Musnad Ahmad

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) took my hand and taught me the words of Tashahhud: «التَّحِيَّاتُ لِلّٰهِ وَالصَّلَوَاتُ وَالطَّيِّبَاتُ السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ وَرَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ السَّلَامُ عَلَيْنَا وَعَلَى عِبَادِ اللّٰهِ الصَّالِحِينَ أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللّٰهُ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ» "All verbal, physical, and bodily acts of worship are for Allah alone. O Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon you)! Peace be upon you, and the mercy and blessings of Allah descend upon you. Peace be upon us and upon the righteous servants of Allah. I bear witness that there is no deity except Allah, and that Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is the servant and Messenger of Allah."

Shaqiq (may Allah have mercy on him) says that once I was sitting with Sayyiduna Ibn Mas'ud and Sayyiduna Abu Musa Ash'ari (may Allah be pleased with them both). These two gentlemen said that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Near the Day of Judgment, ignorance will descend, knowledge will be taken away, and 'harj' will become widespread." We asked about the meaning of 'harj', so he said: "Killing."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) that one night we were on a journey with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). We said: O Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)! If you permit us, we will lie down on the ground and sleep, and our mounts can graze. The Prophet (peace be upon him) permitted and said, "One of you should keep watch." I offered myself, but I too fell asleep, and my eyes opened when the sun had already risen. The Prophet (peace be upon him) woke up upon hearing our voices. He ordered Sayyiduna Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him), so he gave the call to prayer (adhan) and the iqamah, and the Prophet (peace be upon him) led us in prayer.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Both the one who performs Halalah and the one for whom it is performed are accursed."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) that the noble Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) used to recite (the Qur'an) behind the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "You have confused the Qur'an upon me."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "That person will not enter Paradise who has even a mustard seed's weight of arrogance in his heart."

Aswad says that once, at noon, I was present with my uncle in the company of Sayyiduna Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him). The prayer was established, so both of us stood behind him. Sayyiduna Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) took hold of me with one hand and my uncle with the other hand and pulled us forward, until each of us was at a corner. Then he said that when there were three people, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would also do the same.

Sayyiduna Ibn Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that among the previous nations before you, there was a king who used to live in his kingdom. One day, while he was reflecting, he realized that his rule would one day come to an end, and because of the affairs he was entangled in, he was deprived of worshipping his Lord. Thinking this, one night he quietly left his palace and went to another country. There, he took up residence by the seashore and made it his routine to carry bricks; from the wages he earned, he would arrange food with some of it and give the rest in charity in the way of Allah. He continued steadfastly upon this routine until eventually the king of that country heard about him and also learned of his worship and virtue. So, the king of that country sent for him, but he refused to go. The king sent him a message again, but he refused once more and said, “What does the king want with me?” When the king found out, he mounted his ride and set out towards him. When that man saw the king, he began to run away. Seeing this, the king spurred his horse and followed him but could not catch him. Finally, he called out to him from a distance, “O servant of Allah! You do not need to fear me (I will not harm you).” So, he stood in his place and the king reached him. The king asked him, “May Allah have mercy on you, who are you?” He replied, “I am so-and-so, son of so-and-so. I was the king of such-and-such country. Once I reflected upon myself and realized that my kingdom would one day end, and because of this kingdom I was deprived of worshipping my Lord. Therefore, I left my kingdom and came here so that I could worship my Lord.” The king said, “What you have done, I am in even greater need of doing so.” So, he dismounted, left his ride in the wilderness, and followed him, and both of them together began to worship Allah Almighty. Both of them prayed to Allah that death should come to them together, and so it happened. Sayyiduna Ibn Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) says, “If I were on that small mound in Egypt, I would show you the graves of both of them, just as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) described their signs to us.”

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) that once I asked the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): "Which deed is most beloved to Allah?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Prayer at its proper time." I asked: "Then what?" He said: "Good treatment of parents." I asked: "Then what?" He said: "Striving in the way of Allah." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) mentioned these things to me, and if I had asked for more, he (peace and blessings be upon him) would have told me more.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "If three children of a Muslim husband and wife die before reaching puberty, they will become a strong fortress for them against Hell." Someone asked: O Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)! What if someone has lost two children? The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "The same ruling applies." Sayyiduna Abu Dharr al-Ghifari (may Allah be pleased with him) said: O Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)! I have sent forth two children? He said: "The same ruling applies." Sayyiduna Ubayy ibn Ka'b (may Allah be pleased with him)—who is famous as the leader of the reciters—said: Only one of my children has died? The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "The same ruling applies, but this matter relates to the initial moments of grief" (that is, who is patient at that time and who is not, because later everyone becomes patient).

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The mill of Islam will keep turning for thirty-five (35), thirty-six (36), or thirty-seven (37) years. After that, if the Muslims are destroyed, they will follow the path of those who were destroyed, and if they remain, their religion will remain for seventy years."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) regarding the interpretation of the Qur'anic verse: «﴿وَمَنْ يُرِدْ فِيهِ بِإِلْحَادٍ بِظُلْمٍ نُذِقْهُ مِنْ عَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ﴾» [الحج : 25] that whoever intends to commit deviation in the Haram of Makkah, even if he resides in "Aden Abiyan," Allah will surely make him taste a painful punishment.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) that once someone asked the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), "How will you recognize those members of your Ummah whom you have not seen?" He replied: "Their foreheads will be extremely bright and radiant due to the effects of ablution, just like a piebald horse."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever is afflicted by any calamity or grief and recites these words, Allah Almighty will remove his calamity and grief and grant him happiness in its place. These words are: «اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي عَبْدُكَ وَابْنُ عَبْدِكَ وَابْنُ أَمَتِكَ نَاصِيَتِي بِيَدِكَ مَاضٍ فِيَّ حُكْمُكَ عَدْلٌ فِيَّ قَضَاؤُكَ أَسْأَلُكَ بِكُلِّ اسْمٍ هُوَ لَكَ سَمَّيْتَ بِهِ نَفْسَكَ أَوْ أَنْزَلْتَهُ فِي كِتَابِكَ أَوْ عَلَّمْتَهُ أَحَدًا مِنْ خَلْقِكَ أَوْ اسْتَأْثَرْتَ بِهِ فِي عِلْمِ الْغَيْبِ عِنْدَكَ أَنْ تَجْعَلَ الْقُرْآنَ رَبِيعَ قَلْبِي وَنُورَ صَدْرِي وَجِلَاءَ حُزْنِي وَذَهَابَ هَمِّي» 'O Allah! I am Your servant, son of Your servant, son of Your maidservant. My forelock is in Your hand. Your command over me is ever executed, and Your decree over me is just. I ask You by every name belonging to You which You have named Yourself with, or taught to any of Your creation, or revealed in Your Book, or kept with Yourself in the knowledge of the unseen, that You make the Qur'an the spring of my heart, the light of my chest, the remover of my sorrow, and the reliever of my distress.'" The people asked: "O Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)! Should we learn this supplication?" He said: "Why not? Whoever hears it, it is appropriate for him to learn it."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "I had previously forbidden you from visiting graveyards, now I permit you, so visit the graveyards. I had forbidden you from keeping the meat of sacrifice with you for more than three days, now you may keep it. And I had forbidden you from using certain types of vessels, now you may use them for preparing nabidh (a drink), but avoid every intoxicating thing."

Sayyiduna Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "There are some angels of Allah who roam about the earth and convey to me the greetings of my Ummah."

Amr bin Maymoon says that it was very rare for a Thursday to come and I did not attend the gathering of Sayyiduna Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him). In that gathering, I never heard Sayyiduna Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) say that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said (he would not narrate hadith in that gathering). Once it happened that in that gathering, these words slipped from his mouth that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said. Upon saying this, he lowered his head. When I looked, he had stood up, the buttons of his shirt were open, his eyes were filled with tears, and his veins were swollen, and he said: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said less than this, or more than this, or something close to this, or a sentence similar to this.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) taught me Surah Ahqaf and also taught it to another man. That man differed with me regarding one verse. I asked him, "Who taught you this Surah?" He said, "The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) did." I said, "The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) taught it to me in such and such a way." Then I went to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and said, "O Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)! Did you not teach me in such and such a way?" The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, "Yes, indeed." The other man also asked the same, and the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) gave him the same answer. At that time, a man was sitting with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and he said, "Each of you should recite as he has heard, because those before you were destroyed due to their disagreements." I do not know whether the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said this or the man said it from himself.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The superiority of prayer in congregation over prayer performed alone is twenty-five degrees, and each degree is equal to his prayer."

The previous hadith is also narrated through this second chain of transmission.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) that once a man said to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he encountered a woman in one of the gardens of Madinah and did everything with her except intercourse. Upon this, Allah revealed this verse: «﴿وَأَقِمِ الصَّلَاةَ طَرَفَيِ النَّهَارِ وَزُلَفًا مِنَ اللَّيْلِ إِنَّ الْحَسَنَاتِ يُذْهِبْنَ السَّيِّئَاتِ﴾» [هود : 114] "Establish prayer at the two ends of the day and at some hours of the night. Indeed, good deeds erase bad deeds."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) that once a man came and asked in the presence of the Messenger of Allah, "When will the Night of Qadr be?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Which of you remembers that night which was turning red and white?" I said, "May my parents be sacrificed for you, I remember it. At that time, I had some dates in my hand and I was secretly eating sahur with them at the back of my saddle, and the moon was out at that time."

Sayyiduna Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) cursed the one who consumes usury, the one who gives it, the one who witnesses the usurious transaction, and the one who records it.

Sayyiduna Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that once the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) asked us, "How would it be if you were a quarter of the people of Paradise and the rest of the communities made up the other three quarters?" The noble Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) replied, "Allah and His Messenger know best." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "What if you are a third of the people of Paradise?" The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) replied, "That is more than before." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "What if you are half of the people of Paradise?" The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) replied, "That is even more than before." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "On the Day of Resurrection, there will be one hundred and twenty rows of the people of Paradise, of which only your community will make up eighty rows."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) that once someone asked the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), "How will you recognize those members of your Ummah whom you have not seen?" He replied: "Their foreheads will be extremely bright and radiant due to the effects of ablution, just like a piebald horse."

Sayyiduna Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) says that I have recited seventy surahs after hearing them from the blessed mouth of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and no one can dispute with me regarding them.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) that once an Ansari man said something which expressed anger towards the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). My heart did not agree to inform the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) about it. I wish I could offer my family and all my wealth as ransom in exchange for this matter. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "May Allah's mercy descend upon Musa; he was troubled even more than this, but he remained patient." Then he said: "A prophet was denied by his people and was wounded because he brought Allah's commands. He was wiping blood from his face and kept saying, 'O Lord! Forgive my people, for they do not know me.'" (This is a reference to the incident of Ta'if)

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "I will wait for you at the Pond of Kawthar. At that time, there will be a dispute before me regarding some people and I will be overpowered. I will say: 'O Lord! My companions?' It will be said: 'You do not know what innovations they introduced after you.'"

Masruq (may Allah have mercy on him) says that once Sayyiduna Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said, and as soon as he said this, the color of his face changed and he said: He said it like this, or something close to this. (Proof of caution)

Sayyiduna Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Allah has not sent down any disease except that He has also sent down its cure; whoever knows it, knows it, and whoever remains unaware of it, remains unaware."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) that once we were with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in a cave on a mountain. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was standing and offering prayer while the people were sleeping, when suddenly a snake passed near the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). We woke up, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The One who kept you safe from it is the same One who kept it safe from you." And Surah Mursalat was revealed to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), which I memorized as soon as it came out from the blessed mouth of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), while that Surah was still fresh upon his blessed lips.

Sayyiduna Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that on the occasion of the Battle of Hunayn, I was with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). In the beginning, people started turning their backs and fleeing, and only a few men from the Muhajirun and Ansar remained steadfast with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). We retreated about eighty steps, but we did not turn our backs. These were the very people upon whom Allah sent down tranquility. At that time, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was mounted on his mule and advancing forward. When the mule quickened its pace, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) leaned toward the ground. I said, "Raise your head, may Allah grant you elevation." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to me, "Hand me a handful of dust." Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) threw that dust at their faces, and the eyes of the polytheists were filled with dust. Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "Where are the Muhajirun and Ansar?" I said, "Here they are." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "Call them." I called out, and they came, holding swords shining like stars in their hands, and the polytheists turned their backs and fled.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “There will be a people in Hell who will remain in Hell as long as Allah wills, then Allah will have mercy on them and He will take them out of Hell. They will be in the nearest part of Paradise, then they will bathe in a river called ‘Hayawan’. The people of Paradise will call them ‘Jahannamis’ (people of Hell). If any one of them wishes to invite all the people of the world, he will be able to arrange beds for them, arrange food and drink for them, and provide them with quilts as well.” The narrator probably also said: “If he wishes to marry all of them, he will be able to do so, and he will not feel any deficiency in anything.”

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever attributes a false statement to me should make his abode in the Hellfire."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was shown different communities, and the arrival of his own community was delayed. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "Then my community was shown to me, and I was greatly astonished at their large numbers, for they had filled every hill and mountain. It was said to me: This is your community, and with them are seventy thousand people who will enter Paradise without reckoning or punishment. These are the people who do not cauterize for treatment, do not practice ruqyah or incantations, do not take bad omens, and rely upon their Lord." Upon hearing this, Sayyiduna 'Ukasha bin Mihsan Asadi (may Allah be pleased with him) stood up and said: O Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)! Pray to Allah that He makes me among them. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed for him. Then another man stood up and said: O Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)! Pray to Allah that He makes me among them. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "'Ukasha has preceded you."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) that once I was praying when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) passed by, and with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) were Sayyiduna Abu Bakr and Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both). Sayyiduna Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) began reciting Surah An-Nisa and continued to recite it skillfully. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever wishes to recite the Qur'an as firmly as it was revealed, let him recite it like Ibn Umm 'Abd." Then he sat and began to supplicate, so the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Ask, you will be given." He supplicated: «اللّٰهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ إِيمَانًا لَا يَرْتَدُّ وَنَعِيمًا لَا يَنْفَدُ وَمُرَافَقَةَ مُحَمَّدٍ فِي أَعْلَى جَنَّةِ الْخُلْدِ» "O Allah! I ask You for such blessings that never end, for such coolness of the eyes that never ceases, and I ask for the companionship of the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in the eternal Paradise." Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) went to give him the glad tidings, but found that Sayyiduna Abu Bakr As-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) had preceded him, upon which Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: If you have done this, then indeed you are always foremost in good deeds.

The previous hadith is also narrated through this second chain of transmission.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) that I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say: "Some speech has an effect like magic, and the worst of people will be those who live to see the time of the Hour, or those who make graveyards a place of prostration."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) that Allah's curse is upon the woman who plucks hair, the one who files teeth, the one who joins someone else's hair with her own, the one who tattoos, and the one who changes Allah's creation. And why should I not curse the one whom the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) has cursed? Upon this, a woman from Banu Asad said, "What if the women of your household do this?" Sayyiduna Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) replied, "Go and see." The woman went to his house, then came back and said, "I did not find anything objectionable there, but I do not find this command in the Qur'an." He replied, "Why not? This is what the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) has said."

The previous hadith is also narrated through this second chain of transmission.