَادَةَ، فَقَالَ: «لَا أَعْلَمُ أُولَئِكَ إِلَّا أَهْلَ الشَّامِ».

Translation:

Ya‘qub ibn Sufyan al-Fasawi [d. 277 AH] has narrated in the book al-Ma‘rifah Wa al-Tarikh, (in this manner that) he has said: Safwan ibn Salih narrated to me, he said: Walid—meaning ibn Muslim—narrated to us, he said: Abu Amr—meaning al-Awza‘i—narrated to us, from Yahya ibn Abi Kathir, from Abu Hurairah, who narrated—meaning from the Messenger of Allah —who said:

A group from my Ummah will always be steadfast upon the truth and victorious over people. And they will not care who opposes them, until Isa, son of Maryam, is sent down.

Abu Amr said: I narrated this Hadith to Qatadah. So he said: “I do not consider them to be anyone other than the people of Sham.”

Consideration

قَالَ الْمَنْصُورُ حَفِظَهُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: ضَلَّ قَتَادَةُ فِي تَأْوِيلِهِ ضَلَالًا مُبِينًا، فَإِنَّ أَهْلَ الشَّامِ لَمْ يَكُونُوا عَلَى الْحَقِّ دَائِمًا، وَلَمْ يَكُونُوا ظَاهِرِينَ عَلَى النَّاسِ دَائِمًا، وَكَانَ أَهْلُ الْبَيْتِ وَأَكْثَرُ الْمُهَاجِرِينَ وَالْأَنْصَارِ مِمَّنْ خَالَفَهُمْ مُنْذُ بُويِعَ عَلِيٌّ، فَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُمْ فَضْلٌ إِنْ كَانُوا لَا يُبَالُونَ مَنْ خَالَفَهُمْ، بَلْ كَانَ ذَلِكَ شَرًّا لَهُمْ، وَإِنِّي لَأَتَعَجَّبُ مِنْ قَوْمٍ مَسَخَ اللَّهُ عُقُولَهُمْ حَتَّى حَسِبُوا أَنَّ الطَّائِفَةَ الَّتِي لَا تَزَالُ عَلَى الْحَقِّ أَهْلُ الشَّامِ!

ثُمَّ قَالَ الْمَنْصُورُ حَفِظَهُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: يَحْيَى بْنُ أَبِي كَثِيرٍ مُدَلِّسٌ، وَقِيلَ أَنَّهُ لَمْ يَسْمَعْ مِنْ أَحَدٍ مِنَ الصَّحَابَةِ، فَلَعَلَّهُ سَمِعَ هَذَا الْحَدِيثِ مِنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ؛ لِأَنَّ عُقْبَةَ بْنَ عَلْقَمَةَ رَوَاهُ عَنِ الْأَوْزَاعِيِّ عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ أَبِي كَثِيرٍ عَنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ[2]، وَأَبُو سَلَمَةَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ عُوفٍ ثِقَةٌ عِنْدَهُمْ، وَالْحَدِيثُ ثَابِتٌ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، وَهُوَ مِمَّنْ لَا نَعْتَدُّ بِحَدِيثِهِ إِلَّا إِذَا تُوبِعَ.

Translation:

Mansoor said: “Qatadah has clearly gone wrong in his interpretation; because the people of Sham were not always upon the truth, nor were they always victorious over people. And the Ahl al-Bayt, as well as most of the Muhajirin and the Ansar, were their opponents since the allegiance was pledged to Ali. So there was no virtue for them if they did not care who opposed them; rather, it was bad for them. And I am surprised by a group whose intellects Allah has distorted, to the extent that they believe the group who are always upon the truth are the people of Sham!”

Then Mansoor said: “Yahya ibn Abi Kathir is known for concealing defects, and it has been said that he did not hear any hadith from any of the Sahabah. Therefore, he may have heard this Hadith from Abu Salamah; because Uqbah ibn Alqamah has narrated it from al-Awza‘i, from Yahya ibn Abi Kathir, from Abu Salamah, from Abu Hurairah. And Abu Salamah Abdullah ibn Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf is trustworthy in their view. And this Hadith is established from Abu Hurairah, and he is one of those whose hadith we do not consider, except when someone else has narrated it alongside him.”

Attestation No. 1

رَوَى ابْنُ مَاجَهْ [ت273هـ] فِي «سُنَنِهِ»[3]، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا هِشَامُ بْنُ عَمَّارٍ، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ حَمْزَةَ، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو عَلْقَمَةَ نَصْرُ بْنُ عَلْقَمَةَ، عَنْ عُمَيْرِ بْنِ الْأَسْوَدِ، وَكَثِيرِ بْنِ مُرَّةَ الْحَضْرَمِيِّ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: «لَا تَزَالُ طَائِفَةٌ مِنْ أُمَّتِي قَوَّامَةً عَلَى أَمْرِ اللَّهِ، لَا يَضُرُّهَا مَنْ خَالَفَهَا».

Translation:

Ibn Majah [d. 273 AH] has narrated in his Sunan and said: Hisham ibn Ammar narrated to us, he said: Yahya ibn Hamzah narrated to us, he said: Abu Alqamah Nasr ibn Alqamah narrated to us, from Umair ibn Aswad and Kathir ibn Murrah al-Hadrami, from Abu Hurairah that the Messenger of Allah said: “A group from my Ummah will always rise upon the command of Allah, and one who opposes them will not harm them.”

Attestation No. 2

وَرَوَى أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عَمْرٍو الْبَزَّارُ [ت292هـ] فِي «مُسْنَدِهِ»[4]، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا زُهَيْرُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ، قَالَ: أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ يَزِيدَ، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا سَعِيدُ بْنُ أَبِي أَيُّوبَ، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَجْلَانَ، عَنِ الْقَعْقَاعِ بْنِ حَكِيمٍ، عَنْ أَبِي صَالِحٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ، قَالَ: «لَا يَزَالُ عَلَى هَذَا الْأَمْرِ عِصَابَةٌ مِنْ أُمَّتِي، لَا يَضُرُّهُمْ خِلَافُ مَنْ خَالَفَهُمْ حَتَّى يَأْتِيَهُمْ أَمْرُ اللَّهِ».

Translation:

Also, Ahmad ibn Amr al-Bazzar [d. 292 AH] has narrated in his Musnad and said: Zuhair ibn Muhammad narrated to us, he said: Abdullah ibn Yazid informed us, he said: Sa‘id ibn Abi Ayyub narrated to us, he said: Muhammad ibn Ajlan narrated to me, from Qa‘qa‘ ibn Hakim, from Abu Salih, from Abu Hurairah, from the Prophet , who said: “A group from my Ummah will always be upon this matter. The opposition of one who opposes them will not harm them, until the command of Allah comes to them.”

Attestation No. 3

وَرَوَى عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ الرِّبْعِيُّ [ت444هـ] فِي «فَضَائِلِ الشَّامِ وَدِمَشْقَ»[5]، قَالَ: أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو الْحَسَنِ فَاتِكُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ الْمُزَاحِمِيُّ بِصُورٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الْقَاسِمِ عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ طَاهِرٍ بِصُورٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو عَبْدِ الْمَلِكِ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْوَاحِدِ بْنِ جَرِيرِ بْنِ عَبْدُوسٍ، حَدَّثَنَا مُوسَى بْنُ أَيُّوبٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ قَسِيمٍ، عَنِ السَّرِيِّ بْنِ بُزَيْعٍ، عَنِ السَّرِيِّ بْنِ يَحْيَى، عَنِ الْحَسَنِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: «لَا تَزَالُ طَائِفَةٌ مِنْ أُمَّتِي يُقَاتِلُونَ عَلَى أَبْوَابِ بَيْتِ الْمَقْدِسِ وَمَا حَوْلَهَا، وَعَلَى أَبْوَابِ أَنْطَاكِيَةَ وَمَا حَوْلَهَا، وَعَلَى أَبْوَابِ دِمَشْقَ وَمَا حَوْلَهَا، وَعَلَى أَبْوَابِ الطَّالَقَانِ وَمَا حَوْلَهَا، ظَاهِرِينَ عَلَى الْحَقِّ، لَا يُبَالُونَ مَنْ خَذَلَهُمْ وَلَا مَنْ نَصَرَهُمْ، حَتَّى يُخْرِجَ اللَّهُ كَنْزَهُ مِنَ الطَّالَقَانِ، فَيُحْيِي بِهِ دِينَهُ كَمَا أُمِيتَ مِنْ قَبْلُ».

Translation:

Also, Ali ibn Muhammad al-Rib‘i [d. 444 AH] has narrated in the book Fada’il al-Sham Wa Dimashq and said: Abu al-Hasan Fatik ibn Abdullah ibn al-Muzahimi informed us in Tyre, (a city in Lebanon, he said:) Abu Al-Qasim Ali ibn Muhammad ibn Tahir narrated to us in Tyre, (he said:) Abu Abd al-Malik Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Abd al-Wahid ibn Jarir ibn Abdus narrated to us, (he said:) Musa ibn Ayyub narrated to us, (he said:) Abdullah ibn Qasim narrated to us, from Sari ibn Buzay‘, from Sari ibn Yahya, from Hasan, from Abu Hurairah, from the Messenger of Allah , who said: “A group from my Ummah will always fight at the gates of Bayt al-Maqdis and its surroundings, at the gates of Antioch and its surroundings, at the gates of Damascus and its surroundings, and at the gates of Talaqan and its surroundings, while they are steadfast upon the truth. They will not care who does not help them or who helps them, until Allah brings forth His treasure from Talaqan. Then He revives His religion through it, just as it had been made dead before.”

Consideration

قَالَ الْمَنْصُورُ حَفِظَهُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: هَذَا تَأْوِيلٌ مِنْ بَعْضِ الرُّوَاةِ، وَقَدْ أَدْخَلُوهُ فِي الْحَدِيثِ تَقْوِيَةً لِأَهْلِ الثُّغُورِ، وَمُرَادُهُمْ بِكَنْزِ اللَّهِ الَّذِي يُخْرِجُهُ اللَّهُ فِي آخِرِ الزَّمَانِ فَيُحْيِي بِهِ دِينَهُ كَمَا أُمِيتَ مِنْ قَبْلُ هُوَ الَّذِي يَخْرُجُ مِنْ خُرَاسَانَ مَعَ رَايَاتٍ سُودٍ فَيُوَطِّئُ لِلْمَهْدِيِّ سُلْطَانَهُ، وَالطَّالَقَانُ مَدِينَةٌ قَدِيمَةٌ فِي خُرَاسَانَ، فَتَحَهَا الْأَحْنَفُ بْنُ قَيْسٍ فِي سَنَةِ اثْنَتَيْنِ وَثَلَاثِينَ، وَخَرَجَ مِنْهَا رِجَالٌ مِنْ بَنِي هَاشِمٍ آمِلِينَ أَنْ يَكُونُوا ذَلِكَ الْكَنْزَ، وَهَذَا يَدُلُّ عَلَى شُهْرَةِ الْحَدِيثِ فِي الْقُرُونِ الْأُولَى، وَأَصْلُهُ مَا رَوَاهُ ابْنُ أَعْثَمَ [ت314هـ] فِي كِتَابِ «الْفُتُوحِ» عَنْ عَلِيٍّ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ أَنَّهُ وَصَفَ لِعُمَرَ بِلَادَ خُرَاسَانَ تَرْغِيبًا لَهُ فِي فَتْحِهَا، فَوَصَفَ لَهُ مَرْوَ وَخَوارَزْمَ وَبُخَارَا وَسَمَرْقَنْدَ وَالشَّاشَ وَفَرْغَانَةَ وَأَسْفِيجَابَ، ثُمَّ قَالَ: «وَيْحًا لِلطَّالَقَانِ، فَإِنَّ لِلَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ بِهَا كُنُوزًا لَيْسَتْ مِنْ ذَهَبٍ وَلَا فِضَّةٍ، وَلَكِنْ بِهَا رِجَالٌ مُؤْمِنُونَ عَرَفُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ مَعْرِفَتِهِ، وَهُمْ أَنْصَارُ الْمَهْدِيِّ فِي آخِرِ الزَّمَانِ»، فَرَغِبَ عُمَرُ فِي فَتْحِهَا[6]، وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ.

Translation:

Mansoor said: This is an interpretation from some narrators, which they have included in the Hadith to strengthen the border guards. And by the treasure of Allah that He brings forth in the end time, then He revives His religion through it, just as it had been made dead before, they meant the one who rises from Khorasan with black flags and prepares the ground for the Mahdi’s rule. As for Talaqan, it is an ancient city in Khorasan that Ahnaf ibn Qais conquered in the year 32 AH, and some men from Banu Hashim rose from there, hoping to be the mentioned treasure. And this indicates the renown of the Hadith in the early centuries. And the original Hadith is what ibn A‘tham [d. 314 AH] has narrated from Ali in the book al-Futuh, (in this manner that he has said:) He described the cities of Khorasan to Umar to encourage him to conquer them. So he described Marv, Khwarazm, Bukhara, Samarkand, Tashkent, Ferghana, and Ispijab to him. Then he said: “Remarkable is Talaqan! Indeed, there are treasures for Allah, Exalted and Majestic, there that are not of gold and silver; rather, they are believing men who have known Allah as He deserves to be known. And they will be the Mahdi’s helpers in the end time.” So (this is how) Umar became eager to conquer it. And Allah knows best.

Attestation No. 4

وَرَوَى ابْنُ أَبِي عَاصِمٍ [ت287هـ] فِي «الْآحَادِ وَالْمَثَانِي»[7]، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا هِشَامُ بْنُ عَمَّارٍ، حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ حَمْزَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو عَلْقَمَةَ، عَنْ عُمَيْرِ بْنِ الْأَسْوَدِ، وَكَثِيرِ بْنِ مُرَّةَ قَالَا: إِنَّ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ وَابْنَ السِّمْطِ كَانَا يَقُولَانِ: لَا يَزَالُ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ فِي الْأَرْضِ إِلَى أَنْ تَقُومَ السَّاعَةُ، وَذَلِكَ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: «لَا تَزَالُ طَائِفَةٌ مِنْ أُمَّتِي قَوَّامَةً عَلَى أَمْرِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ، لَا يَضُرُّهُمْ مَنْ خَالَفَهُمْ، تُقَاتِلُ أَعْدَاءَهَا، كُلَّمَا ذَهَبَ حَرْبُ قَوْمٍ تَسْتَحْرِبُ قَوْمَ أُخْرَى، يَرْفَعُ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ قُلُوبَ قَوْمٍ لِيَرْزُقَهُمْ مِنْهُ، حَتَّى تَأْتِيَهُمُ السَّاعَةُ كَأَنَّهَا قِطَعُ اللَّيْلِ الْمُظْلِمِ».

Translation:

Also, ibn Abi Asim [d. 287 AH] has narrated in the book al-Ahad Wa al-Mathani and said: Hisham ibn Ammar narrated to us, (he said:) Yahya ibn Hamzah narrated to us, (he said:) Abu Alqamah narrated to us, from Umair ibn Aswad and Kathir ibn Murrah, who both said: Abu Hurairah and ibn al-Simt said: Believers will always be on Earth until the Day of Judgment arrives. And this is the statement of the Messenger of Allah , who said: “A group from my Ummah will always be steadfast upon the command of Allah. One who opposes them does not harm them. They fight their enemies; whenever war with one group ends, they prepare for war with another. Allah, Exalted and Majestic, stirs up the hearts of a group against them to provide them with sustenance through it, until the Day of Judgment comes to them like the pieces of a dark night.”

Consideration

قَالَ الْمَنْصُورُ حَفِظَهُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: لَمْ يَنْفَرِدْ بِهِ هِشَامُ بْنُ عَمَّارٍ، بَلْ تَابَعَهُ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ يُوسُفَ وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى بْنِ حَمْزَةَ، وَابْنُ السِّمْطِ هُوَ شُرَحْبِيلُ بْنُ السِّمْطِ الْكِنْدِيُّ مِنْ طُغَاةِ أَهْلِ الشَّامِ، شَهِدَ صِفِّينَ مَعَ مُعَاوِيَةَ، وَلَهُ بِهَا أَثَرٌ عَظِيمٌ[8]، وَقَالَ الْبُخَارِيُّ وَأَبُو أَحْمَدَ الْحَاكِمُ: «لَهُ صُحْبَةٌ»[9]، وَلَكِنْ لَمْ يَتَبَيَّنْ لِي ذَلِكَ، وَالْأَشْبَهُ عِنْدِي أَنَّهُ لَمْ يَسْمَعْ مِنَ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ شَيْئًا، وَرِوَايَتُهُ هَذِهِ مُرْسَلَةٌ، وَلَعَلَّهُ رَوَاهَا عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، وَقَدْ رُوِيَ عَنِ الْأَصْبَغِ بْنِ نُبَاتَةَ قَالَ: «دَخَلْتُ عَلَى مُعَاوِيَةَ، وَعَنْ يَمِينِهِ عَمْرُو بْنُ الْعَاصِ، وَعَنْ يَسَارِهِ ذُو الْكَلَاعِ، وَحَوْلَهُ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عَامِرِ بْنِ كُرَيْزٍ، وَأَخُوهُ عُتْبَةُ بْنُ أَبِي سُفْيَانَ، وَعَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ خَالِدِ بْنِ الْوَلِيدِ، وَشُرَحْبِيلُ بْنُ السِّمْطِ، وَبَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ أَبُو هُرَيْرَةَ، وَالنُّعْمَانُ بْنُ بَشِيرٍ، وَأَبُو أُمَامَةَ الْبَاهِلِيُّ»[10].

Translation:

Mansoor said: Hisham ibn Ammar is not alone in narrating this Hadith; rather, Abdullah ibn Yusuf and Muhammad ibn Yahya ibn Hamzah have narrated it alongside him. And ibn al-Simt is the same person as Shurahbil ibn al-Simt al-Kindi—one of the insubordinate people of Sham—who was present with Mu‘awiyah at Siffin and played a significant role in it. And Bukhari and Abu Ahmad al-Hakim have said: “He has seen the Prophet.” But this has not been made clear to me, and what seems more likely to me is that he has not heard anything from the Prophet , and this narration of his is mursal. And perhaps he has narrated it from Abu Hurairah; as it has been narrated from Asbagh ibn Nubatah that he said: “I came to Mu‘awiyah, while Amr ibn al-As was on his right, Dhu al-Kala‘ was on his left, Abdullah ibn Amir ibn Kuraiz, his brother Utbah ibn Abi Sufyan, Abd al-Rahman ibn Khalid ibn Walid, and Shurahbil ibn al-Simt were around him, and Abu Hurairah, Nu‘man ibn Bashir, and Abu Umamah al-Bahili were in front of him.”[11]