The Book of the Sunnah

كتاب المقدمة

Chapter 12: The Virtue of Abu Bakr Siddiq (ra)

It was narrated that Ibn 'Umar said

"The Messenger of Allah came out standing between Abu Bakr and 'Umar and said: 'Thus will I be resurrected,'"

Chapter 15: The Virtue of `Ali ibn Abi Talib (ra)

It was narrated that Bara' bin 'Azib said

"We returned with the Messenger of Allah from his Hajj that he had performed, and we stopped at some point on the road. He commanded that prayer should be performed in congregation, then he took the hand of 'Ali and said: 'Am I not dearer to the believers than their own selves?' They said: 'Yes indeed.' He said: 'Am I not dearer to every believer than his own self?' They said: 'Yes indeed.' He said: 'This man is the friend of those whose master I am.' O Allah, take as friends those who take him as a friend, and take as enemies those who take him as an enemy.'"

It was narrated that 'Abdur-Rahman bin Abu laila said

"Abu Laila used to travel with 'Ali, and he used to wear summer clothes in winter and winter clothes in summer. We said: 'Why don't you ask him (about that)?' He said: "The Messenger of Allah sent for me and my eyes were sore, on the Day of Khaibar. I said: 'O Messenger of Allah, my eyes are sore.' He put some spittle into my eyes, then he said: 'O Allah, take heat and cold away from him.' I never felt hot or cold again after that day. He (the Prophet) said: 'I will send a man who loves Allah and His Messenger, and whom Allah and His Messenger love, and he is not one who flees from the battlefield.' The people craned their necks to see, and he sent for 'Ali and gave it (the banner) to him."

It was narrated that Ibn 'Umar said

"The Messenger of Allah said: 'Hasan and Husain will be the leaders of the youth of Paradise, and their father is better than them."

It was narrated that Sa`d bin Waqqas said

"Mu`awiyah came on one of his pilgrimages and Sa`d entered upon him. They mentioned `Ali, and Mu`awiyah criticized him. Sa`d became angry and said: 'Are you saying this of a man of whom I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: "If I am a person's close friend, `Ali is also his close friend." And I heard him say: "You are to me like Harun was to Musa, except that there will be no Prophet after me." And I heard him say: "I will give the banner today to a man who loves Allah and His Messenger."

Chapter 16: The Virtues of Zubayr (ra)

It was narrated that Zubair said

"The Messenger of Allah named his parents together for me on the Day of Uhud."

Chapter 17: The Virtues of Talha ibn Ubaidillah (ra)

It was narrated from Jabir that

Talhah passed by the Prophet and he said: "A martyr walking upon the face of the earth."

Chapter 18: The Virtue of Sa`d ibn Abi Waqqas (ra)

It was narrated that 'Ali said

"I never saw the Messenger of Allah mention his parents together for anyone except Sa'd bin Malik. He said to him on the Day of Uhud: 'Shoot, Sa'd! May my father and mother be sacrificed for you!'"

Chapter 21: The Virtue of `Abdullah ibn Mas`ud (ra)

It was narrated that 'Ali said

"The Messenger of Allah said: 'If I were to appoint anyone as my successor without consulting anyone, I would have appointed Ibn Umm 'Abd.'"

It was narrated that 'Abdullah said

"The Messenger of Allah said to me: 'The sign that you have been permitted to come in is that you raise the curtain and that you hear me speaking quietly, until I forbid you.' (i.e. unless I forbid you)."

Chapter 22: The Virtue of `Abbas ibn `Abdul Muttalib (ra)

It was narrated that 'Abdullah bin 'Amr said

"The Messenger of Allah said: 'Allah has taken me as a close friend (Khalil) as He took Ibrahim as a close friend. So my house and the house of Ibrahim will be opposite to one another on the Day of Resurrection, and 'Abbas will be in between us, a believer between two close friends.'" (Maudu')

Chapter 24: The Virtue of `Ammar ibn Yasir (ra)

It was narrated that Hani bin Hani said that

'Ammar entered upon 'Ali and he said: "Welcome to the good and the purified. I heard the Messenger of Allah say: 'Ammar's heart overflows with faith (Literally, up to the top of his bones).'"

Chapter 25: The Virtue of Salman, Abu Dharr, and Miqdad

Ibn Buraidah narrated that his father said

"The Messenger of Allah said: 'Allah has commanded me to love four people, and He told me that He also loves them.' He was asked: 'O Messenger of Allah, who are they?' He said: ''Ali is one of them,' and he said that three times, 'and Abu Dharr, Salman and Miqdad.'"

Chapter 26: The Virtues of Bilal

It was narrated that 'Abdullah bin Mas'ud said

"The first people to declare their Islam publicly were seven: The Messenger of Allah, Abu Bakr, 'Ammar and his mother Sumayyah, Suhaib, Bilal and Miqdad. With regard to the Messenger of Allah, Allah protected him through his paternal uncle Abu Talib. With regard to Abu Bakr, Allah protected him through his people. As for the rest, the idolators seized them and made them wear coats of chain-mail and exposed them to the intense heat of the sun. There was none of them who did not do what they wanted them to do, except for Bilal. He did not care what happened to him for the sake of Allah, and his people did not care what happened to him. Then they gave him to the children who took him around in the streets of Makkah while he was saying, 'Ahad, Ahad (One, One).'"

Chapter 27: The Virtues of Khabbab

It was narrated from Anas bin Malik that

The Messenger of Allah said: The most merciful of my Ummah towards my Ummah is Abu Bakr; the one who adheres most sternly to the religion of Allah is 'Umar; the most sincere of them in shyness and modesty is 'Uthman; the best judge is 'Ali bin Abu Talib; the best in reciting the Book of Allah is Ubayy bin Ka'b; the most knowledgeable of what is lawful and unlawful is Mu'adh bin Jabal; and the most knowledgeable of the rules of inheritance (Fara'id) is Zaid bin Thabit. And every nation has a trustworthy guardian, and the trustworthy guardian of this Ummah is Abu 'Ubaidah bin Jarrah."

Chapter 28: The Virtue of Abu Dharr

It was narrated that 'Abdullah bin 'Amr said

"I heard the Messenger of Allah say: 'There is no one on earth, or under the sky, who speaks more truthfully than Abu Dharr.'"

Chapter 34: Mention of the Khawarij

It was narrated that Ibn 'Abbas said

"The Messenger of Allah said: 'There are those who recite the Qur'an but it does not go any deeper than their collarbones. They will pass through Islam like an arrow passing through its target.'"

It was narrated from Abu Zubair that Jabir bin 'Abdullah said

"The Messenger of Allah was in Ji'ranah and he was distributing gold nuggets and spoils of war which were in Bilal's lap. A man said: 'Do justice, O Muhammed!' He said: 'Woe to you! Who will do justice after me if I do not do justice?' 'Umar said: 'O Messenger of Allah! Let me strike the neck of this hypocrite!' The Messenger of Allah said: 'This man has some companions who recite the Qur'an but it does not go any deeper than their collarbones. They will pass through Islam like an arrow passing through its target.'"

It was narrated from Ibn 'Umar that

The Messenger of Allah said: "There will emerge people who will recite the Qur'an but it will not go any deeper than their collarbones. Whenever a group of them appears, they should be cut off (i.e. killed)." Ibn 'Umar said: "I heard the Messenger of Allah say: 'Whenever a group of them appears, they should be killed' - (he said it) more than twenty times- 'until Dajjal emerges among them.'"

It was narrated that Anas bin Malik said

"The Messenger of Allah said: 'At the end of time or among this nation (Ummah) there will appear people who will recite the Qur'an but it will not go any deeper than their collarbones or their throats. Their distinguishing feature will be their shaved heads. If you see them, or meet them, then kill them.'"