عَنْ أَنَسٍ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «مَثَلُ أُمَّتِي مَثَلُ الْمَطَرِ لَا يُدْرَى أَوَّلُهُ خَيْرٌ أَمْ آخِرُهُ» . رَوَاهُ التِّرْمِذِيّ
Anas reported God’s messenger as saying, “My people are like the rain, it not being known whether the first or the last of it is better.” Tirmidhi transmitted it.
عَنْ جَعْفَرٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ جَدِّهِ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «أَبْشِرُوا إِنَّمَا مَثَلُ أُمَّتِي مَثَلُ الْغَيْثِ لَا يُدْرَى آخِرُهُ خَيْرٌ أَمْ أَوَّلُهُ؟ أَوْ كَحَدِيقَةٍ أُطْعِمَ مِنْهَا فَوْجٌ عَامًا لَعَلَّ آخِرَهَا فَوْجًا أَنْ يكون أعرَضَها عرضا وَأَعْمَقَهَا عُمْقًا وَأَحْسَنَهَا حُسْنًا كَيْفَ تَهْلِكُ أُمَّةٌ أَنَا أَوَّلُهَا وَالْمَهْدِيُّ وَسَطُهَا وَالْمَسِيحُ آخِرُهَا وَلَكِنْ بَين ذَلِك فَيْجٌ أَعْوَج لَيْسُوا وَلَا أَنا مِنْهُم» رَوَاهُ رزين
Ja’far, on his father’s authority, told that his grandfather[*] reported God’s messenger as saying, “Rejoice and rejoice again. My people are just like the rain, it not being known whether the last or the first of it is better; or it is like a garden from which a troop can be fed for a year, then another troop can be fed for a year, and perhaps the last troop which comes may be the broadest, deepest and finest. How can a people perish of which I am the first, the Mahdi the middle and the Messiah the last? But in the course of that there will be a crooked party which does not belong to me and to which I do not belong.” *i.e., Ja’far as-Sadiq, whose father was Muhammad al-Baqir and whose grandfather was `Ali b. al-Husain Zain al-‘Abidin. Razin transmitted it.
وَعَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ شُعَيْبٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ جَدِّهِ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «أَيُّ الْخَلْقِ أَعْجَبُ إِلَيْكُمْ إِيمَانًا؟» قَالُوا: فالنبيون قَالَ: «ومالهم لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ وَالْوَحْيُ يَنْزِلُ عَلَيْهِمْ؟» قَالُوا: فَنَحْنُ. قَالَ: «ومالكم لَا تُؤْمِنُونَ وَأَنَا بَيْنَ أَظْهُرِكُمْ؟» قَالَ: فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «إِن أَعْجَبَ الْخَلْقِ إِلَيَّ إِيمَانًا لَقَوْمٌ يَكُونُونَ مِنْ بَعْدِي يَجِدُونَ صُحُفًا فِيهَا كِتَابٌ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِمَا فِيهَا» وَعَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ الْعَلَاءِ الْحَضْرَمِيِّ قَالَ: حَدَّثَنِي مَنْ سَمِعَ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ: «إِنَّهُ سَيَكُونُ فِي آخِرِ هَذِهِ الْأُمَّةِ قَوْمٌ لَهُمْ مِثْلُ أَجْرِ أَوَّلِهِمْ يَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ وَيُقَاتِلُونَ أَهْلَ الْفِتَنِ» رَوَاهُمَا الْبَيْهَقِيّ فِي دَلَائِل النُّبُوَّة
`Amr b. Shu’aib, on his father’s authority, told that his grandfather reported God’s messenger as saying, “Which people’s faith pleases you most?” On receiving the reply that they were the angels he said, “But why should they not believe when they are with their Lord?” It was suggested that they were the prophets to which he replied, “Why should they not believe when inspiration descends on them?” The people suggested themselves and he said, “Why should you not believe when I am among you?” He told that God’s messenger then said, “The people whose faith pleases me most are people who will come after my time who will find sheets containing a Book in whose contents they will believe.” `Abd ar-Rahman b. al-`Awf’ al-Hadrami said he was told the following by one who had heard the Prophet say it: “Among the last of this people will be some who will have a reward like that of the first of them. They will recommend what is reputable, forbid what is disreputable, and fight with those who cause dissensions.” Baihaqi transmitted the two traditions in Dalail an-nubuwa .
وَعَنْ أَبِي أُمَامَةَ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: «طُوبَى لِمَنْ رَآنِي [وَآمَنَ بِي] وَطُوبَى لِمَنْ لَمْ يَرَنِي وَآمَنَ بِي» . رَوَاهُ أَحْمد
Abu Umama reported God’s messenger as saying, “Blessed is he who has seen me, but seven times blessed is he who has not seen me but has believed on me.” Ahmad transmitted it.
وَعَن أبي مُحَيْرِيزٍ قَالَ: قُلْتُ لِأَبِي جُمُعَةَ رَجُلٌ مِنَ الصَّحَابَةِ: حَدِّثْنَا حَدِيثًا سَمِعْتُهُ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ. قَالَ: نَعَمْ أُحَدِّثُكُمْ حَدِيثًا جَيِّدًا تَغَدَّيْنَا مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَمَعَنَا أَبُو عُبَيْدَةَ بْنُ الْجَرَّاحِ فَقَالَ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ. أَحَدٌ خَيْرٌ منَّا؟ أسلمْنا وَجَاهَدْنَا مَعَكَ. قَالَ: «نَعَمْ قَوْمٌ يَكُونُونَ مِنْ بَعْدِكُمْ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِي وَلَمْ يَرَوْنِي» . رَوَاهُ أَحْمَدُ وَالدَّارِمِيُّ وَرَوَى رَزِينٌ عَنْ أَبِي عُبَيْدَةَ مِنْ قَوْلِهِ: قَالَ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ. أَحَدٌ خَيْرٌ مِنَّا إِلى آخِره
Ibn Muhairiz[1] said he asked Abu Jumu’a,[2] one of the Companions, to tell him something he had heard from God’s messenger, and he replied: Yes, I shall tell you a good tradition. One day we had lunch with God’s messenger, and Abu `Ubaida b. al-Jarrah who was along with us asked, “Is anyone better, messenger of God, than we are who have accepted Islam and striven along with you?” He replied, “Yes, people who will come after your time and will believe on me without having seen me.” His name was Abdallah. He settled in Jerusalem and died in 99 A.H. See Shadharat adh dhahab , 1:116. Istiab p. 634, says there was doubt about his name, and one or two different statements about it are quoted. He was a companion of the Prophet and was reckoned among the Syrians. Ahmad and Darimi transmitted it, and Razin transmitted it on Abu `Ubaida’s authority from his asking, “Is anyone better, messenger of God, than we are…” to the end.
وَعَنْ مُعَاوِيَةَ بْنِ قُرَّةَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «إِذَا فَسَدَ أَهْلُ الشَّامِ فَلَا خَيْرَ فِيكُمْ وَلَا يَزَالُ طَائِفَةٌ مِنْ أُمَّتِي مَنْصُورِينَ لَا يَضُرُّهُمْ مَنْ خَذَلَهُمْ حَتَّى تَقُومَ السَّاعَةُ» قَالَ ابْنُ الْمَدِينِيِّ: هُمْ أَصْحَابُ الْحَدِيثَ. رَوَاهُ التِّرْمِذِيُّ وَقَالَ: هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ
Mu’awiya b. Qurra quoted his father’s authority for the statement that God’s messenger said, “When the Syrians become corrupt there will be good in you, but a section of my people will continue to be helped, not being injured by those who desert them, till the last hour comes.” Ibn al-Madini said they are the traditionists. Tirmidhi transmitted it, saying this is a hasan sahih tradition.
وَعَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: «إِنَّ اللَّهَ تَجَاوَزَ عَنْ أُمَّتِي الْخَطَأَ وَالنِّسْيَانَ وَمَا اسْتُكْرِهُوا عَلَيْهِ» . رَوَاهُ ابْن مَاجَه وَالْبَيْهَقِيّ
Ibn `Abbas reported God’s messenger as saying, “God’s has overlooked my people’s mistakes and forgetfulness, and what they are forced to do against their will.” Ibn Majah and Baihaqi transmitted it.
وَعَنْ بَهْزِ بْنِ حَكِيمٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ جَدِّهِ أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ فِي قَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى: [كُنْتُمْ خير أُمَّةٍ أًّخرجت للنَّاس] قَالَ: «أَنْتُمْ تُتِمُّونَ سَبْعِينَ أُمَّةً أَنْتُمْ خَيْرُهَا وَأَكْرَمُهَا عَلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى» رَوَاهُ التِّرْمِذِيُّ وَابْنُ مَاجَهْ وَالدَّارِمِيُّ وَقَالَ التِّرْمِذِيُّ: هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ
Bahz b. Hakim, on his father’s authority, told that with reference to the words of God most high, `You were the best people brought forth for mankind[*],’ his grandfather said he had heard God’s messenger say, “You bring the number up to seventy peoples of which you are the best and most honourable in the estimation of God most high.” *Quran; 3:110 Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah and Darimi transmitted it, Tirmidhi saying this is a hasan tradition.
عَنْ عُمَرَ بْنِ الْخَطَّابِ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «إِنَّمَا الْأَعْمَال بِالنِّيَّاتِ وَإِنَّمَا لكل امْرِئ مَا نَوَى فَمَنْ كَانَتْ هِجْرَتُهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ فَهِجْرَتُهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ وَمَنْ كَانَتْ هِجْرَتُهُ إِلَى دُنْيَا يُصِيبُهَا أَوِ امْرَأَةٍ يَتَزَوَّجُهَا فَهجرَته إِلَى مَا هَاجر إِلَيْهِ»
‘Umar b. al-Khattab, for whom God’s good pleasure is prayed, reported God’s Messenger, to whom may God’s blessings and safe-keeping be granted, as saying: “Deeds are to be judged only by intentions, and a man will have only what he intended. When one’s emigration is to God and His Messenger, his emigration is to God and His Messenger; but when his emigration is to a worldly end at which he aims, or to a woman whom he marries, his emigration is to that to which he emigrated.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)
وَعَنْ جَابِرٍ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «غِلَظُ الْقُلُوبِ وَالْجَفَاءُ فِي الْمَشْرِقِ وَالْإِيمَانُ فِي أَهْلِ الْحِجَازِ» . رَوَاهُ مُسْلِمٌ
Jabir reported God’s messenger as saying, “Harsh hearts and roughness are to be found in the east, but faith among the people of the Hijaz.” Muslim transmitted it.