The Book of Faith

It is narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:

Islam initiated as something strange, and it would revert to its (old position) of being strange. so good tidings for the stranger.

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

Verily Islam started as something strange and it would again revert (to its old position) of being strange just as it started, and it would recede between the two mosques just as the serpent crawls back into its hole.

It is narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:

Verily the faith would recede to Medina just as the serpent crawls back into its hole.

It is narrated on the authority of Anas that verily the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:

"The Hour (Resurrection) will not occur until 'Allah, Allah' is not said on earth."

It is narrated on the authority of Anas that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:

"The Hour (Resurrection) will not occur as long as anyone says: 'Allah, Allah.'"

Hudhaifa reported:

We were in the company of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) when he said. Count for me those who profess al-Islam. We said: Messenger of Allah, do you entertain any fear concerning us and we are (at this time) between six hundred and seven hundred (in strength). He (the Prophet) remarked: You don't perceive; you may be put to some trial, He (the narrator) said: We actually suffered trial so much so that some of our men were constrained to offer their prayers in concealment.

It is narrated on the authority of Jabir that Nu'man b. Qaufal came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and said:

Would I enter Paradise if I say the obligatory prayers and deny myself that which is forbidden and treat that as lawful what has been made permissible (by the Shari'ah)? The Prophet (ﷺ) replied in the affirmative.

A similar hadith is narrated on Jabir's authority in which the following words are added:

I will do nothing more.

It is narrated on the authority of Jabir that a man once said to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ):

Shall I enter Paradise in case I say the obligatory prayers, observe the (fasts) of Ramadan and treat that as lawful which has been made permissible (by the Shari'ah) and deny myself that what is forbidden, and make no addition to it? He (the Prophet) replied in the affirmative. He (the inquirer) said: By Allah, I would add nothing to it.

Sa'd narrated it on the authority of his father (Abi Waqqas) that he observed:

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) distributed shares (of booty among his Companions). I said: Messenger of Allah! Give it to so and so, for verily he is a believer. Upon this the Messenger of Allah remarked: Or a Muslim. I (the narrator) repeated it (the word" believer" ) thrice and he (the Prophet) turned his back upon me (and substituted the word)" Muslim," and then observed: I bestow it (this share) to a man out of apprehension lest Allah should throw him prostrate into the fire (of Hell) whereas in fact the other man is dearer to me than he.

It is narrated on the authority of Sa'd that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) bestowed upon a group of persons (things), and Sa'd was sitting amongst them. Sa'd said:

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) ignored some of them. And he who was ignored seemed to be more deserving in my eyes (as compared with others). I (Sa'd) said: Messenger of Allah I why is it that you did not give to such and such (man)? Verily I see him a believer. Upon this the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) observed: Or a Muslim? I kept quiet for some time but I was again impelled (to express) what I knew about him. I said: Messenger of Allah why is it that you did not give it to such and such? Verily, by Allah, see him a believer. Upon this the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) remarked: (Nay, not a believer) but a Muslim. He (Sa'd) said: I again kept quite for some time but what I knew about him again impelled me (to express my opinion) and I said: Why is it that you did not give (the share) to so and so: By Allah, verily I see him a believer. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) remarked; (Nay, not so) but a Muslim. Verily (at times) I give (a share) to a certain man apprehending that he may not be thrown prostrate in the Fire, whereas the other man (who is not given) is dearer to me (as compared with him).

Sa'd reported:

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) bestowed upon a group of persons (booty) and I was sitting with them. The remaining part of the hadith is the same as mentioned (above) with the additionI stood up and went to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and whispered to him: Why did you omit such and such a man?

The same hadith has been narrated on the authority of Muhammad b Sa'd and these words (are also there):

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) gave a stroke on my neck or between my two shoulders and said: Sa'd, do you fight with me simply because I gave (a share) to a man?

It is narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) observed:

We have more claim to doubt than Ibrahim (ﷺ) when he said: My Lord! Show me how You wilt quicken the dead. He said: Believeth you not? He said: Yes! But that my heart may rest at ease. He (the Prophet) observed: May Lord take mercy on Lot, that he wanted a strong support, and had I stayed (in the prison) as long as Yusuf stayed, I would have responded to him who invited me.

'Abdullah b. Muhammad narrated the same hadith on the authority of Abu Huraira and in the transmission by Malik the words are that he (the Prophet) recited the verse:

" but that my heart may rest at ease" and completed it. This hadith has also been narrated by Abd b. Humaid Ya'qub, i. e. son of Ibrahim b. Sa'd, Abu Uwais, Zuhri, like the one narrated by Malik with the same chain of transmission and said: He recited this verse till he completed it.

It is narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) observed:

There has never been a Prophet (ﷺ) amongst the prophets who was not bestowed with a sign amongst the signs which were bestowed (on the earlier prophets). Human beings believed in it and verily I have been conferred upon revelation (the Holy Qur'an) which Allah revealed to me. I hope that I will have the greatest following on the Day of Resurrection.

It is narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) observed:

By Him in Whose hand is the life of Muhammad, he who amongst the community of Jews or Christians hears about me, but does not affirm his belief in that with which I have been sent and dies in this state (of disbelief), he shall be but one of the denizens of Hell-Fire.

It is narrated on the authority of Sha'bi that one among the citizens of Khurasan asked him:

0 Abu! some of the people amongst us who belong to Khurasan say that a person who freed his bondswoman and then married her is like one who rode over a sacrificial animal. Sha'bi said: Abu Burda b. Abi Musa narrated it to me on the authority of his father that verily the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: There are three (classes of persons) who would be given a double reward. One who is amongst the People of the Book and believed in his apostle and (lived) to see the time of Messenger Muhammad (ﷺ) and affirmed his faith in him and followed him and attested his truth, for him is the double reward; and the slave of the master who discharges all those obligations that he owes to Allah and discharges his duties that he owes to his master, for him there is a double reward. And a man who had a bondswoman and fed her and fed her well, then taught her good manners, and did that well and later on granted her freedom and married her, for him is the double reward. Then Sha'bi said: Accept this hadith without (giving) anything. Formerly a man was (obliged) to travel to Medina even for a smaller hadith than this. This hadith has been narrated by another chain of transmitters like Abu Bakr b. Abi Shaiba, 'Abda b. Sulaiman Ibn Abi 'Umar Sufyan, 'Ubaidullah b. Mu'adh, Shu'ba; all of them heard it from Salih b. Salih.

Abu Huraira reported that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:

By Him in Whose hand is my life, the son of Mary (ﷺ) will soon descend among you as a just judge. He will break crosses, kill swine and abolish Jizya and the wealth will pour forth to such an extent that no one will accept it.

The same hadith is transmitted from Zuhri with the same chain of transmission. But in the tradition narrated by Ibn 'Uyaina the words are:

" impartial leader and just judge" and in the tradition narrated by Yunus: the" judge judging with justice" and" impartial leader" are not mentioned. And in the hadith narrated by Salih like the one transmitted by Laith the words are:" impartial judge". And in the hadith transmitted by Ziyad the words are:" Till one sajda is better than the worldand what it contains. Then Abu Huraira used to say," recite" if you like: Not one of the People of the Book will fail to believe in him before his death.