سنن ترمذي
Tirmidhi
كتاب السير عن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلمThe Book on Military Expeditions
باب مَا جَاءَ فِي السَّرَايَاChapter: ….
Hadith 1555
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى الْأَزْدِيُّ الْبَصْرِيُّ، وَأَبُو عَمَّارٍ، وَغَيْرُ وَاحِدٍ ، قَالُوا : حَدَّثَنَا وَهْبُ بْنُ جَرِيرٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ يُونُسَ بْنِ يَزِيدَ، عَنْ الزُّهْرِيِّ، عَنْ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُتْبَةَ، عَنْ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، قَالَ : قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : " خَيْرُ الصَّحَابَةِ أَرْبَعَةٌ ، وَخَيْرُ السَّرَايَا أَرْبَعُ مِائَةٍ ، وَخَيْرُ الْجُيُوشِ أَرْبَعَةُ آلَافٍ ، وَلَا يُغْلَبُ اثْنَا عَشَرَ أَلْفًا مِنْ قِلَّةٍ " ، هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ غَرِيبٌ ، لَا يُسْنِدُهُ كَبِيرُ أَحَدٍ غَيْرُ جَرِيرِ بْنِ حَازِمٍ ، وَإِنَّمَا رُوِيَ هَذَا الْحَدِيثُ عَنْ الزُّهْرِيِّ ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مُرْسَلًا ، وَقَدْ رَوَاهُ حِبَّانُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ الْعَنَزِيُّ، عَنْ عُقَيْلٍ، عَنْ الزُّهْرِيِّ، عَنْ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، عَنْ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ، وَرَوَاهُ اللَّيْثُ بْنُ سَعْدٍ، عَنْ عُقَيْلٍ، عَنْ الزُّهْرِيِّ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مُرْسَلًا .
'Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) says that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "The best companions are those whose number is four, and the best detachment is that whose number is four hundred, and the best army is that whose number is four thousand, and an Islamic army of twelve thousand will not be defeated due to small numbers." © Imam Tirmidhi says:
1- This hadith is Hasan Gharib,
2- Except for Jarir bin Hazim, no major hadith scholar has narrated this hadith with a connected chain; Zuhri has narrated it from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) as Mursal,
4- This hadith has been narrated by Hibban bin Ali Al-Anzi with the chain «عقيل عن الزهري عن عبيد الله بن عبد الله عن ابن عباس عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم», and also by Laith bin Sa'd with the chain «عقيل عن الزهري عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم» as Mursal.
1- This hadith is Hasan Gharib,
2- Except for Jarir bin Hazim, no major hadith scholar has narrated this hadith with a connected chain; Zuhri has narrated it from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) as Mursal,
4- This hadith has been narrated by Hibban bin Ali Al-Anzi with the chain «عقيل عن الزهري عن عبيد الله بن عبد الله عن ابن عباس عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم», and also by Laith bin Sa'd with the chain «عقيل عن الزهري عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم» as Mursal.
Related hadith on this topic
Explanation & Benefits
Shaykh Dr. Abdur Rahman Freywai
English Commentary:
Explanation:
1:
"Saraya" is the plural of "Sariyya."
A "Sariyya" refers to a military expedition in which the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) did not personally participate.
It is a detachment from the main army, consisting of up to four hundred soldiers at most.
Note:
(The narration of this hadith as "from Az-Zuhri, from the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam)" is only correct as mursal (with a missing link),
and it is also contrary to this divine verse:
﴿وَعَلِمَ أَنَّ فِيكُمْ ضَعْفًا فَإِن يَكُن مِّنكُم مِّئَةٌ صَابِرَةٌ يَغْلِبُواْ مِئَتَيْنِ﴾ (Al-Anfal: 66),
see:
As-Saheehah, no. 986,
Taraaji‘ Al-Albani: 152)
Explanation:
1:
"Saraya" is the plural of "Sariyya."
A "Sariyya" refers to a military expedition in which the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) did not personally participate.
It is a detachment from the main army, consisting of up to four hundred soldiers at most.
Note:
(The narration of this hadith as "from Az-Zuhri, from the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam)" is only correct as mursal (with a missing link),
and it is also contrary to this divine verse:
﴿وَعَلِمَ أَنَّ فِيكُمْ ضَعْفًا فَإِن يَكُن مِّنكُم مِّئَةٌ صَابِرَةٌ يَغْلِبُواْ مِئَتَيْنِ﴾ (Al-Anfal: 66),
see:
As-Saheehah, no. 986,
Taraaji‘ Al-Albani: 152)
Source: Sunan al-Tirmidhi – Majlis ‘Ilmi Dar al-Da‘wah, New Delhi Edition, Page: 1555
Shaykh Umar Farooq Saeedi
Benefits and Issues:
➊ The greater the number,
➋ the greater will be the blessing and benefit.
➌ If Muslims, numbering twelve thousand, are ever defeated somewhere,
➍ then the cause will not be their small number, but rather some other reason.
➎ For example, lack of piety (taqwa),
➏ arrogance,
➐ pride, cowardice, etc. However, this narration is mursal, which is considered weak according to the hadith scholars (muhaddithin).
➊ The greater the number,
➋ the greater will be the blessing and benefit.
➌ If Muslims, numbering twelve thousand, are ever defeated somewhere,
➍ then the cause will not be their small number, but rather some other reason.
➎ For example, lack of piety (taqwa),
➏ arrogance,
➐ pride, cowardice, etc. However, this narration is mursal, which is considered weak according to the hadith scholars (muhaddithin).
Source: Sunan Abu Dawood – Commentary by Shaykh Umar Farooq Saeedi, Page: 2611
