Musnad Ahmad

Hazrat Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) used to teach the Qur'an to Ma'dan. For some time, he was absent. One day, in "Dabiq," he met him and asked, "Ma'dan! What happened to that Qur'an which you had? How are you and the Qur'an today?" He replied, "Allah knows and knows very well." He asked Ma'dan bin Abi Talhah, "Where do you reside?" I replied, "There is a village behind Homs." He said, "I heard the Prophet say that in any village where there are three men and there is no call to prayer (adhan) and no establishment of prayer (iqamah), then Satan prevails over them. Therefore, adhere to the congregation of Muslims, for the lone sheep is eaten by the wolf. O Ma'dan! Adhere to the city of Madain."

Ma'dan bin Abi Talhah says that once Hazrat Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) asked me, "Where do you live?" I replied, "In a village behind Homs." He said, "I heard the Prophet say that in any village where there are three people and there is no call to prayer (adhan) and no establishment of prayer (iqamah), then Satan prevails over them. Therefore, adhere to the congregation of Muslims, for the wolf eats the lone sheep. O Ma'dan! Adhere to the city of Madain."

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) that a man came to him. He asked, "Are you a resident so that we may treat you well, or are you a traveler so that we may provide you provisions for the journey?" He replied, "I am a traveler." He said, "I will give you such a provision for the journey that if I had found anything better, I would have given you that. Once I presented myself before the Prophet and said, 'O Messenger of Allah! The wealthy have taken both this world and the Hereafter. We also pray and they also pray, we also fast and they also fast, but they give charity and we cannot give charity.' The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, 'Shall I not tell you something that if you act upon it, no one before you will surpass you, and no one after you will reach you, except someone who does the same as you? After every prayer, say Subhan Allah thirty-three times, Alhamdulillah thirty-three times, and Allahu Akbar thirty-four times.'"

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Whoever memorizes the last ten verses of Surah Al-Kahf will be protected from the tribulation of the Dajjal.

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: On the Day of Judgment, the most excellent and heaviest thing in the scale of deeds will be good character. The previous hadith is also narrated through this second chain of transmission.

Yazid narrated to us, he said: Shu'bah informed us, from al-Kaykharani.

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) that once the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) saw a woman outside a tent who was near the time of childbirth. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "It seems that her master wants to 'approach' her?" The people said, "Yes!" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "My heart wishes to curse him with such a curse that it would remain with him till his grave. How can he make her his heir when she is not lawful for him, and how can he take service from her when she is not lawful for him?"

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) explained the Quranic verse "For them are glad tidings in the life of this world" by saying that what is meant by glad tidings are good dreams which a Muslim sees himself or which someone else sees for him. The previous hadith is also narrated through this second chain of transmission.

Sufyan ibn 'Uyaynah narrated to us, from Ibn al-Munkadir, who heard it from 'Ata' ibn Yasar, and 'Abd al-'Aziz ibn Rufay' from Abu Salih, from 'Ata' ibn Yasar, from a man from the people of Egypt, who said: I asked Abu al-Darda', and he mentioned from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and he mentioned something similar to it.

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) that once the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to the companions, "Are you incapable of reciting one third of the Qur'an in a single night?" This seemed very difficult to the companions and they said, "Who has the strength for this? We are very weak and incapable." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "Allah Almighty has divided the Holy Qur'an into three parts, and Surah Ikhlas has been considered as one of those parts." The previous hadith is also narrated through this second chain of transmission.

And it was narrated to us by Affan, who said: Aban narrated to us, who said: Qatadah narrated to us, from Salim, from Ma‘dan, from Abu al-Darda’, that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "Is any one of you incapable of reciting," and he mentioned its meaning.

And ‘Affan said, “Bukhayr ibn Abi al-Sumayt narrated to us, with this chain of transmission, with the same wording exactly.”

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) that once the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Shall I not tell you of the best deed in the sight of your Lord, which raises you to the highest ranks, which is better for you than spending gold and silver, and better than meeting your enemy in the battlefield so that you strike their necks and they strike your necks? The companions asked: O Messenger of Allah! What is that deed? The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: The remembrance of Allah Almighty.

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) explained the Quranic verse "For them are glad tidings in the life of this world" by saying that what is meant by glad tidings are good dreams which a Muslim sees himself or which someone else sees for him.

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: Whoever from my Ummah dies in such a state that he does not associate anyone with Allah, he will enter Paradise. This hadith is also narrated from Hazrat Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him), but in it, it is stated: even if Abu Darda’s nose becomes dust-covered.

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) that I heard the Prophet saying: The father is the middle gate of Paradise.

Zaid bin Aslam says that Marwan’s son, Abdul Malik, used to invite Umm Darda to his place; she would spend the night with his womenfolk, and he would keep asking her about the Prophet. One night he woke up and called the maidservant; she delayed in coming, so he began to curse and reproach her. Umm Darda said: Do not curse, because Abu Darda told me that he heard the Prophet say: Those who curse will neither be witnesses nor intercessors on the Day of Resurrection.

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) that once I asked the Prophet, "O Messenger of Allah! Is there recitation in every prayer?" The Prophet (peace be upon him) replied, "Yes!" Then an Ansari said, "Then it has become obligatory." After that, Hazrat Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) turned towards me, because I was the closest to him, and said, "Nephew! I think that when the Imam leads the people in prayer, he suffices on their behalf."

Ata bin Yasar says that once Muawiyah bought a silver bowl for more or less than its price, so Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade its sale except that it be equal for equal.

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: On the Day of Judgment, there will be nothing heavier in the scale of deeds than good character.

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) that I heard the Prophet say: Whoever frees a slave or gives charity at the time of death, his example is like that of a person who, after quenching his own thirst, gives away what is left over.

Abu Safar says that a man from the Quraysh broke the tooth of a man from the Ansar. The Ansari requested retribution from Muawiyah. The Qurayshi said, "He had broken my tooth." Muawiyah said, "Absolutely not, we will reconcile him." When the Ansari insisted greatly on his demand, Muawiyah said, "Take your revenge from your companion." In that gathering, Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) was also present. He said, "I heard the Prophet say: 'Whenever a Muslim suffers any harm in his body and he intends it as charity, Allah raises him one degree and forgives him one sin.'" The Ansari asked, "Did you yourself hear this hadith from the Prophet?" He replied, "Yes! My ears heard this hadith and my heart preserved it." So, the Ansari forgave the Qurayshi.

Alqamah says that once I reached Syria and there I met Hazrat Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him). He asked me, "Where are you from?" I replied that I am from the people of Kufa. He said, "Do you recite the Holy Qur'an according to the recitation of Ibn Mas'ud?" I said, "Yes!" He said, "Recite Surah Al-Lail for me." I recited it in that way. He said, "I have heard the Prophet recite it in this manner," and perhaps he also smiled at this.

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Whoever defends the honor of his Muslim brother, it is incumbent upon Allah to keep the fire of Hell away from him on the Day of Resurrection.

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) that once the Prophet vomited, so the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) broke his fast. Then water was brought to him and he performed ablution.

Alqamah says that once I prayed two rak'ahs in the grand mosque of Damascus, Syria, and prayed for a good companion. There I met Hazrat Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him). He asked me, "Where are you from?" I replied, "I am from the people of Kufa." He said, "Do you recite the Holy Qur'an according to the recitation of Ibn Mas'ud?" I said, "Yes!" He said, "Recite Surah Al-Lail for me." I recited it in that way. He said, "I heard the Prophet recite it in this manner. People argued with me about this so much that I began to doubt." Then he said, "Are there not among you 'the one with the pillow,' those who know secrets that no one else knows and who, by the words of the Prophet, were declared protected from Satan? The one with the pillow is Ibn Mas'ud, the knower of secrets is Hudhayfah, and the one protected from Satan is Ammar."

The previous hadith is also narrated through this second chain.

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) that whoever memorizes the first ten verses of Surah Al-Kahf will be protected from the trial of the Dajjal.

The previous hadith is also narrated through this second chain. It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) that whoever memorizes the first ten verses of Surah Al-Kahf will be protected from the trial of the Dajjal.

Abd al-Samad and Affan narrated to us, they said: Hammam narrated to us, Affan said in his narration: Hammam narrated to us, he said: Qatadah used to relate it to us, he said: Salim ibn Abi al-Ja'd al-Ghatafani narrated to us, from the narration of Ma'dan ibn Abi Talhah al-Ya'muri, from the narration of Abu al-Darda', relating it from the Prophet of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and he mentioned the like of it. Then he returned to the narration of Abd al-Samad, he said: Hammam narrated to us, Qatadah narrated to us, from Salim, from the narration of Ma'dan, from Abu al-Darda', relating it from the Prophet of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, that he said: "Whoever memorizes ten verses from Surah al-Kahf..."

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Whoever defends the honor of his Muslim brother, it is incumbent upon Allah to keep the fire of Hell away from him on the Day of Resurrection. Alqama says: Once I reached Syria... then the narrator mentioned the entire hadith.

Narrated to us Aswad ibn ‘Amir, narrated to us Isra’il, from al-Mughira, from Ibrahim, from ‘Alqama, who said: I came to al-Sham, and entered the mosque, and prayed two rak‘ahs, and said: O Allah, grant me a righteous companion. Then he mentioned the meaning of the hadith of Shu‘bah.

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) that I heard Abu al-Qasim (peace and blessings be upon him) saying—according to the narrator, "I have not heard him mention the Prophet's kunyah before or after this"—that Allah Almighty said: O Isa! After you, I am going to send a community; if any happiness befalls them, they will praise and thank (Me), and if any disliked situation arises, they will be patient over it and seek reward (from Me), and they will have neither forbearance nor knowledge. He (Isa) said: O Lord! How will this be when they will have neither forbearance nor knowledge? Allah Almighty said: I will grant them My forbearance and My knowledge.

It is narrated from Hazrat Yusuf bin Abdullah bin Salam that I had the honor of accompanying Hazrat Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him). When the time of his departure from this world drew near, he said, "Nephew! What brings you here?" I replied, "Only because of the friendship between you and my father, Abdullah bin Salam." He said, "At this moment in life, telling a lie would be a very bad thing. I heard the Prophet say: Whoever performs ablution and does it well, then offers two rak'ahs with complete humility, and then asks Allah for forgiveness for his sins, Allah will surely forgive him."

It is narrated from Hazrat Mu'adh bin Jabal that when his final time approached, he said, "Call the people to me." When the people came, he said, "I heard the Prophet say: Whoever dies in such a state that he does not associate anyone with Allah, Allah will admit him to Paradise. I am telling you this at the time of my death." And its witness, 'Uwaymir, when he reached Hazrat Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him), he said, "My brother has spoken the truth, and he was to narrate this hadith to you only at the time of his death."

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Love for something makes you blind and deaf.

Alqamah says that once I prayed two rak'ahs in the Grand Mosque of Damascus in Syria and prayed for a good companion, then I met Hazrat Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) there. He asked me, "Where are you from?" I replied that I am from the people of Kufa. He said, "Do you recite the Holy Qur'an according to the recitation of Ibn Mas'ud?" I said, "Yes!" He said, "Recite Surah Al-Lail for me." I recited it in that way. He said, "I heard the Prophet recite it in this manner. People argued with me about this so much that they made me fall into doubt." Then he said, "Are there not among you 'the one with the pillow,' those who know secrets that no one else knows and whom the Prophet declared safe from Satan?" The one with the pillow is Ibn Mas'ud, the knower of secrets is Hudhayfah, and the one protected from Satan is Ammar.

It is narrated from Hazrat Naeem that he heard the Prophet saying: Allah Almighty says, O son of Adam! Do not show yourself incapable of offering four rak‘ahs in the first quarter of the day; I will suffice you till the last part of the day.

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) that my beloved friend Abu al-Qasim (peace and blessings be upon him) advised me regarding three things which I will never abandon: the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) advised me to fast three days every month, to perform Witr before sleeping, and to offer the Duha (forenoon) voluntary prayers whether at home or on a journey.

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) that I heard the Prophet saying: The father is the middle gate of Paradise; now it is up to you whether you protect it or leave it.