The Book on Government

Ishaq ibn Ibrahim al-Hanzali informed us; Isa ibn Yunus narrated to us; al-Awzai narrated to us, from Yazid ibn Yazid ibn Jabir, from Ruwayziq ibn Hayyan, from Muslim ibn Qarazah, from Awf ibn Malik, from the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, who said: “The best of your leaders are those whom you love and who love you, who pray for you and you pray for them. The worst of your leaders are those whom you hate and who hate you, whom you curse and who curse you.” It was asked, “Messenger of Allah, should we not oppose them with the sword?” He said, “No, as long as they establish prayer among you. When you see something you dislike from your rulers, dislike their actions, but do not withdraw your hand from obedience.”

Dawud ibn Rushayd narrated to us; al-Walid, meaning Ibn Muslim, narrated to us; Abd al-Rahman ibn Yazid ibn Jabir narrated to us; the client of Banu Fazara, namely Ruwayziq ibn Hayyan, informed me that he heard Muslim ibn Qarazah, the cousin of Awf ibn Malik al-Ashjai, say: I heard Awf ibn Malik al-Ashjai say: I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, say: “The best of your leaders are those whom you love and who love you, for whom you pray and who pray for you. The worst of your leaders are those whom you hate and who hate you, whom you curse and who curse you.” We asked, “Messenger of Allah, should we not oppose them then?” He said, “No, as long as they establish prayer among you. No, as long as they establish prayer among you. If someone has a governor over him and sees him committing an act of disobedience to Allah, let him detest that disobedience, but let him not withdraw his hand from obedience.” Ibn Jabir said: When Ruwayziq related this to me, I asked, “Abu al-Miqdam, by Allah, did he tell you this, or did you hear Muslim ibn Qarazah say that he heard Awf say that he heard the Messenger of Allah say it?” Ruwayziq knelt and faced the qiblah, then said, “Yes, by Allah, besides whom there is no god, I heard it from Muslim ibn Qarazah, who said that he heard Awf ibn Malik say that he heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him.”

Ishaq ibn Musa al-Ansari narrated to us; al-Walid ibn Muslim narrated to us; Ibn Jabir narrated to us through this chain and said that Ruwayziq was the client of Banu Fazara. Muslim said: Muawiyah ibn Salih also related it from Rabiah ibn Yazid, from Muslim ibn Qarazah, from Awf ibn Malik, from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, with a report like it.

Qutaybah ibn Said narrated to us; al-Layth ibn Sad narrated to us. (Another chain:) Muhammad ibn Rumh informed us; al-Layth narrated to us, from Abu al-Zubayr, from Jabir, who said: On the day of al-Hudaybiyyah, we were fourteen hundred. We pledged allegiance to him beneath the tree, a samurah, while Umar held his hand. He said: We pledged that we would not flee; we did not pledge to fight to the death.

Abu Bakr ibn Abi Shaybah narrated to us; Ibn Uyaynah narrated to us. (Another chain:) Ibn Numayr narrated to us; Sufyan narrated to us, from Abu al-Zubayr, from Jabir, who said: We did not pledge allegiance to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, to fight to the death. We pledged that we would not flee.

Muhammad ibn Hatim narrated to us; Hajjaj narrated to us, from Ibn Jurayj. Abu al-Zubayr informed me that he heard Jabir being asked how many they were on the day of al-Hudaybiyyah. He said: We were fourteen hundred. We pledged allegiance to him while Umar held his hand beneath the tree, which was a samurah. We all pledged allegiance except Jadd ibn Qays al-Ansari, who hid beneath the belly of his camel.

Ibrahim ibn Dinar narrated to me; Hajjaj ibn Muhammad al-Awar, the client of Sulayman ibn Mujalid, narrated to us. Ibn Jurayj said: Abu al-Zubayr informed me that he heard Jabir being asked whether the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, took the pledge at Dhu al-Hulayfah. He said, “No, but he prayed there. He took the pledge beneath no tree except the tree at al-Hudaybiyyah.” Ibn Jurayj said: Abu al-Zubayr informed me that he heard Jabir ibn Abdullah say: The Prophet supplicated at the well of al-Hudaybiyyah.

Said ibn Amr al-Ashathi, Suwayd ibn Said, Ishaq ibn Ibrahim, and Ahmad ibn Abdah narrated to us; the wording is that of Said. Said and Ishaq said: Sufyan informed us; the other two said: Sufyan narrated to us, from Amr, from Jabir, who said: On the day of al-Hudaybiyyah, we were fourteen hundred. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said to us, “Today you are the best people on earth.” Jabir said: If I could see, I would show you the place of the tree.

Muhammad ibn al-Muthanna and Ibn Bashshar said: Muhammad ibn Jafar narrated to us; Shubah narrated to us, from Amr ibn Murrah, from Salim ibn Abi al-Jad, who said: I asked Jabir ibn Abdullah about the Companions of the Tree. He said: If we had been one hundred thousand, it would have sufficed us; we were one thousand five hundred.

Abu Bakr ibn Abi Shaybah and Ibn Numayr said: Abdullah ibn Idris narrated to us. (Another chain:) Rifaa ibn al-Haytham narrated to us; Khalid, meaning al-Tahhan, narrated to us. Both related it from Husayn, from Salim ibn Abi al-Jad, from Jabir, who said: If we had been one hundred thousand, it would have sufficed us; we were fifteen hundred.

Uthman ibn Abi Shaybah and Ishaq ibn Ibrahim narrated to us. Ishaq said: Jarir informed us; Uthman said: Jarir narrated to us, from al-Amash. Salim ibn Abi al-Jad narrated to me. He said: I asked Jabir, “How many were you that day?” He replied: “Fourteen hundred.”

Ubayd Allah ibn Muadh narrated to us; my father narrated to us; Shubah narrated to us, from Amr, meaning Ibn Murrah. Abdullah ibn Abi Awfa narrated to me, who said: The Companions of the Tree numbered one thousand three hundred, and the people of Aslam made up one-eighth of the Emigrants.

Ibn al-Muthanna narrated to us; Abu Dawud narrated to us. (Another chain:) Ishaq ibn Ibrahim informed us; al-Nadr ibn Shumayl informed us. All of them related it from Shubah, through this chain, with a report like it.

Yahya ibn Yahya informed us; Yazid ibn Zuray informed us, from Khalid, from al-Hakam ibn Abdullah ibn al-Araj, from Maqil ibn Yasar, who said: I saw myself on the Day of the Tree while the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was taking the pledge from the people. I was holding a branch of it above his head, and we were fourteen hundred. He said: We did not pledge to fight to the death, but pledged that we would not flee.

Yahya ibn Yahya narrated this to us; Khalid ibn Abdullah informed us, from Yunus, through this chain.

Hamid ibn Umar narrated this to us; Abu Awanah narrated to us, from Tariq, from Said ibn al-Musayyab, who said: My father was among those who pledged allegiance to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, beneath the Tree. He said: The following year we set out as pilgrims, but the place was unclear to us. If it has become clear to you, then you know better. Muhammad ibn Rafi narrated this to me; Abu Ahmad narrated to us. He said: I read it to Nasr ibn Ali, from Abu Ahmad. Sufyan narrated to us, from Tariq ibn Abd al-Rahman, from Said ibn al-Musayyab, from his father, that they were with the Messenger of Allah in the year of the Tree, but forgot its location the following year.

Hajjaj ibn al-Shair and Muhammad ibn Rafi narrated to me. They said: Shababah narrated to us; Shubah narrated to us, from Qatadah, from Said ibn al-Musayyab, from his father, who said: I saw the tree, then came to it later and did not recognize it.

Qutaybah ibn Said narrated to us; Hatim, meaning Ibn Ismail, narrated to us, from Yazid ibn Abi Ubayd, the client of Salamah ibn al-Akwa, who said: I asked Salamah, “On what did you pledge allegiance to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, on the day of al-Hudaybiyyah?” He said, “To fight to the death.”

Ishaq ibn Ibrahim narrated this to us; Hammad ibn Masadah narrated to us; Yazid narrated to us, from Salamah, with a report like it.

Ishaq ibn Ibrahim informed us; al-Makhzumi informed us; Wahib narrated to us; Amr ibn Yahya narrated to us, from Abbad ibn Tamim, from Abdullah ibn Zayd, who said: Someone came to him and said, “There is Ibn Hanzalah taking pledges from the people.” He asked, “To what?” The man replied, “To fight to the death.” Abdullah said, “I will never pledge on that basis to anyone after the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him.”