Reports on the virtue of Kufah

Jundub al-Azdi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "We set out with Sayyiduna Salman (may Allah be pleased with him) towards the place called al-Hirah. Then he (may Allah be pleased with him) turned towards Kufa and said: 'It is the tent of Islam. No huts are defended as these are defended, except the huts in which Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) was. And the world will not end until every believer gathers in it, or a man whose desire is directed towards it.'"

Jundub (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "We were with Sayyiduna Salman (may Allah be pleased with him), and we had come from the place called al-Hirah. He (may Allah be pleased with him) said twice: 'Kufa is the tent of Islam.'"

Salim (may Allah have mercy on him) said that Sayyiduna Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "No tents are defended as the tents that were in Kufa are defended, other than the tents that were with Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)."

Rabi' bin Umaylah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "A dispute arose between a man from Kufa and a man from Sham, and the two began to boast to one another. The Kufan said: 'We are the people of the day of the Battle of al-Qadisiyyah and of such and such days.' The Shami said: 'We are the people of the Battle of Yarmuk and of such and such days.' At this Sayyiduna Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: 'Allah did not make either of them a witness to the destruction of Ad and Thamud, nor did He consult either of them about it. And no town is more deserving of having a great calamity averted from it, meaning Kufa.'"

Hubbah al-Urani (may Allah have mercy on him) said that Sayyiduna Umar bin al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "O people of Kufa! You are the foundation of the Arabs and their noble tribe, and my arrow which I shoot if anything comes at me from here and there. And indeed I have sent Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) to you, and I chose him for you, and in his matter I gave you preference over myself."

Nafi' bin Jubayr (may Allah have mercy on him) said that Sayyiduna Umar bin al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) wrote a letter to the people of Kufa and honoured them with this title: "To the notable people."

Imam al-Sha'bi (may Allah have mercy on him) said that Sayyiduna Umar bin al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) wrote a letter to the people of Kufa and honoured them with this title: "To the foundation of the Arabs."

Amir (may Allah have mercy on him) said that Sayyiduna Umar bin al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) wrote a letter to the people of Kufa and honoured them with this title: "To the foundation of Islam."

Al-Ajlah (may Allah have mercy on him) said that Abdullah Abu al-Hudhayl (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "A time will come upon the people when every believer will encamp in Kufa."

Shamir (may Allah have mercy on him) said that Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Kufa is the spear of Allah, the treasure of faith and the noble tribe of the Arabs. These people guard their frontiers and reinforce the cities."

Rabi' (may Allah have mercy on him) said that Sayyiduna Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "After the tents that were with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) at Badr, there are no tents that are defended as these are defended," meaning Kufa.

Jundub said that Sayyiduna Salman (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Kufa is the tent of Islam. A time will come upon the people when no believer will remain except that he will have gathered in it, or his heart will long to gather in it."

Abu Raja' (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "I asked al-Hasan (may Allah have mercy on him): 'Are the people of Kufa more noble, or the people of Basra?' He (may Allah have mercy on him) said: 'The start used to be made with Kufa.'"

Salim bin Abi al-Ja'd (may Allah have mercy on him) said that Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "O people of Kufa! You are the most fortunate of all people through al-Mahdi."

Al-Sa'ib (may Allah have mercy on him) said that Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) asked me: "Where are you from?" I said: "I am from the people of Kufa." At this he (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "By the One in whose Hand of power is my soul, people will surely travel from it to the land of the Arabs, owning neither a qafiz nor a dirham. And even then it will not save you."