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Hadith 3442

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الْيَمَانِ ، أَخْبَرَنَا شُعَيْبٌ ، عَنْ الزُّهْرِيِّ ، قَالَ : أَخْبَرَنِي أَبُو سَلَمَةَ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ ، أَنَّ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ ، قَالَ : سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ، يَقُولُ : " أَنَا أَوْلَى النَّاسِ بِابْنِ مَرْيَمَ وَالْأَنْبِيَاءُ أَوْلَادُ عَلَّاتٍ لَيْسَ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَهُ نَبِيٌّ " .
Narrated Abu Huraira: I heard Allah's Apostle saying, "I am the nearest of all the people to the son of Mary, and all the prophets are paternal brothers, and there has been no prophet between me and him (i.e. Jesus).
Hadith Reference صحيح البخاري / كتاب أحاديث الأنبياء / 3442
Hadith Grading محدثین: أحاديث صحيح البخاريّ كلّها صحيحة
Explanation & Benefits
Maulana Dawood Raz
Hadith Commentary:
You (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) are a Prophet, and he (i.e., ‘Isa alayhis salam) is also a Prophet; there has been no other Prophet between you and him.
‘Isa (alayhis salam) himself gave glad tidings of your coming in the Gospel, stating that after me, the Comforter will come, and he will inform you of many things which I have not told you, because he too will acquire knowledge from the same source as I have acquired it.
In one Gospel, the name of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) is mentioned explicitly, but the Christians have concealed it.
There is no limit to this mischief.
They say that the meaning of “Paraclete” is also “the praised one,” that is, Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam).
Source: Sahih Bukhari: Commentary by Maulana Dawood Raz, Page: 3442
Shaykh Abdul Sattar al-Hammad
Hadith Commentary:

In terms of following and emulation, the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) is closest to Ibrahim (alayhis salam), and in terms of era and time, he is closest to Isa (alayhis salam).

The noble Prophets (alayhimus salam) are paternal brothers (alati), meaning they share the same father, on the basis that they are all united in the belief in Tawhid (monotheism), and Tawhid is like the father, because all the divine laws (shari‘ahs) are dependent upon it. However, the shari‘ahs themselves are different.
The shari‘ah is in the position of the mother.
‘Allamah ‘Ayni (rahimahullah) states that the fundamental matters (usul) of the noble Prophets (alayhimus salam) are one, but there is difference in the subsidiary matters (furu‘).
In the fundamentals of religions, Tawhid is foremost.
(‘Umdat al-Qari: 198/10)
Source: Hidayat al-Qari: Commentary on Sahih Bukhari, Urdu, Page: 3442
Maulana Dawood Raz
Hadith Commentary:
'Uterine brothers' are those who share the same father but have different mothers.
In the same way, the religion (deen) of all the Prophets is one, while the subsidiary (furu'i) matters are different.
Source: Sahih Bukhari: Commentary by Maulana Dawood Raz, Page: 3443
Shaykh Abdul Sattar al-Hammad
Hadith Commentary:

The reason for Prophet Isa (alayhis salam) being the closest is that he was the one who, upon coming to this world, gave the glad tidings that after him the Prophet of the Last Era would arrive, whose noble name is Ahmad. Then, he will return again and will be subordinate to his (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) Shariah, and will propagate his religion.


The meaning of being paternal brothers is that all the Prophets (alayhimus salam) are united in matters of creed and the fundamentals of religion, i.e., the belief in Tawhid (the Oneness of Allah) is the same for all. However, in subsidiary matters and rulings, they differ; it is as if they are half-brothers whose father is one but whose mothers are different.

And Allah knows best.
Source: Hidayat al-Qari: Commentary on Sahih Bukhari, Urdu, Page: 3443
Shaykh Umar Farooq Saeedi
Benefits and Issues:
The meaning of the Prophets being paternal brothers (brothers from the father's side) is that the fundamentals of their call are the same, i.e., monotheism (tawhid), prophethood (nubuwwah), and resurrection on the Day of Judgment (ba‘th, qiyamah). However, there have been differences in other legal (shar‘i) matters.

The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) himself referred to the Prophets as “my brother (Yusuf),” mentioning the Prophets with great affection and in a beautiful manner.

Then how can it be permissible for the Ummah to mention them in a detailed or divisive manner, or to declare one superior and another inferior?
Source: Sunan Abu Dawood – Commentary by Shaykh Umar Farooq Saeedi, Page: 4675