Musnad Ahmad

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Bakrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) once mentioned a region called Basrah, on one side of which flows a river named Dijlah (Tigris), and it is an area with many gardens. There, the Banu Qantura (Turks) will come and settle. Then the people will be divided into three groups: one group will join their origin and they will be destroyed; one group will transgress against themselves and disbelieve; and one group will leave their children behind and fight. Their slain will be martyrs, and through the remaining people of this group, the Muslims will achieve victory.

Muhammad ibn Yazid narrated to us, al-‘Awwam ibn Hawshab informed us, from Sa‘id ibn Jumhan, from Ibn Abi Bakrah, from his father, who said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "You will surely settle in a land called al-Basrah or al-Busayrah on the Tigris, a river..." — and he mentioned its meaning. Al-‘Awwam said: Banu Qantura are the Turks.

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Bakrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that a man presented himself in the court of the Messenger and asked, "O Messenger of Allah, which person is the best?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) replied, "The one whose life is long and whose deeds are good." The questioner asked, "And who is the worst person?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) replied, "The one whose life is long and whose deeds are bad."

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Bakrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: None of you should say, "I stood in prayer and fasted for the entire Ramadan," because there is no way to avoid heedlessness or sleep. It may happen that he sleeps through a day.

Abdur Rahman narrates that once the mention of Laylat al-Qadr was made in the presence of Hazrat Abu Bakrah (may Allah be pleased with him), so he said: I will seek it only in the last ten nights because I heard something from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) regarding it. I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) say: Seek Laylat al-Qadr in the last ten nights of Ramadan—on the 21st, 23rd, 25th, or 27th night, or on the last night.

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Bakrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: The parents of Dajjal will remain for thirty years in such a state that they will have no children, then a child will be born to them who will be one-eyed, his harm will be greater and his benefit less. His eyes will sleep but his heart will not sleep. Then, describing the appearance of his parents, he said: His father will be a tall man, his flesh will shake, and his nose will be long, it will seem as if it is the beak of a parrot. His mother will be a woman with large breasts. After some time, we came to know that a child was born to the Jews in Medina. I and Zubair bin Al-Awwam went to see him. When we reached his parents, we found the description given by the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) to be true. The child was lying wrapped in a sheet, making faint sounds. We asked his parents about him, and they told us: We spent thirty years in such a state that we had no child, then this one-eyed child was born to us, whose harm is greater and benefit less. When we left from there and passed by him, he said: What were you talking about? We said: Did you hear what we were saying? He said: Yes, my eyes sleep but my heart does not sleep. He was Ibn Sayyad.

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Bakrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) rode a camel to deliver a sermon on the occasion of the Farewell Pilgrimage. A man held its rein, then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Tell me, what day is this?" We replied, "Allah and His Messenger know best." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) remained silent for so long that we thought he might give it another name. But the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "Is it not the Day of Sacrifice (Yawm al-Nahr)?" We replied, "Why not." Then he said, "What month is this?" We replied, "Allah and His Messenger know best." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) remained silent for so long that we thought he might give it another name. But the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "Is it not the month of Dhu al-Hijjah?" We replied, "Why not." Then he said, "What city is this?" We replied, "Allah and His Messenger know best." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) remained silent as before, then said, "Is it not the Sacred City (Makkah)?" We replied, "Why not." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "Your lives, your wealth, and your honor are as sacred to each other as the sanctity of this day, in this month, in this city. And soon you will meet your Lord, and He will ask you about your deeds. Beware! Do not go astray after me, striking the necks of one another. Have I conveyed the message of Allah?" Let those present convey this message to those who are absent, for sometimes the one to whom the message is conveyed may preserve it better than the one who heard it." The narrator says that it happened just like that.

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Bakrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) began the prayer and said the takbeer, then signaled to the companions to remain in their places. Then he went home, and when he came out, drops of water were dripping from his head. Then he led the prayer, and after the prayer he said: "I am also a human being; ghusl (ritual bath) had become obligatory upon me."

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Bakrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: I will wait for you at the Pond of Kawthar.

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Bakrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that once, in the presence of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), people were mentioning a man. One person said, "O Messenger of Allah, after you, in such and such deeds, no one seems superior to this person." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "Alas, you have broken your companion's neck." He repeated this sentence several times and said, "If any of you must praise his brother, then he should say it like this: 'I think that such and such a man appears to be so and so, and I do not declare anyone pure before Allah, and his true guardian is Allah; I consider him to be such and such.'"

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Bakrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that once Aqra’ bin Habis came to the service of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and said that your allegiance has been pledged by the tribes of Aslam, Ghifar, Muzainah, and he also mentioned, I think, Juhainah, that these are the people who used to steal the belongings of the pilgrims. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Tell me, if in the sight of Allah, the people of the tribes of Juhainah, Aslam, Ghifar, and Muzainah are better than those of Banu Asad, Banu Tamim, Banu Ghatafan, and Banu Amir bin Sa’sa’ah, then will they (the latter) not remain deprived and in loss? Aqra’ said: Yes. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: By Him in Whose hand is my soul, those people are better than Banu Tamim, Banu Amir, Banu Asad, and Banu Ghatafan.

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Bakrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: When one of two Muslims raises a weapon against the other, both of them reach the edge of Hell, and when one of them kills the other, both of them enter Hell.

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Bakrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Jibreel and Mikaeel came to me. Jibreel said to me that the Noble Qur'an should be recited on one letter. Mikaeel said to request an increase in it. Then Jibreel said that you can recite the Noble Qur'an on seven letters, each of which is sufficient and complete, provided that you do not change a verse of mercy into punishment or a verse of punishment into mercy.

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Bakrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that once the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) began the Fajr prayer and said the takbeer, then gestured to the companions to remain in their places. Then he went home, and when he came out, drops of water were dripping from his head. Then he led the prayer.

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Bakrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: None of you should say, "I stood (in prayer) for the entire Ramadan."

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Bakrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that regarding Musaylimah the Liar, before the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said anything, people used to talk a lot. One day, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) stood up to deliver a sermon and, after saying "Amma ba'd," said: "You talk a lot about this person. He is one of the thirty liars who will appear before the Day of Judgment. There will be no city where the terror of Dajjal will not reach, except Madinah Munawwarah. At every entrance of it, there will be two angels appointed who will keep the terror of Dajjal away from Madinah Munawwarah."

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Bakrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that once the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) came to a people who were handing naked swords to one another. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "The curse of Allah is upon those who do this. Did I not forbid you from this?" Then he said, "When any one of you draws a sword, he should see that if he intends to hand it to his brother, he should put it in its sheath and then hand it to him."

It is narrated from Abdur Rahman bin Abu Bakrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that once he said to his father, "Dear father! I hear you supplicating daily: O Allah, grant me well-being in my body. O Allah, grant me well-being in my hearing. O Allah, grant me well-being in my sight. There is no deity except You." You repeat these words three times in the morning and three times in the evening. And you also say: "O Allah, I seek refuge in You from disbelief and poverty. O Allah, I seek refuge in You from the punishment of the grave. There is no deity except You." You repeat these words three times in the morning and three times in the evening? He replied, "Yes, my son! I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) supplicating with this, so I prefer to act upon his Sunnah." And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: The supplication of a person surrounded by worries is this: "O Allah, I hope for Your mercy, so do not leave me to myself even for the blink of an eye, and rectify all of my affairs. There is no deity except You."

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Bakrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that once the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was going for prayer when he passed by a man who was lying in prostration. When he returned after offering the prayer, the man was still in prostration. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) stood there and said, "Who will kill him?" One man got ready, rolled up his sleeves, and went forward brandishing his sword, then said, "O Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), may my parents be sacrificed for you, how can I kill this man who is lying in prostration and testifies that there is no god but Allah and Muhammad is His servant and Messenger?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) again said, "Who will kill him?" Then a second man got ready, rolled up his sleeves, and came forward brandishing his sword, but his hands also began to tremble and he too said, "O Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), how can I kill this person who testifies to the oneness of Allah and the servitude and messengership of Muhammad?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "By Him in Whose hand is the life of Muhammad, if you had killed him, it would have been the first and last trial (fitnah)."

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Bakrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Fast upon sighting the moon and celebrate Eid upon sighting the moon. If on any day it is cloudy, then complete the count of thirty. And the month is sometimes like this and sometimes like this." The third time, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) folded his finger.

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Bakrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that he heard the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say: Whoever honors the king appointed by Allah in this world, Allah will honor him on the Day of Resurrection, and whoever humiliates the kings appointed by Allah in this world, Allah will disgrace him on the Day of Resurrection.

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Bakrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that once some dinars came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) from somewhere. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was distributing them. There was also a black man there whose hair was cut short, he was wearing two white garments, and there was a mark of prostration between his two eyes (on his forehead). He came before the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and said, "By God, O Muhammad, today since you have been distributing, you have not acted justly." At this, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) became extremely angry and said, "By Allah, after me you will not find anyone more just than me." The companions said, "O Messenger of Allah, should we not kill him?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, and then said, "He and his companions will go out of the religion just as an arrow passes out of the prey. They will have no connection with Islam."

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Bakrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that once he came while the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was in bowing (ruku‘). The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) heard the sound of Abu Bakrah’s shoes; he was running to catch the ruku‘. After finishing the prayer, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) asked, “Who was running?” He presented himself. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to him, “May Allah increase you in eagerness for religion, but do not do this again.”

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Bakrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that once the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was riding his mule and Abu Bakrah (may Allah be pleased with him) was also present, when people brought a pregnant woman. She said that she had committed adultery, so she should be stoned. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to her, "Take benefit from Allah's concealment." She went back. After a short while, she came again while the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was still on the mule. She again said, "O Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), have me stoned." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) gave the same reply. When she came for the third time, she held the reins of the Prophet's mule and said, "I adjure you by Allah, have me stoned." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "Alright, go until you give birth to the child." She went away, gave birth to the child, and came again to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and spoke to him. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "Go until you become pure from postnatal bleeding." She went away and after some time came again and said that she had become pure. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) called some women and ordered them to confirm her purity. They came and testified before the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that she had become pure. So the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered a pit to be dug up to her chest. Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) came with the Muslims, picked up a pebble the size of a chickpea, threw it at her, and went back. He told the Muslims, "Now you stone her, but avoid hitting the face." When she became cold (i.e., died), he ordered her to be taken out, offered her funeral prayer, and said, "If her reward were distributed among all the people of Hijaz, it would suffice for them all."

Narrated to us by ‘Attab ibn Ziyad, narrated to us by ‘Abdullah, meaning Ibn al-Mubarak, narrated to us by Zakariyya Abu ‘Imran al-Basri, who said: I heard a shaykh narrating to ‘Amr ibn ‘Uthman al-Qurashi, narrated to us by ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Bakrah, and he mentioned the hadith except that he said: So the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, took responsibility for him, and said: "If its reward were divided among the people of Hijaz, it would suffice them."

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Bakrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that a man from Iran came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: "My Lord has killed your lord, that is, Kisra." Meanwhile, someone informed the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that now his daughter has been made his successor. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "That nation will never succeed which entrusts its affairs to a woman."

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Musa that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: When two Muslims come face to face with swords and one of them kills the other, then both the killer and the killed will go to Hell. Someone asked, "O Messenger of Allah, the matter of the killer is understandable, but what about the killed one?" The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: He also intended to kill his companion.

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Bakrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: On the Day of Resurrection, people will be made to cross the Bridge of Sirat, and they will fall from its sides into Hell just as moths fall into a lamp, but Allah Almighty will save whomever He wills by His mercy. Then the Prophets, angels, and martyrs will be granted permission to intercede, so they will intercede several times, and in the end, every person will be taken out of Hell in whose heart there is even a particle of faith.

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Bakrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: The awe of Dajjal will not be able to enter Madinah Munawwarah. At that time, Madinah Munawwarah will have seven gates, and at each gate there will be two angels.

Yaqoub narrated to us, my father narrated to us, from his father, from his grandfather, from Abu Bakrah, from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and he mentioned the like of it.

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Bakrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that a man presented himself in the court of the Messenger and asked, "O Messenger of Allah, which person is the best?" The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "The one whose life is long and whose deeds are good." The questioner asked, "And who is the worst person?" The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "The one whose life is long and whose deeds are bad."

Yunus—meaning Ibn Muhammad—narrated to us, Hammad narrated to us, from Yunus, and Humayd, from al-Hasan, from Abu Bakrah, from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, the like of it.

Abdur Rahman bin Abi Bakrah says that once I was present with my father in the service of Amir Muawiyah. When we reached him, he said, "O Abu Bakrah (may Allah be pleased with him), tell me a hadith that you have heard yourself." He said, "The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to like good dreams very much, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to ask about them. So, as usual, one day he asked, 'Has anyone among you seen a dream?' A man said, 'O Messenger of Allah, I have seen one. I saw that a scale was lowered from the sky, in which your weight was measured against Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), and your side was heavier. Then Abu Bakr was weighed against Umar, and Abu Bakr's side was heavier. Then Umar was weighed against Uthman, and Umar's side was heavier. Then the scale was lifted up.' The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) felt burdened by this dream and said, 'This is an indication towards the Caliphate of Prophethood. After this, Allah will give authority to whom He wills.'"

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Bakrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: After me, there will come a people in my Ummah who will be very swift and harsh. They will recite the Qur'an, but it will not go below their throats. Whenever you encounter them, kill them, for the one who kills them will be rewarded.

Muslim bin Abi Bakrah says that once he passed by his father who was making this supplication: "O Allah, I seek refuge in You from poverty, disbelief, and punishment." I memorized this supplication and began to ask for it after every prayer. One day my father passed by me while I was making this supplication. He asked me, "Son, where did you learn these words?" I said, "O my father, I heard you making this supplication after every prayer, so I memorized it." He said, "Son, hold fast to these words, for the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) also used to make this supplication after every prayer."

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Bakrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah was once leading the people in prayer. When he would go into prostration, Imam Hasan would jump and ride on the back of the Prophet (peace be upon him). He did this several times. Upon this, some people began to say, "The way you treat this child, we have not seen you treat anyone else like this." The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "This son of mine is a leader, and Allah will bring reconciliation between two groups of Muslims through him." Hasan says, "By Allah, after he became caliph, not even as much blood as comes from a single prick was shed."

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Bakrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Do not become misguided or disbelievers after me, that you start striking each other's necks.

On one occasion, Hazrat Abu Bakrah (may Allah be pleased with him) was called to testify in a matter. When he arrived, a man stood up from his place. Seeing this, Hazrat Abu Bakrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade us from this—that a man stands up from his place and another sits in his place—and also from wiping one's hands with a cloth that does not belong to him.

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Bakrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) once said: "A group from my Ummah will settle in a region called Basrah. On one side of it flows the river Dijlah (Tigris), and it is a land with many gardens. There, the Banu Qantura (Turks) will come and settle. Then the people will be divided into three groups: one group will join their origin and they will be destroyed; one group will transgress against themselves and disbelieve; and one group will fight, leaving their children behind. Their slain will be martyrs, and through the remaining people of this group, victory will be granted to the Muslims." The previous hadith is also narrated through this second chain.

Suraij narrated to us, Hashraj narrated to us, from Sa'id, from Abdullah or Ubaidullah ibn Abi Bakrah, he said: My father narrated to me in this mosque, meaning the mosque of Basrah, and he mentioned the like of it.