Intercession, Divine Mercy, and the Release of the Monotheists

(59) Allāh will please His Prophet Muhammad

Allāh will please His Prophet concerning intercession on the Day of Judgment repeatedly till the Prophet will admit that he is pleased with the favour regarding intercession for his ummah.

1. Muhammad b. Aḥmad b. Zayd → ᶜAmr b. ᶜĀṣim → Ḥarab b. Surayj al-Bazzār:

I said to Abū Jaᶜfar Muhammad b. Alī b. al-Ḥusayn, “I wish to offer my life for your sake, do you think that the intercession which the people of Iraq report [from the Prophet] is true.” He said, “Intercession by whom?” I said, “Intercession by Muhammad.” He said, “By Allah! It is true. My uncle Muhammad b. ᶜAlī Ibn al-Ḥanafiyyah reported from ᶜAlī b. Abī Ṭālib who reported that the Prophet said:

I will intercede for my ummah till my Lord will draw me near to Him and will ask me, “O Muhammad! Are you pleased now?” I will say, “Yes, my Lord, I am happy.””

He came closer to me and said, “You say, O people of al-Irāq, that the most encouraging verse in the Qurᵓān is the following, “O my Servants who have transgressed against their souls! Despair not of the Mercy of Allah. For Allah forgives all sins: for He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful (Q 39:53). I said: We hold that of course. He said: However, we, the members of the family of the Prophet hold that the most encouraging verse in the Qurᵓān in this regard is the following: And soon will your Lord give you (that wherewith) you shall be well-pleased (Q 93:5).

(60) Allah’s Promise to Release the Monotheists

Allah has decided to release the monotheists from Hell through intercession by the Prophet when they will have become like charcoal in the fire. Allah will give them death once in the fire. Later, intercession will be allowed, and they will be brought to life after being released from the Fire and before being admitted into Paradise. The wording used is general, but the meaning is restricted to a party.

1. Yaᶜqūb b. Ibrāhīm al-Dawraqī → Ibn ᶜUlayyah:

2. Abū Hāshim → Ismāᶜīl → Saᶜīd b. Yazīd → Abū Naḍrah → Abū Saᶜīd al-Khudrī → the Prophet:

The (permanent) inhabitants of the Fire are those who are doomed to it, and verily they will neither die nor live in it. But the people whom the Fire will afflict (temporarily) according to their sins, or so on account of their misdeeds, Allah will cause them to die till they will be turned into charcoal. Then they will be granted intercession and will be brought in groups and be spread on the rivers of Paradise and then it will be said, “O inhabitants of Paradise, pour water over them.” [He said:] Then they will sprout forth like the sprouting of seed in the silt carried by flood. A man among the people said, “(It appears) as if the Messenger of Allah lived in the steppe.” Abū Hāshim reported, “They will grow [on the water] of the rivers of the Paradise.”

Abū Bakr said: The correct narration is that of al-Dawraqī. He said:

Abū Hāshim told us that Ismaᶜīl said, “Ḥibbah is the seed which a farmer sows in the land and then rain coming from the heavens [waters it] and it grows.”

3. Aḥmad b. ᶜAbdah → Muhammad b. Dīnār → Abū Salamah → Abū Naḍrah → Abū Saᶜīd al-Khudrī → the Prophet:

A ḥadīth similar to the one reported by Hāshim. In this report, he is reported to have said, “However, a people will be ruined by their sins. Allāh will make them die in Hell.” He also said, “They will then be brought in bundles to be spread on the rivers of Paradise. [The dwellers of Paradise] will pour water over them.”

Abū Bakr said: However, I do not understand how Aḥmad has used the word fanabatū or fayunbitū as I have recorded it in the same wording in my collection following the report of Abū Hāshim.

4. Muhammad b. ᶜAbd al-Aᶜlā al-Ṣanᶜānī → Yazīd b. Zurayᶜ → Abū Salamah → Abū Naḍrah → Abū Saᶜīd al-Khudrī → the Prophet:

The (permanent) inhabitants of the Fire are those who will neither die nor live in it. As for the people whom the Fire will afflict (temporarily) on account of their sins He will cause them to die once till they will be turned into charcoal. Then they will be granted intercession and will be brought in groups and will be spread on the rivers of Paradise and then it will be said, “O inhabitants of Paradise, pour water over them.” [He said:] Then they will sprout forth like the sprouting of seed in the silt carried by flood.

5. Abū Bishr ᶜUqbah b. Sinān al-Baṣrī → Ghassān b. Muḍar → Saᶜīd b. Yazīd:

He related a report similar to the narrative of Ibn ᶜUlayyah in which he said, “But there will be groups of people the Fire will inflict on account of their sins or misdeeds.” He also said, “They sprout out….”

6. Naḍr b. ᶜAlī → his father → Ismāᶜīl b. Muslim → Abū al-Mutawakkil al-Nājī → Abū Saᶜīd al-Khudrī → the Prophet of Allāh:

A people will be brought out of the Fire after they will be burnt into charcoal. Then water will be poured over them. Then they will sprout forth just as seeds sprout beside the flood water. Then they will enter Paradise.

7. Abū ᶜĀṣim → Ibn Jurayj → Abū al-Zubayr → Abū Saᶜīd al-Khudrī → the Prophet:

A people will be brought out of the Fire after they will be burnt into charcoal. Then the dwellers of Paradise will pour water over them. Then they will sprout forth just as seeds sprout beside the flood water.

8. Muhammad b. Bashshār → Abū Āṣim:

This narrative is a mursal one. For Abū al-Zubayr did not hear from Abū Saᶜīd as far as we know.

9. Muhammad b. Bashshār → ᶜUthmān b. ᶜUmar → Yazīd b. Abī Ṣāliḥ → Anas b. Mālik → the Prophet:

A people will be brought out of the Fire after they will be like charcoal. They will enter Paradise. The dwellers of Paradise will ask, “Who are these people?” It will be said, “These are al-jahanmiyyūn.”

Abū Bakr said: I do not know the status of Yazīd b. Abī Ṣāliḥ as a narrator of the ḥadīth.

(61) Release from Hell because of Intercession

The people mentioned in the reports above will be released from Hell and permitted into Paradise because of intercession. This I base on the narrative of Ibn ᶜUlayyah which says, “The intercession will be permitted and they will be brought.”

1. Aḥmad b. al-Miqdām → Bishr (b. al-Mufaḍḍal) → Abū Muslimah → Naḍrah → Abū Saᶜīd al-Khudrī → the Prophet:

The (permanent) inhabitants of the Fire are those who are doomed to it, and verily they will neither die nor live in it. But the people whom the Fire will afflict (temporarily) on account of their sins, or [said the narrator] on account of their misdeeds, He will cause them to die till they will be turned into charcoal. Then they will be granted intercession and will be brought in groups and will be spread on the rivers of Paradise and then it will be said, “O inhabitants of Paradise, pour water over them.” Then they will sprout forth like the sprouting of seed in the silt carried by flood.

2. Muhammad b. Bashshār → Abū ᶜAdī → Sulaymān al-Taymī → Abū Naḍrah → Abū Saᶜīd al-Khudrī → the Prophet:

The (permanent) inhabitants of the Fire are those who are doomed to it. They will neither die nor live in it. But the people to whom Allah will intend to show mercy, the Fire will cause them to die. Then the interceding men will enter upon them. A man [from among the interceding personalities] will take a group and spread them on the river of ḥayāt (life) or ḥayawān (the living) or ḥayā (modesty) or al-janna (Paradise). They will then sprout forth like the sprouting of seed in the silt carried by flood.

The Prophet said:

Do not you see a tree is first lush green then it turns yellow?

Or perhaps the Prophet said:

It is yellow and then becomes lush green.

The narrator says: Then a man said, “(It appears) as if the Messenger of Allah lived in the steppe.”

3. Muhammad b. ᶜAbd al-Aᶜlā → al-Muᶜtamir → his father → Abū Naḍrah → Abū Saᶜīd al-Khudrī:

The Prophet addressed us. [The narrator says]: I believe he [Abū Saᶜīd] mentioned it at length. He (the Prophet) said:

The (permanent) inhabitants of the Fire are those who are doomed to it. They will neither die nor live in it. But the people to whom Allah will intend to show mercy, He will cause them to die. Then the interceding personalities will enter upon them. A man [from among the interceding persons] will take a group and spread them on the river of ḥayāt (life) or ḥayawān (the living) or ḥayā (modesty). They will then sprout forth like the sprouting of seed in the silt carried by flood.

The Prophet said:

Do not you see a tree is first lush green then it turns yellow then it is yellow and then becomes again lush green?

The narrator says that the people said, “(It appears) as if the Messenger of Allah was in the steppe.”

4. ᶜAbd al-Wārith b. ᶜAbd al-Ṣamad → his father → Ḥibān (b. ᶜAlī) → Sulaymān al-Taymī → Abū Naḍrah → Abū Saᶜīd al-Khudrī:

The Prophet delivered a sermon in which he recited the following verse: “Verily he who comes to his Lord as a sinner (at Judgment), - for him is Hell: therein shall he neither die nor live. But such as come to Him as Believers who have worked righteous deeds” (Q 20:74-5). The narrator means to say that he recited the whole verse. He said that the Prophet said:

The (permanent) inhabitants of the Fire are those who are doomed to it. They will neither die nor live in it. As for those who are not its permanent dwellers the Fire will cause them to die once. Then the interceding persons will rise and intercede. A group will be released and spread on the river called ḥayāt (life) or ḥayawān (the living). They will then sprout forth like the sprouting of seed in the silt carried by flood.

(62) Meaning of an Expression

By his saying, “they become like charcoal” the Prophet means to refer to their bodies except for their faces and the parts of it upon which there are marks of prostration. For Allāh has forbidden the Fire to remove the marks of prostration on the faces of the monotheists. We seek His refuge from the Fire and its punishment.

1. Muhammad b. Yaḥyā → Abū al-Yaman → Shuᶜayb (b. Abī Ḥamzah) → al-Zuhrī → Saᶜīd b. al-Musayyib and ᶜAṭāᵓ b. Yazīd al-Laythī → Abū Hurayrah:

The people said to the Messenger of Allah, “Messenger of Allah, shall we see our Lord on the Day of Resurrection?”

Then he reported the whole ḥadīth in which he said: [The Prophet said]:

When Allah will intend to show His mercy to those of the dwellers of Hell to whom He would like to show mercy, He will command the angels to bring out those who would worship Allah [in their worldly life]. They will bring them out of Hell. They will recognize them by the marks of prostration, for Allah has forbidden it to Hell to eat away the marks of prostration. They will be brought out of Hell having been burnt. The water of life will be poured over them. They will sprout as seed does in the silt carried by flood. Then Allah will finish judging amongst His bondsmen; but a man will remain between Hell and Paradise. He will be the last to enter Paradise.

Then he narrated the whole ḥadīth. I have mentioned this narrative in Kitāb al-Ahwāl.

2. Muhammad b. Yaḥyā → Salmān b. Dāwūd al-Hāshimī → Ibrāhīm b. Saᶜd → Ibn Shihāb → ᶜAṭāᵓ b. Yazīd al-Laythī → Abū Hurayrah:

The people said, “O Messenger of Allāh!”

3. Muhammad → ᶜAbd al-Razzāq → Maᶜmar → al-Zuhrī → ᶜAṭāᵓ b. Yazīd al-Laythī → Abū Hurayrah:

The people said, “O Messenger of Allāh!”

Muhammad b. Yaḥyā said that they both narrated the ḥadīth in this regard. However, they have at points differed over the words and expressions without affecting the meaning.

Abū Bakr said: Muhammad b. Yaḥyā has proffered the isnād of ᶜAbd al-Razzāq over the isnād of al-Hāshimī.

4. Muhammad → ᶜAbd al-Razzāq → Maᶜmar → Zayd b. Aslam → ᶜAṭāᵓ b. Yasār → Abū Saᶜīd al-Khudrī → the Prophet:

When the believers are parted from the Fire, they are washed, so do not fight with any of your companion over the truth. He has far weightier arguments to make in the world with their Lord about their brothers who will be sent to Hell. When the believers will find rescue from the Fire and will find peace, by the One in Whose hand is my life, there will be none among you more eager to claim a right than the believers on the Day of Resurrection for (saving their) brethren put in the Fire.

He said:

They will say, “O Lord, they have been praying with us, fasting with us and performing pilgrimage with us. You have put them in Fire.”

He will say to them, “Take out those whom you recognise.” Then they (the dwellers of Paradise) will come to them (the dwellers of Hell) and will recognize them by their faces for their faces will not be consumed by Fire.

He narrated the whole ḥadīth which I have recorded elsewhere.

5. Muhammad → Jaᶜfar b. ᶜAwn → Hishām b. Saᶜd → Zayd b. Aslam → ᶜAṭāᵓ b. Yasār → Abū Saᶜīd:

He narrates the complete narrative from the Prophet in which the latter said:

Allāh will say to them, “Go and take out the ones whose face you recognize.” Their faces will be forbidden on the Fire to consume.

Abū Bakr said: I have explained the words used in the narrative of ᶜItbān b. Mālik from the Prophet. The Prophet said, “Allāh has forbidden to the Fire every such person as declared that there is no god but Allāh seeking the face of Allah.” I have explained this prophetic statement in an appropriate place in this book.

(63) Treatment of the Monotheists

Those of the monotheists, whom Allah has decided to release from the Fire and who are not the permanent dwellers of Hell, will die in it. The Fire will cause them to die; then they will be brought out of it and admitted into Paradise. They will not be alive and will not continue to suffer the burning and feel the punishment before their release.

1. Aḥmad b. ᶜAbdah →Ismāᶜīl b. Ibrāhīm → Abū Salamah → Abū Naḍrah:

Abū Saᶜīd reported a narrative similar to the report of Hāshim:

He (the Prophet) said, “But some people will be afflicted with the Fire on account of their sins or misdeeds.” He (Abū Ismāᶜīl) said, “This is how Abū Naḍrah reported that the Fire will cause them to die a death.” He reported, “They will be put on the rivers of Paradise. It will be said to the dwellers of Paradise, “Pour water.””

He (Abū Nadrah) used the word ḥibah (seed). He did not refer to the interpretation of the word by Ibn ᶜUlayyah.

2. Abū al-Ashᶜath → Muᶜtamir → his father → Abū Naḍrah → Abū Saᶜīd → the Prophet:

“The (permanent) inhabitants of the Fire are those who are doomed to it.”

He then related the complete narrative.

Regarding the following narrative of Abū Salamah → Abū Naḍrah → Abū Saᶜīd: When they will be burnt into charcoal, intercession will be allowed regarding them.

Abū Bakr said: This wording is also used in the narrative reported by Ibn Dīnār → Abū Maslamah → Aḥmad b. ᶜAbdah. Muhammad b. Dīnār told us that this narrative proves that the Divine statement: “No intercession can avail in His Presence, except for those for whom He has granted permission,” (Q 34:23) gives a restricted meaning. It says that the intercession by only those will be entertained whom Allah will allow that too regarding those who will die after being caste in Hell. These people will not be the permanent dwellers of Hell. I have explained the meaning of the following two Divine statements in the first section of Kitāb Maᶜānī al-Qurᵓān.

And they offer no intercession except for those who are acceptable (Q 21:28).

Except for those for whom He has granted permission (Q 34:23).

3. Muhammad b. Yaḥyā → Hawdah b. Khalīfah → ᶜAwf → Abū Naḍrah → Abū Saᶜīd al-Khudrī → the Prophet:

A group of people will be taken out from the Fire who will have turned into charcoal. It will be said, “Spread them in Paradise and pour water over them.” They will then sprout forth like the sprouting of seed in the silt carried by flood. A man among the people said, “(It appears) that if you lived in the steppe, O Messenger of Allah.”

4. Muhammad b. Bashshār → Muhammad b. Jaᶜfar → ᶜAwf → Abū Naḍrah → Abū Saᶜīd al-Khudrī → the Prophet:

5. Abū Mūsā and Muhammad b. Bashshār → Sālim b. Nūḥ → al-Jurayrī → Abū Naḍrah → Abū Saᶜīd al-Khudrī → the Prophet:

The (permanent) inhabitants of the Fire are those who are doomed to it. They will neither die nor live in it. But the people whom Allah will intend to bring them out of it, the Fire will cause them to die till they will be turned into charcoal. Then they will be brought out in groups and will be spread on the rivers of Paradise and its water will be poured on them. Then they will sprout forth like the sprouting of seed in the silt carried by flood.

Bundār explains that Ḥibah means seed.

Abū Mūsā used the words, “They will enter Paradise.”

Both of them used the words, “The dwellers of Paradise will call them al-jahanmiyyūn. They will pray to Allāh who will take this name from them.”

6. Muhammad b. Bashshār → ᶜAbd al-Wahhāb → Saᶜīd b. Iyās → Abū Naḍrah → Abū Saᶜīd al-Khudrī:

As for those whom Allāh will intend to release from the Fire, He will cause them to die till they will be turned into charcoal. As for those whom Allah will not intend to release from the Fire, they will neither die nor live in it nor will they be brought out of it. This means that those whom Allah will intend to bring out of the Fire in groups like [seeds grow] in the silt carried by flood. The dwellers of Paradise will call them al-jahannamiyyūn.

He said:

I have come to know through another narrative that reached me that they will pray to their Lord who will remove this appellation from them.

Abū Bakr said: I used to think that the word ism (name) does not signify this type of words (ie jahannamī, dwellers of Hell). I have held for long that such words are adjectives (ṣift) not names. I thought it inappropriate to say that the words, for example Basriyyūn or Kūfiyyūn derived from the names of cities, are names. Similarly, I thought it is wrong to say that all such adjectives formed in relation of places to refer to the dwellers of those particular places are names. In Arabic Language, as far as I know, it is not correct to refer to such adjectives as names. These are adjectives derived from the names of the places. I think that the word ism (name) is applied to names like Muhammad, Aḥmad, Ḥasan, Huṣayn etc. In the ḥadīth under discussion, however, the word name has been applied to such adjectives. The word ism (name) has been used for jahannamiyyūn in the language of Arabs. I have taught my comrades for long that names are formed to give two meanings:

a. Firstly, it is used for a kind of definition and differentiation. These are used for example to distinguish ᶜAbd Allāh from ᶜAbd al-Raḥmān, Muhammad from Aḥmad and al-Ḥasan from al-Ḥusayn. Thus, the names help us differentiate between any two persons and two groups. These names do not mark reality. For we know that a person named Ḥasan (beautiful) can be ugly. Similarly, a person named Maḥmūd (praised) can be a condemnable character; a man named Ṣāliḥ (righteous) can be evil.

b. The second meaning in which the names are used is based on reality. We may call a man Ṣāliḥ (righteous) when he truly is righteous. In this instance the name, which is indeed an adjective, signifies his true and real quality. Similarly, we may refer to a truly praiseworthy character as Maḥmūd and a learned person can be called ᶜālim. Faqīh (of profound understanding) can be used for a genius person. Zāhid is used for a pious man. These examples depict reality.

7. Abū ᶜUbayd, the son of my brother Hilāl → Farwah b. Abī al-Maghrāᵓ → al-Qāsim b. Mālik al-Muzanī → ᶜAbd al-Raḥmān b. Isḥāq → al-Nuᶜmān b. Saᶜd → al-Mughīrah b. Shuᶜbah → the Prophet:

A people will be got out of Hell and admitted into Paradise. There they will be called al-jahanmiyyūn. They will ask Allāh to erase this name and He will remove it from them.

(64) Monotheists’ Release from Hell

[This chapter contains] reports ascribed to the Prophet to the effect that those who witness that there is no god but Allāh will be brought out of the Fire.

I will make it clear for those who may hear the following aḥādīth and conclude that the one who witnesses that there is no god but Allāh by his tongue without believing it in his heart will be released from the Fire. Such a person can think so because of his ignorance and lack of knowledge of the religion of Allāh, His teachings and the Prophetic aḥādīth, the brief of them as well as the detailed ones. Some ignorant men think that the one who witnesses that “there is no god but Allāh” will enter Paradise even though he does not witness to that Allāh has sent Messengers and Books, [He has prepared] Paradise and Hell, and He will resurrect people and put them through accountability. I emphasize on negating such a view because most of the people in the present day do not have sound knowledge of this discipline (i.e. Ḥadīth). They do not distinguish between detailed reports from the brief ones. Sometimes they do not know that there is a detailed and precise report, and they adduce a succinct report to support their view. They take the lead before learning. They have forbidden to themselves patience required for acquiring knowledge. Thus, they fail to wait [to learn], acquire prominence and reach the status of scholars.

1. Abū Ḥafṣ ᶜAmr b. ᶜAlī, al-ᶜAbbās b. ᶜAbd al-ᶜAẓīm al-ᶜAnbarī, ᶜUmar b. Ḥafṣ al-Shaybānī, and Abū al-Azhar, Ḥawtharah b. Muhammad → Ḥumayd b. Masᶜadah → ᶜImrān al-ᶜAmmī → al-Ḥasan → Anas b. Mālik → the Prophet:

I will continue interceding for my ummah and Allah will continue forgiving them till I say, “O My Lord, let me intercede for every such man who witnesses there is no god but Allāh.” He will say, “O Muhammad! This is not for you, nor for anyone else. By My Grace, and Exaltedness and Mercy, I will not leave anyone in the Fire who says that there is no god but Allāh.”

This is the wording of the ḥadīth of ᶜAmr b. ᶜAlī. However, ᶜUmar b. Ḥafṣ said that Allah would say, “It is on my Grace and Power and My Mercy, I would not leave anyone from my servants in the Fire who says, “There is no god but Allāh.”” Abū al-Azhar reported from ᶜImrān al-ᶜAmmī that the Prophet said that Allah would say, “And it is not for anyone else. It is only my prerogative. Nobody will remain in the Fire who says, “There is no god but Allāh.” I will get every such man out of it (the Fire).” In the report of Ḥammād b. Zayd from Maᶜbad b. Hilāl, in the last part of the narrative, which regards to the addition made by al-Ḥasan from Anas from the Prophet, it is said:

I will say, “O My Lord, leave me every such man who says, “There is no god but Allāh.”” [He said:] It will be said, “This is not for you! Upon my Grace and Power and Greatness and Exaltedness, I will get everybody out of it (the Fire) who says that there is no god but Allāh.”

2. Aḥmad b. ᶜAbdah → Ḥammād → Maᶜbad b. Hilāl al-ᶜAnazī:

I have mentioned this report completely in another chapter.

Abū Bakr said: By the words: “Till I said”, the Prophet means to say: “I will say”. ᶜAbbās traced this report directly to the Prophet himself and claimed that he said, “Till I will say, “O my Lord [….]” And He will say, “By my Grace and Gentility and Mercy.””

(65) Sincere Monotheists

The Prophet will intercede for every such man who sincerely witnesses with his tongue that Allah is one while believing in this fact in his heart, not for those who witness His oneness merely with the tongue without truly believing in this belief.

1. Muhammad b. ᶜAbd Allāh b. ᶜAbd al-Ḥakam →his father and Shuᶜayb →al-Layth →Yazīd b. Abī Ḥabīb →Salm b. Abī al-Jaᶜd →Muᶜāwiyah b. Muᶜattib →Abū Hurayrah:

I asked the Prophet, “What did your Lord say to you about the intercession?” He said, “By the one in whose Hand is my life, I was expecting that from among my ummah you would be the first man to ask this question for I observed your keenness for knowledge. By the one in whose hand is my life, it is not harder for me to intercede for them finally than the issue of their accountability on the doors of Paradise. As for my intercession it is for the one who sincerely witnesses that there is no god but Allāh, while his heart confirms what his tongue utters, and his tongue corresponds to what he believes in his heart.”

2. Yūnus b. ᶜAbd al-Aᶜlā → Ibn Wahb → Ibn Lahīᶜah → Ibn Abī Ḥabīb → Abū al-Khayr and also Sālim b. (Abū Sālim) al-Jayshānī → Muᶜāwiyah b. Muᶜattib → Abū Hurayrah:

I asked the Prophet ……

He related a narrative similar to the ḥadīth of al-Layth. He reported the words “By the one in whose hand is my life” at both points [whereas the previous report contained the words “by the one in whose hand is the life of Muhammad]. He said: “…. from the conclusion of my intercession for them.” Also, he said, “[My intercession is] for the one who witnesses sincerely that there is no god but Allāh and that Muhammad is His messenger.”

Abū Bakr said: He added the words “and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allāh.” The rest of the report is similar to the previous one.

443. Yūnus → Ibn Wahb → ᶜAmr b. al-Ḥārith → Yazīd b. Abī Ḥabīb → Abū Sālim → Ibn Muᶜattib → Abū Hurayrah → the Prophet:

Yūnus reported the tradition from them. The text of his report is similar to that which Ibn Lahīᶜah reported which contains similar text from ᶜAmr b. al-Ḥārith. Had it not been the case, I would not have preferred Ibn Lahīᶜah over ᶜAmr b. al-Ḥārith. Ibn Lahīᶜah is not a reliable reporter of aḥādīth according to our criteria of acceptance of the aḥādīth.

Abū Bakr said: The report of al-Layth is more convincing as compared to the one by ᶜAmr b. al-Ḥārith. The report, in my opinion, actually comes from Sālim b. Abī Sālim as reported by al-Layth not from Abū Sālim. However, alternatively, we have to say that Sālim has a surname Abū Sālim as well.

4. ᶜAlī b. Ḥujr → Ismāᶜīl b. Jaᶜfar → ᶜAmr b. Abī ᶜAmr → Saᶜīd b. Abī Saᶜīd al-Muqbarī → Abū Hurayrah:

I asked, “O Prophet of Allāh, who will be the most honoured person among those who will benefit from your intercession on the Day of Judgment?” The Prophet replied, “O Abū Hurayrah, I thought nobody will ask this to me before you for I saw your interest in the aḥādīth. The happiest man among those who will receive my intercession on the Day of Judgment will be the one who says, “There is no god but Allāh, sincerely from his true heart.”

(66) A Narrative in Support of my Interpretation of the Ḥadīth

I have interpreted the ḥadīth and taken it to mean that only such persons will be released from the Fire who witness that there is no god but Allāh with a true heart. Alternatively, we can take the word bi al-khayr, occurring in the narrative, to mean “by heart”. Some of the ignorant people have haughtily opposed us and claimed that the word bi al-khayr in the report cannot be taken to mean īmān, thus they showed their lack of knowledge of the religion and dared to call the hypocrites as believers.

1. Muhammad b. Yaḥyā → Yazīd b. Hārūn → Shuᶜbah → Qatādah → Anas b. Mālik → the Prophet:

Allāh will say: “Get every such person out of the Fire who testified that there is no god but Allāh while his heart carried good equalling a rye. Take out every such person from the Fire who professed that there is no god but Allāh while his heart contained good equal to a piece of an ant (dūdah), and take every such person out of it who declared that there is no god except Allāh while he had good in his heart equal to an atom.”

2. Muhammad b. Bashshār → Muhammad b. Jaᶜfar → Shuᶜbah → Qatādah → Anas b. Mālik:

Take out of the Fire whoever said that there is no god but Allāh while his heart found good weighing a barley seed.

He then related the similar narrative, leaving the mention of an ant (dūdah), and said, “Whoever had good (al-khayr) in his heart.”

3. Bundār → Abū Dāwūd → Shuᶜbah → Qatādah → Anas → the Prophet:

A narrative similar to that of Muhammad b. Jaᶜfar.

4. Muhammad b. Yaḥyā → ᶜAbd al-Ṣamad → Hishām → Qatādah → Anas b. Mālik → the Prophet:

Everyone who says there is no god save Allāh and has in his heart good equal to the weight of a barley seed will be taken out of the Fire. Then everyone who says there is no god but Allāh and has in his heart good equalling a grain (burrah) will be taken out of fire. Then every such person who testifies that there is no god but Allāh and has good in his heart equal to an atom will be brought out of the Fire.

5. Muhammad b. Yaḥyā → Saᶜīd b. ᶜĀmir → Hishām al-Dastawāᵓī:

A similar narrative through this isnād.

6. Abū Mūsā → Ibn Abī ᶜAdī → Saᶜīd → Qatādah → Anas → the Prophet:

Whoever says there is no god but Allāh and has in his heart good equalling a barley grain will be got out of the Fire [first]. Then whoever says there is no god except Allāh while having in his heart good equal to a piece of grain of cereal will be brought out of the Fire. Then whoever declares that there is no god save Allāh while carrying in his heart good weighing to an atom will be saved from the Fire.

7. Abū Mūsā → Muhammad b. Jaᶜfar → Shuᶜbah → Qatādah → Anas → the Prophet:

[Allah will say]: “Get out of the Fire everyone who said there is no god but Allāh while having in his heart good equalling a barley grain. Get out of the Fire everyone who said there is no god except Allāh and had good in his heart equal to a barley seed. Bring out of the Fire everyone who said there is no god save Allāh while having in his heart good weighing an atom.”

The above passage is translated from Kitāb al-Tawḥīd by Imām Abū Bakr Ibn Khuzaymah (d. 311 AH). English translation by Dr Tariq Mahmood Hashmi.

English Translation of Seminal Islamic Texts

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