Hadith 221

حَدَّثَنَا هَنَّادُ بْنُ السَّرِيِّ ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الأَحْوَصِ ، عَنْ أَبِي إِسْحَاق ، عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ مَيْمُونٍ ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ، قَالَ : قَالَ لَنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : " أَمَا تَرْضَوْنَ أَنْ تَكُونُوا رُبُعَ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ ؟ قَالَ : فَكَبَّرْنَا ، ثُمَّ قَالَ : أَمَا تَرْضَوْنَ أَنْ تَكُونُوا ثُلُثَ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ ؟ قَالَ : فَكَبَّرْنَا ، ثُمَّ قَالَ : إِنِّي لَأَرْجُو أَنْ تَكُونُوا شَطْرَ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ ، وَسَأُخْبِرُكُمْ عَنْ ذَلِكَ ، مَا الْمُسْلِمُونَ فِي الْكُفَّارِ ، إِلَّا كَشَعْرَةٍ بَيْضَاءَ فِي ثَوْرٍ أَسْوَدَ أَوْ كَشَعْرَةٍ سَوْدَاءَ فِي ثَوْرٍ أَبْيَضَ " .
'Abdullah bin Mas'ud reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) addressing us said: Aren't you pleased that you should constitute one-fourth of the inhabitants of Paradise? He (the narrator) said: We glorified (our Lord, i. e. we called aloud Allah-o Akbar, Allah is the Greatest). He, then, again said: Aren't you pleased that you should constitute one-third of the inhabitants of Paradise? He (the narrator) said: We glorified (our Lord) and he (the Holy Prophet) then again said: I hope that you would constitute half of the inhabitants of Paradise and I shall explain to you its (reason). The believers among the unbelievers would not be more than a white hair on (the body of a) black ox or a black hair on (the body of a) white ox.
Hadith Reference صحيح مسلم / كتاب الإيمان / 221
Hadith Grading محدثین: أحاديث صحيح مسلم كلها صحيحة
Hadith Takhrij «أحاديث صحيح مسلم كلها صحيحة ، أخرجه البخاري في ((صحيحه)) في الرقاق، باب: الحشر برقم (6528) وفي الايمان والنذور، باب: كيف كانت یمین النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم برقم (6642) والترمذي في ((جامعه)) في ((صفة الجنة)) باب: ما جاء فى صفة اهل الجنة برقم (5247) وقال: هذا حديث حسن صحيح وابن ماجه في ((سننه)) في الزهد، باب: صفة امة محمد صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم برقم (4283) انظر ((التحفة)) برقم (9483)»
• • •
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى ، وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ ، وَاللَّفْظُ لِابْنِ الْمُثَنَّى ، قَالَا : حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ ، حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ ، عَنْ أَبِي إِسْحَاق ، عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ مَيْمُونٍ ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ، قَالَ : " كُنَّا مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فِي قُبَّةٍ ، نَحْوًا مِنْ أَرْبَعِينَ رَجُلًا ، فَقَالَ : أَتَرْضَوْنَ أَنْ تَكُونُوا رُبُعَ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ ؟ قَالَ قُلْنَا : نَعَمْ ، فَقَالَ : أَتَرْضَوْنَ أَنْ تَكُونُوا ثُلُثَ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ ؟ فَقُلْنَا : نَعَمْ ، فَقَالَ : وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ ، إِنِّي لَأَرْجُو أَنْ تَكُونُوا نِصْفَ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ وَذَاكَ أَنَّ الْجَنَّةَ لَا يَدْخُلُهَا إِلَّا نَفْسٌ مُسْلِمَةٌ ، وَمَا أَنْتُمْ فِي أَهْلِ الشِّرْكِ ، إِلَّا كَالشَّعْرَةِ الْبَيْضَاءِ فِي جِلْدِ الثَّوْرِ الأَسْوَدِ ، أَوْ كَالشَّعْرَةِ السَّوْدَاءِ فِي جِلْدِ الثَّوْرِ الأَحْمَرِ " .
'Abdullah (b. Mas'ud) reported: We, about forty men, were with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) in a camp when he said: Aren't you pleased that they should constitute one-fourth of the inhabitants of Paradise? He (the narrator) said: Yes. He (the Holy Prophet) again said: Aren't you pleased that you should constitute one-third of the inhabitants of Paradise? They said: Yes. Upon this he again said: By Him in Whose Hand is my life, I hope that you would constitute one-half of the inhabitants of Paradise and the reason is that no one would be admitted into Paradise but a believer and you are no more among the polytheists than as a white hair on the skin of a black ox or a black hair on the skin of a red ox.
Hadith Reference صحيح مسلم / كتاب الإيمان / 221
Hadith Grading محدثین: أحاديث صحيح مسلم كلها صحيحة
Hadith Takhrij «أحاديث صحيح مسلم كلها صحيحة ، تقدم تخريجه فى الحديث السابق برقم (528)»
• • •
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ نُمَيْرٍ ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي ، حَدَّثَنَا مَالِكٌ وَهُوَ ابْنُ مِغْوَلٍ ، عَنْ أَبِي إِسْحَاق ، عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ مَيْمُونٍ ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ، قَالَ : خَطَبَنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ، فَأَسْنَدَ ظَهْرَهُ إِلَى قُبَّةِ أَدَمٍ ، فَقَالَ : " أَلَا لَا يَدْخُلُ الْجَنَّةَ إِلَّا نَفْسٌ مُسْلِمَةٌ ، اللَّهُمَّ هَلْ بَلَّغْتُ ، اللَّهُمَّ اشْهَدْ ، أَتُحِبُّونَ أَنَّكُمْ رُبُعُ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ ؟ فَقُلْنَا : نَعَمْ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ، فَقَالَ : أَتُحِبُّونَ أَنْ تَكُونُوا ثُلُثَ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ ؟ قَالُوا : نَعَمْ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ، قَالَ : إِنِّي لَأَرْجُو أَنْ تَكُونُوا شَطْرَ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ ، مَا أَنْتُمْ فِي سِوَاكُمْ مِنَ الأُمَمِ ، إِلَّا كَالشَّعْرَةِ السَّوْدَاءِ فِي الثَّوْرِ الأَبْيَضِ ، أَوْ كَالشَّعْرَةِ الْبَيْضَاءِ فِي الثَّوْرِ الأَسْوَدِ " .
'Abdullah b Mas'ud reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) addressed us and then supported his back (by reclining) against a leather tent and said: Behold, no one but a believing person would enter Paradise. O Allah, (see) have I conveyed (it not)? O Allah, be witness (to it that I have conveyed it). (Then addressing the companions) he said: Don't you like that you should constitute one-fourth of the inhabitants of Paradise? We said: Yes, Messenger of Allah. He again said: Don't you like that you should constitute one-third of the inhabitants of Paradise? They said: Yes, Messenger of Allah. He said: I hope that you would constitute one- half of the inhabitants of Paradise and you would be among the peoples of the world, like a black hair on (the body of) a white ox or like a white hair on the body of a black ox.
Hadith Reference صحيح مسلم / كتاب الإيمان / 221
Hadith Grading محدثین: أحاديث صحيح مسلم كلها صحيحة
Hadith Takhrij «أحاديث صحيح مسلم كلها صحيحة ، تقدم تخريجه برقم (528)»
• • •
Explanation & Benefits
Shaykh Maulana Abdul Aziz Alvi
Hadith Commentary: Benefits and Issues:
(1)
From this hadith, it is understood that the number of disbelievers is much greater compared to the Muslims, and in the era of every prophet (alayhis salam), the disbelievers have always been more numerous. If, in the times of the previous prophets (alayhimus salam), the number of disbelievers had been less, then the followers of those prophets would have constituted a greater portion of the inhabitants of Paradise, and we would not have been half of the people of Paradise.

(2)
The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) informed about the number of Muslims among the people of Paradise gradually; he did not say from the very beginning that "you will be half," so that the joy and happiness of the noble Companions (radi Allahu anhum) would increase, and through the repeated glad tidings, their sense of gratitude for this favor would be strengthened, and its greatness and majesty would become firmly established in their hearts.

From another hadith, which is found in Tirmidhi and Tabarani, it is known that there will be one hundred and twenty (120) rows of the people of Paradise, and among them, the rows of the Ummah of Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) will be eighty (80), from which it is understood that Muslims will constitute two-thirds of the inhabitants of Paradise. (Fath al-Mulhim: 1/381)
Source: Tuhfat al-Muslim: Commentary on Sahih Muslim, Page: 529
Maulana Dawood Raz
Hadith Commentary:

In another narration, it is stated: like a single black hair on a white ox.
The intended meaning is that, in this world, the number of polytheists and sinners has always been very large, and Allah’s monotheist and believing servants have always been fewer than these polytheists and disbelievers, so there is nothing surprising in this.
It is clearly mentioned in the Noble Qur’an:
﴿وَقَلِيلٌ مِنْ عِبَادِيَ الشَّكُورُ﴾ () (Saba: 13)
Very few of My servants are grateful.
Generally, this is the case, and even among Muslims, the number of those who adhere to monotheism (tawhid) and the Sunnah has always remained small. The number of those who nowadays are called Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jama‘ah can be observed at the gatherings of ‘urs and ta‘ziyah.
You will find polytheists and innovators in abundance.
The people of monotheism, those who are bound to the Shari‘ah, and those who are devoted to the Sunnah are extremely few.
May Allah the Exalted make us practitioners of monotheism and the Sunnah, and true obedient followers of Islam.
Amin.
Source: Sahih Bukhari: Commentary by Maulana Dawood Raz, Page: 6528
Shaykh Abdul Sattar al-Hammad
Hadith Commentary:
(1)
In this world of color and scent, the number of disbelievers and sinners is becoming much greater compared to the people of faith. The true monotheistic servants of Allah have always been very few, as Allah the Exalted has stated:
“Very few of My servants are grateful.” ( Saba: 34/13)
This matter is further clarified in another hadith in which the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said:
“There will be one hundred and twenty rows of the people of Paradise, of which eighty rows will be from my ummah.” (Musnad Ahmad: 5/347)
(2)
The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) mentioned the number of Muslims in Paradise gradually so that their happiness and joy would continue to increase.
Source: Hidayat al-Qari: Commentary on Sahih Bukhari, Urdu, Page: 6528
Shaykh Maulana Abdul Aziz Alvi
Hadith Commentary: Benefits and Issues:
This hadith establishes that only believers will enter Paradise; no disbeliever will enter Paradise.
Source: Tuhfat al-Muslim: Commentary on Sahih Muslim, Page: 530
Maulana Ataullah Sajid
Benefits and Issues:
(1)
The benefit of giving glad tidings gradually, from lesser to greater, is that in this way greater happiness is attained, and the magnitude of the blessing is felt more profoundly.

(2)
The era of the Ummah of Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) is also lengthy, and its number of individuals is also greater; therefore, their number among the people of Paradise will also be greater.
Source: Commentary on Sunan Ibn Mājah by Mawlānā ‘Atā’ullāh Sājid, Page: 4283