Definition of Authentic Hadith
An authentic hadith is defined as a narration that has a continuous chain of transmission, relayed by reliable and precise narrators, ending without any discrepancies or hidden defects. For a hadith to be classified as authentic, it must meet five essential conditions: a continuous chain of transmission (isnad), the integrity of the narrators (adalah), the precision of the narrators (dabt), freedom from discrepancies (shudhudh), and absence of hidden defects (‘illah). A highly recommended resource for students of knowledge seeking an introduction to the science of hadith is the book “Taysir Mustalah al-Hadith,” authored by Dr. Mahmoud al-Tahan.
Honorable Narrations from the Prophet
Hadiths Regarding the Signs of the Hour
Numerous hadiths concerning the signs of the Hour have been reported from the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Below are a selection of these narrations:
- The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “Hasten to do good deeds before six events occur: the rising of the sun from the West, the emergence of smoke, the Dajjal (Antichrist), the Beast, a particular event for one of you, or a general catastrophe.”
- The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) stated: “Three things will emerge, and at that time, faith will not benefit anyone who did not believe before or earned any good through their faith: the rising of the sun from the West, the Dajjal, and the Beast of the Earth.”
- The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) declared: “By Him in whose hand is my soul, the son of Mary will soon descend among you as a just judge; he will break the cross, slay the pig, abolish the tax, and wealth will flow to the extent that no one will accept it. A single prostration will be better than the world and all it contains. Then Abu Huraira said: ‘And read if you wish: ‘And there is no one from the People of the Book but will believe in him before his death, and on the Day of Resurrection he will be a witness against them.'”
- The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “The Hour will not rise until the sun rises from the West, at which time all people will believe, but faith will not benefit anyone who did not believe before or earned any good through their faith.”
Hadiths Discouraging Worldly Attachment
Many noble hadiths emphasize the transient nature of this world and encourage a focus on the Hereafter. Here are some of these sayings:
- The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) stated: “Whoever’s intention is to seek the Hereafter, Allah will grant him wealth in his heart, unite his affairs, and the world will come to him despite its reluctance. And whoever’s intention is to seek this world, Allah will place poverty before his eyes, scatter his affairs, and he will receive nothing from it except what has been ordained for him.”
- It was narrated by Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: “The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) left this world without having ever eaten to his fill of barley bread.”
- It was narrated by Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: “The Prophet (peace be upon him) never ate on a table until he passed away, nor did he ever eat soft bread until he died.”
- It was narrated by al-Nu’man ibn Bashir (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: “I have seen your Prophet (peace be upon him) and he could not find anything to fill his stomach except for the leaves of the locust tree.”
- The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “Gold, silver, silk, and fine fabrics are for them in this world, and for you in the Hereafter.”
- It was narrated by Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: “By Allah, I was the first Arab to shoot an arrow in the path of Allah, and we used to go on expeditions with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) with nothing to eat except for the leaves of the locust tree, to the extent that one of us would pass as the sheep does.”
Hadiths on the Punishment of the Grave
Several hadiths discuss the concept of punishment in the grave, including:
- The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) used to invoke in his prayer: “O Allah, I seek refuge with You from the punishment of the grave, and I seek refuge with You from the trial of the Dajjal, and I seek refuge with You from the trials of life and death. O Allah, I seek refuge with You from debt and from sin.” A voice said to him: “How often you seek refuge from debt.” He replied: “A man who is in debt might lie when he speaks, and he may break his promise.”
- The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “When one of you dies, his resting place is shown to him in the morning and evening. If he is among the people of Paradise, he is shown his place in Paradise, and if he is among the people of Hell, he is shown his place in Hell, and it is said: ‘This is your residence until Allah resurrects you on the Day of Judgment.’
- The Prophet (peace be upon him) passed by two graves and said: “Indeed, these two are being punished, and they are not being punished for something significant. One of them used to walk around spreading gossip, and the other did not protect himself from urine.” He then said: “He took a fresh branch from a palm tree, split it into two, and planted one in each grave, and said: ‘Perhaps by this, they may be relieved until they dry out.’ In another narration: The other was one who did not take care concerning urine.”
- The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) remarked: “It has been revealed to me that you will be tested in your graves.”
- The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “I have seen you tested in your graves, just as you will be tested by the Dajjal.”