Hadith 3177

أَخْبَرَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحِيمِ ، قَالَ : حَدَّثَنَا أَسَدُ بْنُ مُوسَى ، قَالَ : حَدَّثَنَا بَقِيَّةُ ، قَالَ : حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو بَكْرٍ الزُّبَيْدِيُّ ، عَنْ أَخِيهِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْوَلِيدِ ، عَنْ لُقْمَانَ بْنِ عَامِرٍ ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الْأَعْلَى بْنِ عَدِيٍّ الْبَهْرَانِيِّ ، عَنْ ثَوْبَانَ مَوْلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ، قَالَ : قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : " عِصَابَتَانِ مِنْ أُمَّتِي أَحْرَزَهُمَا اللَّهُ مِنَ النَّارِ : عِصَابَةٌ تَغْزُو الْهِنْدَ ، وَعِصَابَةٌ تَكُونُ مَعَ عِيسَى ابْنِ مَرْيَمَ عَلَيْهِمَا السَّلَام " .
´It was narrated that Thawban, the freed slave of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), said:` "The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'There are two groups of my Ummah whom Allah will free from the Fire: The group that invades India, and the group that will be with 'Isa bin Maryam, peace be upon him.'"
Hadith Reference سنن نسائي / كتاب الجهاد / 3177
Hadith Grading الألبانی: صحيح  |  زبیر علی زئی: حسن
Hadith Takhrij «تفرد بہ النسائي، (تحفة الأشراف: 2096)، مسند احمد (5/278) (صحیح)»
Explanation & Benefits
Hafiz Muhammad Ameen
1) The group that will fight alongside Isa (alayhis salam) will be only one, but there are many groups that have attacked India. Does this hadith apply only to the first group, or does it apply to every group that attacks India? Both possibilities exist in the hadith; however, the second possibility is more likely. And Allah knows best.

2) In the era of the caliphate of Muawiyah (radi Allahu anhu), in 44 AH, the Muslims attacked India. Later, during the caliphate of Walid bin Abdul Malik, the attack by Muhammad bin Qasim became famous. In the fourth century Hijri, Mahmud of Ghazni carried out powerful attacks. The incident of the Somnath temple and the great idol is well known, due to which Mahmud of Ghazni was rightly given the title and appellation of "Idol Breaker" (But Shikan). Rahimahullah wa rahmatan wasi’atan.
Source: Sunan Nasa'i: Translation and Benefits by Shaykh Hafiz Muhammad Amin Hafizullah, Page: 3177