Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah

It is narrated from Hazrat Tawoos that he said: The rulers were mentioned in the presence of Hazrat Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them). One of them sat on his knees for battle; he raised his head so much that I had not seen anyone taller than him in the house. Hazrat Tawoos says: I heard Hazrat Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them) saying, "Do not make yourself a trial for the oppressing people." So he lowered himself until I could not see anyone smaller than him in the house.

It is narrated from Ayyub al-Sakhtiyani that he said: Hazrat Abdullah bin Mas'ud, Hazrat Sa'd, Hazrat Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them), and Hazrat Ammar gathered and began discussing the upcoming tribulation. Hazrat Sa'd said: As for me, I will remain in my house and will not go out. Hazrat Abdullah bin Mas'ud said: I am upon what you have said. Hazrat Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) said: I am also upon the same. Hazrat Ammar said: But I will be in the midst of it; I will strike it on its big nose.

It is narrated from Ibrahim Taimi that he said: Hazrat Harith bin Suwaid was in an army, and he said: Beware of the tribulations, for they have surely appeared. A man said: You also went out with Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him). He replied: Where will there be an Imam like Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him)?

It is narrated from Hazrat Ka'b that it was said: Every nation has a dog, so fear Allah; its evil will not harm you.

It is narrated from Hazrat Jundub bin Abdullah that he said regarding tribulations: Whoever stares fixedly towards it... it will destroy him.

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Dharr that he said: ...The time is near when food items will not be carried to Madinah on pack saddles, and the food for those living there will be fulfilled from there itself. Whoever has land, crops, or livestock should remain behind their tails at the edges of the clouds, and when you see buildings rising higher than Mount Sala', then remain there.

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Dharr that he said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, was returning from a journey. When he approached Madinah Munawwarah, the people hurried with their flags. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, sent a message to them and they were brought to him. He asked, "What made you hurry?" They replied, "Did you not grant us permission?" He said, "No, nor did I give any such indication. But you hastened towards the women of Madinah." Then he said, "A time will come when a fire will appear from the direction of Jabal Waraq, and because of this fire, the necks of the camels sitting in Bark al-Ghamad of Aden will become brighter than the light of day."

It is narrated from Hazrat Anas that Abdullah bin Salam asked the Prophet (peace be upon him) which is the first sign among the signs of the Day of Judgment. He replied, "Gabriel has just informed me that surely a fire will gather them from the east."

It is narrated from Hazrat Umar that he said: O people! Migrate to Habsha. Fire will emerge from the valleys of Bani Ali, which will come from the direction of Yemen and will gather the people together. It will move when the people move, and it will stop when they sleep, until it gathers the watchmen and brings them to Busra. And if a man falls, it will stop until it catches him.

It is narrated from Hazrat Dhahhak that he said regarding the saying of Allah Almighty: (YURSALU ‘ALAYKUMA SHUWAZUN MIN NARIN WA NUHAS) (A flame of fire and smoke of copper will be sent upon you), (what is meant by this is) that there will be a fire which will emerge from the west and will gather the people, until it will even gather the monkeys and pigs. It will spend the night wherever they spend the night, and will be present at noon wherever they are at noon.

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Dharr that he said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: I wish I knew when the fire would emerge from the direction of Jabal Waraq, by which the necks of the camels sitting in Busra would be illuminated like the brightness of the day.

It is narrated from Hazrat Abdullah bin Amr that he said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Soon, before the Day of Judgment, a fire will emerge from the sea of Hadramaut. The companions asked, "O Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), what do you command us to do?" He said: "You must go to Sham (Greater Syria)."

It is narrated from Hazrat Huzail bin Shurahbeel that he said: Hazrat Muawiyah delivered a sermon before the people and said, "O people! Indeed, you have come and you have pledged allegiance to me willingly, and if you had pledged allegiance to an Abyssinian slave with cut ears, I would have come and pledged allegiance to him with you." When he descended from the pulpit, Hazrat Amr bin Aas said to him, "Do you know what you have done today? You have said that they pledged allegiance to you willingly. So if they pledge allegiance to that Abyssinian slave, you will have to come and pledge allegiance to him." He became regretful and returned towards the pulpit and said, "O people, is there anyone more deserving of this matter (caliphate) than me? Is there anyone more deserving of it than me?" The narrator said that Hazrat Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) was present there. The narrator said that Hazrat Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) said, "I intended to say: The one more deserving of this matter than you is the one who struck you and your father for the sake of Islam. Then I feared that my words would cause discord, and I remembered the Paradise that Allah has prepared, so refraining from what I wanted to say became easy for me."

It is narrated from Hazrat Urwah that he said: Qais bin Sa'd bin Ubadah was the commander of the vanguard with Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), and there were five honorable individuals with him. They formed a circle and pledged allegiance to Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him). Qais refused to enter into the pledge and said to his companions: "What do you want? If you wish, I will continue to fight alongside you until the one who is most hasty perishes. And if you wish, I can secure safety for you." They said, "Secure (safety) for us." He took a (covenant) for them that such and such would be for them and that no punishment would be given to them, and that he would be counted as one of them, and did not take any special covenant for himself. When they set out towards Madinah and departed with his companions, he would slaughter a camel for them each day until they reached (Madinah).

It is narrated from Abdullah bin Umar that he said: May Allah have mercy on Ibn Zubair, he intended to use the dinars of Syria, and may Allah have mercy on Marwan, he intended to use the dirhams of Iraq.

Hazrat Muhammad bin Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), son of Al-Hanafiyyah, narrates that he said… Beware of tribulations, for indeed no one even raises his gaze towards them except that the tribulation overtakes him. Be aware and take heed: for those people there is death and an appointed time. If all those who are on the earth were to gather together to end their kingdom, they would not be able to do so until Allah permits it. Do you have the power to remove these mountains?

Hazrat Nafi' narrates from Hazrat Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) that he said: When Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) was given the pledge of allegiance, he came to me and said: "You are a person who is beloved among the people of Syria. I have appointed you as their governor; go to them." Hazrat Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) said: I remembered the ties of kinship and marriage, and I said: "After praise and salutations, by Allah, I will not give you the pledge of allegiance." He (Ibn Umar, may Allah be pleased with them) said: He left me and went away. After that, when Hazrat Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) came to Hazrat Umm Kulthum, he greeted her and headed towards Makkah. Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) arrived, and it was said to him: "Indeed, Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) has headed towards Syria and is gathering people for battle." Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "If this man hurries so much that he puts his cloak on his camel's neck..." The narrator said: Someone came to Hazrat Umm Kulthum and informed her. She sent a message to her father: "What are you doing? That man came to me, greeted me, and went towards Makkah." So the people returned.

Hazrat Hisham bin Urwah narrates from Hazrat Urwah that he said: I and Abdullah bin Zubair came to Hazrat Asma ten nights before the martyrdom. Hazrat Asma was ill. Hazrat Abdullah said to her, "How do you find yourself?" She replied, "I am ill." Hazrat Abdullah said to her, "How do you find yourself?" She replied, "I am ill." Hazrat Abdullah said, "There is well-being in death." Hazrat Asma said, "Perhaps you desire my death, that is why you are wishing for it. By Allah, I... wished that death would come to you until you come to one of two things... either you are killed, so I hope for reward because of you, or you prevail, so my eyes will be cooled. Beware that you are faced with such a situation that is not suitable for you, and you accept it due to the dislike and aversion of death." Hazrat Abdullah meant that he would be killed, and this would grieve Hazrat Asma.

It is narrated from Hazrat Ibn Abi Mulaika that he said: I came to Hazrat Asma after the martyrdom of Hazrat Abdullah bin Zubair. Hazrat Asma said: I have heard that they hanged Hazrat Abdullah face down and hung a cat with him. By Allah, I wish that I do not die until they return Abdullah to me; I will bathe him, apply fragrance to him, shroud him, and then bury him. Shortly after, a letter from Abdul Malik arrived stating that he should be handed over to his family. Then Hazrat Asma bathed him, applied fragrance to him, shrouded him, and then buried him.

It is narrated from Hazrat Safiyyah that she said: Hazrat Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) entered the mosque and Hazrat Abdullah bin Zubair had been crucified. He said: This is Asma. Hazrat Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) came to her and advised her and spoke to her about reform, and said: The body is nothing, and the souls are with Allah Almighty, so be patient and seek reward. Hazrat Asma said: And what can prevent me from being patient, when the head of Hazrat Yahya bin Zakariya was given to a prostitute among the women of Bani Israel?

Hazrat Khallaf bin Khalifah narrates from his father Hazrat Khalifah that he said: I was informed that when Hajjaj intended to kill Hazrat Abdullah bin Zubair, he took him towards Mina and hanged him near the pass in the valley. Then he saw Hazrat Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) who came riding on his mule. He was bringing it close to the trunk, but it was shying away. He said to his servant: Woe to you, hold its reins and bring it closer. The narrator says he brought the mule closer. Hazrat Abdullah bin Umar stopped and was saying: May Allah have mercy on you, you were one who fasted and stood in prayer. That nation has attained success whose evil is you.

It is narrated from Hazrat Hilal bin Yasaf that he said: Hazrat Buraid narrated to me, who brought Mukhtar's head to Hazrat Abdullah bin Zubair. He said: When I placed his head before Ibn Zubair, he said: Ka'b never narrated anything to me except that I saw its confirmation, except for this one thing, because he narrated to me that a man from Thaqif would kill me. I am seeing myself that I have killed him.

It is narrated from Hazrat Munzir: I was with Muhammad bin Hanafiyyah. I saw him turning restlessly on his bed and blowing (sighing). His wife said to him, "What is making you restless? Is it because of your enemy Ibn Zubair?" He replied, "I have no worry about Allah's enemy Ibn Zubair. Rather, I am worried about what will be done tomorrow in Allah's sanctuary (the Haram)." The narrator says: Then he raised his hands towards the sky and said, "O Allah, You know that what You have taught me—surely (he meant Ibn Zubair) will be killed and taken out of the Haram, and his head will be paraded around the cities," or he said, "in the markets."

It is narrated from Hazrat Saeed that he said: Hazrat Abdullah bin Umar came to Hazrat Abdullah bin Zubair and said, "O Ibn Zubair, beware of committing heresy in the Haram. Verily, I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say that soon a man from among the Quraysh will spread heresy in the Haram. If his sins were weighed against the sins of the jinn and mankind, his would be greater. So see to it that you are not that man."

Ishaq narrates from his father, who said that Hazrat Mus'ab bin Zubair came to Hazrat Abdullah bin Umar while he was performing Sa'i between Safa and Marwah. Hazrat Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) asked, "Who are you?" He replied, "Your nephew, Mus'ab bin Zubair." Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) asked, "From Iraq?" He replied, "Yes." Mus'ab bin Zubair said, "I have come to ask you about those people who have left obedience, shed blood, and made wealth lawful upon themselves. They were fought against and overpowered. They entered a fort, were besieged in it, then they sought amnesty, were granted safety, and then were killed." Hazrat Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) asked, "How many were they?" He replied, "Five thousand." The narrator said that at that time Hazrat Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) said, "Subhan Allah," and said, "O Ibn Zubair, may Allah grant you a long life. If a man were to come among Zubair's cattle and slaughter five thousand of them in one morning, would you consider him to have exceeded the limits?" Hazrat Mus'ab replied, "Yes." Hazrat Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) said, "You consider it excess in cattle who do not know Allah, and you deem their blood lawful, those who declare the purity of Allah and recite the Kalimah, all in one day?"

It is narrated from Abu Husain that he said: I have not seen anyone who spoke ill of others more than Abdullah bin Zubair.

It is narrated from Hazrat Urwah that the people of Syria used to fight against Hazrat Ibn Zubair and would shout at him, saying, "O son of the possessor of the two belts!" Hazrat Ibn Zubair would recite, "This is a fault, the disgrace of which is evident upon you." Hazrat Asma said, "Do they reproach you for this?" Hazrat Ibn Zubair replied, "Yes." She said, "By Allah, it is the truth."

It is narrated from Hazrat Hisham bin Urwah that Hazrat Ibn Zubair used to attack them until he would drive them out from the doors, and he used to say, "If my opponent is alone, then I am sufficient for him," and he would also recite poetry: "And our wounds do not bleed upon our heels... rather, blood drips upon our feet." (The meaning is that we fight facing the enemy and do not turn our backs and flee.)

It is narrated from Hazrat Abdullah that he said: Adhere to obedience and the congregation, for indeed it is the rope of Allah which Allah has commanded to hold fast to. And indeed, the things you dislike in the congregation are better than those you like in separation. Allah Almighty has not created anything except that He has appointed its end. This religion has certainly been perfected and now it is heading towards decline. And the sign of this decline is that family ties will be severed, unlawful wealth will be taken, blood will be shed, a relative will complain about his close relatives that they give him nothing, a beggar will go around for two Fridays but nothing will be placed in his hand. People will be in this state when suddenly the earth will make a sound like a cow. All the people will think that it is making the sound from their side. While people are in this state, suddenly the earth will bring forth its treasures, that is, gold and silver. After that, there will be no benefit from this gold and silver.

It is narrated from Hazrat Masruq that he said: Hazrat Abdullah looked towards his house and said, "There will be great desolation in it. Those people will surround it and come." He was asked, "Who will those people be?" He replied, "They will come from here and there." While narrating the tradition, Abu Husain pointed with his hand towards the west.

It is narrated from Hazrat Arqam bin Yaqoob that he said: I heard Hazrat Abdullah saying, "What will be your condition when you will leave your land for the Arabian Peninsula and the places where grass grows?" I asked, "Who will drive us out from our land?" He replied, "The enemy of Allah."

It is narrated from Hazrat Hudhaifah (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: It is as if I am seeing them, that the ears of their horses will be erect and their monks and ascetics will be on both banks of the Euphrates.

It is narrated from Hazrat Hudhaifa (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: Never did any people adopt mutual cursing and taunting among themselves except that the matter of punishment became established upon them.

It is narrated from Hazrat Hudhaifa (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: After Hazrat Umar, I do not care whom I pledge allegiance to.

It is narrated from Hazrat Hudhaifa (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: Surely, a trial comes upon the hearts; whichever heart absorbs its love, a black dot is placed upon that heart, and whichever heart dislikes that trial, a white mark is placed upon it. Whoever among you wants to know whether a trial has reached him or not, let him consider: if he has started to regard as forbidden what he used to consider lawful, or has started to regard as lawful what he used to consider forbidden, then the trial has reached him.

It is narrated from Hazrat Hudhaifah (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: A time will come upon the people that if you turn towards them in the Friday prayer and shoot an arrow, it will not hit anyone except disbelievers. (The meaning is that all will be in disbelief, but here disbelief does not mean that which takes one out of Islam; rather, it means that everyone will be involved in actions like those of the disbelievers.)

It is narrated from Hazrat Hudhaifa (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: In times of tribulation, there are moments when it pauses and moments when it flares up. If you are able, let death come to you during its pauses. And he said: There is no pure wine that intoxicates people's minds more than tribulations do.

It is narrated from Hazrat Rafi’ Abi Kathirah that he said: I heard Abu al-Hasan Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) say that the earth will be filled with oppression and excess, until fear and fighting will enter every house. Two dirhams and two jarib will be asked for, but they will not be given (a jarib is a measure equal to 8 qafiz). There will be fighting in response to fighting, and armies will march against armies, until Allah will encompass them in their city. Then the earth will be filled with justice and fairness.

It is narrated from Hazrat Tariq bin Shihab that he said: Hazrat Khalid bin Walid flogged a man as a prescribed punishment (hadd). The next day, he flogged another man as a prescribed punishment. A man said, "By Allah, this is a trial (fitnah); yesterday you flogged a man as hadd, and today you flogged another man as hadd." Hazrat Khalid bin Walid said, "This is not a trial. A trial is when countless sins are committed in a land, and a person wishes to go to a land where sins are not committed, but he does not find such a land."

It is narrated from Hazrat Sa’d bin Hudhaifah (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: When the people agreed to depose Hazrat Sa’eed bin Aas, they wrote a document among themselves stating that no one would be appointed over them except a person with whom they would be pleased for themselves and for their religion. While they were in this state, suddenly Hazrat Hudhaifah (may Allah be pleased with him) arrived from Mada’in, bringing his document to them. He said, “O Abu Abdullah, we have dealt with this man as you have heard, then we wrote this document, and we wish that we do not make any definite decision in any matter without you.” Hazrat Hudhaifah (may Allah be pleased with him) looked at their document, smiled, and said, “By Allah, I do not know which of the two matters you intended: whether you intended to appoint as leaders those who are not beneficial for you, or you intended to return this tribulation to the place where it will become unbridled and strong. Indeed, this tribulation is sent by Allah Almighty upon the earth; it grazes until it tramples its reins, so that none among the people has the power to stop it. None among the people fights in it except that he is killed, until Allah Almighty sends clouds like the clouds of autumn, and the fighting occurs among them.”