Hadith No. 8
The Ummah is never devoid of one who is upon the truth until Isa, son of Maryam, peace be upon him, 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 way that) he has said: Safwan ibn Salih narrated to me, he said: Walid, i.e., ibn Muslim, narrated to us, he said: Abu Amr, i.e., al-Awza‘i, narrated to us, from Yahya ibn Abi Kathir, from Abu Hurairah who narrated, i.e., from the Messenger of God, peace and blessings of God be upon him and his family, that he said:
“A number of my Ummah will always be firm upon the truth and defeat people, and they will not care who opposes them until Isa ibn Maryam is sent down.”
Abu Amr said: I narrated this Hadith to Qatadah, so he said: I do not consider them to be other than the people of the Levant.
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, may God protect him, said: Qatadah has fallen into clear error in his interpretation; because the people of the Levant were not always upon the truth, nor did they always defeat people, and the Ahl al-Bayt and most of the Muhajirin and the Ansar opposed them since the allegiance was pledged to Ali, so it was not a virtue for them if they did not care who would oppose them, but rather this was bad for them, and I am surprised by a people that God has distorted their intellects, to the extent that they think a number who are always upon the truth are the people of the Levant!
Then Mansoor, may God protect him, said: Yahya ibn Abi Kathir is a person who would tell lies, and it has been said that he has not heard 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 opinion, and this Hadith from Abu Hurairah is proven, and he is one of those whose Hadith we do not count unless someone else has accompanied them.
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, he has 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 Umayr ibn Aswad and Kathir ibn Murrah al-Hadrami, from Abu Hurairah that the Messenger of God, peace and blessings of God be upon him and his family, said: “A number of my Ummah will always rise upon the command of God, 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, he has 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, peace and blessings of God be upon him and his family, that he said: “A group of my Ummah will always be upon this matter. The opposition of one who opposes them will not harm them until the command of God 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, he has said: Abu al-Hasan Fatik ibn Abdullah ibn Muzahimi in Tyre (a city in Lebanon) informed us, (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 God, peace and blessings of God be upon him and his family, that he said: “A group of 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 Taloqan and its surroundings while they are firm upon the truth. They will not care who does not help them and who helps them until God brings out His treasure from Taloqan, then He revives His religion with it as it has 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, may God protect him, said: This is an interpretation from some narrators that they have added to the Hadith to strengthen the border guards, and their intended meaning of the treasure of God that He will bring out at the end time, then He revives His religion with it as it has been made dead before, is the one who rises from Khorasan with black flags and prepares the ground for the government of Mahdi. As for Taloqan, it is an ancient city in Khorasan, which was conquered by Ahnaf ibn Qais in the year 32 Hijri, and some men from Banu Hashim rose from there hoping to be the mentioned treasure, and this indicates the fame of the Hadith in the first centuries, and the original Hadith is what ibn A‘tham [d. 314 AH] has narrated in the book al-Futuh from Ali, peace be upon him, (in this way that he has said:) He described the cities of Khorasan to Umar in order to encourage him to conquer them, then he described Marv, Khwarazm, Bukhara, Samarqand, Tashkent, Ferghana, and Ispijab to him, then he said: “How amazing Taloqan is! Indeed, there are treasures for God the Exalted, the Majestic in it that are not made of gold and silver, but rather they are believing men who have known God as He deserves to be known, and they will be the helpers of Mahdi in the end time.” So (in this way) Umar became eager to conquer it, and God 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, he has said: Hisham ibn Ammar narrated to us, (he said:) Yahya ibn Hamzah narrated to us, (he said:) Abu Alqamah narrated to us, from Umayr ibn Aswad and Kathir ibn Murrah who said: Abu Hurairah and ibn al-Simt said: The believers will always be on the earth until the Day of Judgment arrives, and this is the words of the Messenger of God, peace and blessings of God be upon him and his family, that he said: “A group of my Ummah will always be firm upon the command of God. One who opposes them will not harm them. They will fight against their enemies. When the war with one group ends, they prepare to fight against another group. God the Exalted, the Majestic raises the hearts of a people against them in order to provide them with sustenance from them 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, may God protect him, said: Hisham ibn Ammar is not alone in narrating this Hadith, but rather Abdullah ibn Yusuf and Muhammad ibn Yahya ibn Hamzah have accompanied him, and ibn al-Simt is Shurahbil ibn al-Simt al-Kindi, one of the insubordinate people of the Levant, who was present in Siffin with Mu‘awiya and played an important role in it, and al-Bukhari and Abu Ahmad al-Hakim have said: “He has seen the Prophet,” but it has not been made clear to me, and the most likely view to me is that he has not heard anything from the Prophet, peace and blessings of God be upon him and his family, and this narration of him 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‘awiya 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]