Sayyiduna Abu Dharr al-Ghifari (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: We were with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). He picked up some pebbles, and the pebbles glorified Allah in his hand. Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) put them down, and they fell silent. Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) picked them up, and they glorified Allah in his hand. Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) gave them to Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), and they glorified Allah in the hand of Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him). Then he put them down, and they fell silent. Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) took them, and they glorified Allah in the hand of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) put them down, and they fell silent. Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) gave them to Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), and they glorified Allah in the hand of Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him). Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) took them, and they glorified Allah in the hand of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) put them down, and they fell silent. Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) gave them to Sayyiduna Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him), and they glorified Allah in the hand of Sayyiduna Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him). Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) gave them to Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him); he put them down, and they fell silent. Al-Zuhri said: This was the caliphate which Allah Almighty granted to Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) and Sayyiduna Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him).
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Awsat; its chain contains Muhammad bin Abi Humayd, who is da'if (weak). This report has a better route than this one, which will come in the chapter on the Signs of Prophethood; its chain is sahih (authentic), and it does not contain al-Zuhri's statement about the caliphate.
Hadith Referenceمجمع الزوائد ومنبع الفوائد / كتاب الخلافة / 8924
Hadith Gradingمحدثین:إسنادہ ضعیف
Hadith Takhrij«اخرجه الطبراني فى المعجم الاوسط (1266)»