Question

A Shaykh said that the Hadith relating to that Jews were divided into seventy one groups and the Christians into seventy two and the Muslims into seventy three all in Jahannam except one

He states that this Hadith is questionable:

1. The sanad (chain of narrators) is questionable
2. The matn (text) is questionable for the Quran says “You are the best of Ummahs”

Kindly express the research on this Hadith

 

Answer

The above Hadith regarding the Jews being divided into seventy one groups is recorded by Imams:

1) Tirmidhi (rahimahullah), he has declared this Hadith as authentic and sound

(Sunan Tirmidhi, Hadith: 2640)

2) Ibn Hibban (rahimahullah)

(Sahih ibn Hibban; Al Ihsan, Hadith: 6247)

The above shows that there is no question regarding the authenticity of this narration, some Muhaddithun have regarded this hadith to be mutawatir (the highest level of authenticity due to a large number of narrators reporting the hadith)

(See Nazmul Mutanathir of Muhammad bin Ja’far Al Kattani pg. 57)

Also see here.

Furthermore, this kind of objection is insufficient to dismiss the hadith’s authenticity. It is incorrect to assume that being the best of ummahs goes against this Hadith. This will lead to dismissing many other authentic hadiths like:

1.

لتتبعن سنن من كان قبلكم شبرا بشبر … إلى آخر الرواية

( أخرجه البخاري 3456)

Translation:

You will definitely follow the ways of those before you, hand span for handspan (exactly)

(Sahih Bukhari, Hadith: 3456)

2.

 لا تترك هذه الأمة شيئاً من سنن الأولين حتى تأتيه

(أخرجه الطبراني كما في الفتح 7320)

Translation:

This ummah will not leave out any way of the previous nations except that it will carry it out

(Tabarani, see Fathul Bari, Hadith: 7320)

3.

 لتركبن سنة من كان قبلكم حلوها و مرها

(أخرجه الشافعي من حديث عبد الله بن عمرو بسند صحيح كما في الفتح 7320)

Translation:

You will definitely follow the ways of those nations before you, the good and the bad

(Musnad Shafi’i; Fathul Bari, Hadith: 7320)

In actual fact it is the misunderstanding of ‘best of all nations’ that leads to dismissing the authenticity of these Hadiths

Ulama have categorised this Ummah into three categories

1) Ummatud Da’wah i.e., The Kuffar

2) Ummatul Ijabah i.e., The general Muslims

3) Ummatul Ittiba’  i.e., The pious and righteous from the Ummatul Ijaabah

(Fathul Bari, Hadith: 6541 and Min Sihahil Ahadithil Qudsiyyah of Shaykh Muhammad ‘Awwamah -hafizahullah- pg. 118)

It is clear that خير الامة (the best of nations) doesn’t refer to the first category, nor does it refer to the second, rather it refers to the third one, the pious from this ummah

Sayyiduna Umar (radiyallahu ‘anhu) is reported to have said:

من سرّه أن يكون من تلك الأمة (أي من خير الأمة) فليؤدّ شرط الله فيه

(رواه ابن جرير كما في تفسير ابن كثير)

Translation:

Whoever wishes to be from that nation (i.e. the best of nations) then he should fulfil Allah’s conditions.

This statement of Sayyiduna Umar (radiyallahu ‘anhu) shows us that the entire Ummah is not termed as the best of ummahs by default, rather it only applies to those who fulfil the conditions of being the best ummah. Therefore the deviated sects are not being referred to in this verse

Both the assumptions of the Shaykh you quoted are incorrect.

 

And Allah Ta’ala Knows best

Answered by: Moulana Suhail Motala

Approved by: Moulana Muhammad Abasoomar

Checked by; Moulana Haroon Abasoomar

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