Hadithcore
Sahih Muslim, 50 a
sahih

It is narrated on the authority 'Abdullah b. Mas'ud that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) observed:

Never a Prophet (ﷺ) had been sent before me by Allah towards his nation who had not among his people (his) disciples and companions who followed his ways and obeyed his command. Then there came after them their successors who said whatever they did not practise, and practised whatever they were not commanded to do. He who strove against them with his hand was a believer: he who strove against them with his tongue was a believer, and he who strove against them with his heart was a believer and beyond that there is no faith even to the extent of a mustard seed. Abu Rafi' said: I narrated this hadith to 'Abdullah b. 'Umar; he contradicted me. There happened to come 'Abdullah b. Mas'ud who stayed at Qanat, and 'Abdullah b 'Umar wanted me to accompany him for visiting him (as 'Abdullah b. Mas'ud was ailing), so I went along with him and as we sat (before him) I asked Ibn Mas'ud about this hadith. He narrated it in the same way as I narrated it to Ibn 'Umar.

حَدَّثَنِي عَمْرٌو النَّاقِدُ، وَأَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ النَّضْرِ وَعَبْدُ بْنُ حُمَيْدٍ - وَاللَّفْظُ لِعَبْدٍ - قَالُوا حَدَّثَنَا يَعْقُوبُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ سَعْدٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي أَبِي، عَنْ صَالِحِ بْنِ كَيْسَانَ، عَنِ الْحَارِثِ، عَنْ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ الْحَكَمِ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ الْمِسْوَرِ، عَنْ أَبِي رَافِعٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مَسْعُودٍ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏

‏ مَا مِنْ نَبِيٍّ بَعَثَهُ اللَّهُ فِي أُمَّةٍ قَبْلِي إِلاَّ كَانَ لَهُ مِنْ أُمَّتِهِ حَوَارِيُّونَ وَأَصْحَابٌ يَأْخُذُونَ بِسُنَّتِهِ وَيَقْتَدُونَ بِأَمْرِهِ ثُمَّ إِنَّهَا تَخْلُفُ مِنْ بَعْدِهِمْ خُلُوفٌ يَقُولُونَ مَا لاَ يَفْعَلُونَ وَيَفْعَلُونَ مَا لاَ يُؤْمَرُونَ فَمَنْ جَاهَدَهُمْ بِيَدِهِ فَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌ وَمَنْ جَاهَدَهُمْ بِلِسَانِهِ فَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌ وَمَنْ جَاهَدَهُمْ بِقَلْبِهِ فَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌ وَلَيْسَ وَرَاءَ ذَلِكَ مِنَ الإِيمَانِ حَبَّةُ خَرْدَلٍ ‏

‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ أَبُو رَافِعٍ فَحَدَّثْتُهُ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ عُمَرَ فَأَنْكَرَهُ عَلَىَّ فَقَدِمَ ابْنُ مَسْعُودٍ فَنَزَلَ بِقَنَاةَ فَاسْتَتْبَعَنِي إِلَيْهِ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عُمَرَ يَعُودُهُ فَانْطَلَقْتُ مَعَهُ فَلَمَّا جَلَسْنَا سَأَلْتُ ابْنَ مَسْعُودٍ عَنْ هَذَا الْحَدِيثِ فَحَدَّثَنِيهِ كَمَا حَدَّثْتُهُ ابْنَ عُمَرَ ‏.‏ قَالَ صَالِحٌ وَقَدْ تُحُدِّثَ بِنَحْوِ ذَلِكَ عَنْ أَبِي رَافِعٍ ‏.‏

Isnad

7 transmitters
  1. 1'Amr bin Muhammad bin Bukayr (al-Naqid)al-Baghdad,al-Raqqa · d. 232 AH
  2. 2Ya'qub bin Ibrahim bin Sa'dMedina,Baghdad · d. 208 AH
  3. 3Ibrahim bin Sa'd bin IbrahimMedina,Baghdad · d. ~185 AH/800 CE
  4. 4Salah bin Kaysan al-MadniMedina · d. 140 AH or after
  5. 5Ja'far bin 'AbdullahMedina
  6. 6Abu Rafi'Makkah/Medinah/Kufa · d. 40 AH/660 CE
  7. 7ibn Mas'udMakkah/Abyssinia/Medina/kufah · d. 32 AH/ 652 CE
References2 variants
In-Book Reference
Book 1, Hadith 86
USC-MSA web (English) reference
Book 1, Hadith 81 (deprecated numbering scheme)
Sharh · explanationclick to expand
The Prophets' calls are of common features. All were resisted by some or lots of their people. All were followed by some of their people who afterward conveyed their calls. Over decades and centuries, people began to gradually move away from the truth. The one adhering to this truth had to resist them as much as he could. In this hadith, the Prophet ﷺ confirmed that all Prophets that Allah had sent had disciples and companions following their ways and obeying their commands. Afterward, there came successors and hypocrites who said what they did not practice and practiced what they were not commanded to do while claiming and complimenting themselves on following their prophet's guidance. On the contrary, they were committing and spreading corruption. Every believer has to strive against those people based on his ability. Whoever strives against and tries to remove their evil with his hand or tongue is a believer. Moreover, whoever hates their evil with his heart is a believer, for he wishes he had been able to remove these evils with his hand or tongue but he was unable to do so. There is no faith beyond that even to the extent of a mustard seed, for if one does not hate the evil even if with his heart but pleases it, it is an approval of disbelief. This hadith shows that there are two conditions of the obligation of enjoining the good and forbidding the evil with hands or tongue: (1) Knowledge of whether that action is good or evil, for the ignorant person cannot determine that, and (2) The ability to do so, for it is enough for the unable person to hate the evil with his heart. Striving against evils by one's hands is only for those being able to change them without a conflict such as those in charge and rulers. Striving against evils by one’s tongue is by showing and calling for the truth. Striving against evils by one's heart is by rejecting, hating, and displeasing them. Abu Rafi' said, “I narrated this hadith to Abdullah ibn Omar but he disapproved of the narration.” Ibn Omar’s disapproval may be interpreted that he wanted to check the authenticity of the hadith, for one may unwillingly increase, decrease, or even distort his own narrations. He did not mean to accuse Abu Rafi’, for all people were vulnerable to forget. Ibn Omar knew that Abu Rafi’ was a great companion with a high level of justice and honesty. When Ibn Masoud came to Medina, Ibn Omar commanded Abu Rafi’ to go with him to visit Ibn Masoud. When they sat with him, Abu Rafi’ asked Ibn Masoud about this hadith, so Ibn Masoud narrated it to him just as Abu Rafi’ had narrated it to Ibn Omar. Abu Rafi’ did that to make sure of the hadith context and defend his narration. Finally, this hadith contains the following benefits: (1) It includes one of the signs of the Prophet’s prophethood, (2) It stresses the necessity of enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong, according to people’s conditions, (3) It clarifies the virtue of the Prophet’s companions, for they presented his properties and selves for the sake of this religion, (4) It shows that changing the evil is part of the Islamic faith, and (5) It refers that one’s faith increases and decreases..
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