Narrated AbuHurayrah:

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: The Jews were split up into seventy-one or seventy-two sects; and the Christians were split up into seventy one or seventy-two sects; and my community will be split up into seventy-three sects.

Abu ‘Amir al-Hawdhani said: Mu’awiyah b. Abi Sufiyan stood among us and said: Beware! The Apostle of ALLA H (SAWS) stood among us and said: Beware! The people of the Book before were split up into seventy-two sects, and this community will be split into seventy three: seventy-two of them will go to Hell and one of them will go to Paradise, and it is the majority group.

Ibn Yahya and ‘Amr added in their version : “ There will appear among my community people who will be dominated by desires like rabies which penetrates its patient”, ‘Amr’s version has: “penetrates its patient. There remains no vein and no joint but it penetrates it.”

‘A’ishah said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) recited this verse: “He it is who has sent down to thee the Book: in it are verses basic or fundamental . . . .” Up to “men of understanding”. She said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) then said: When you see those people who follow that which is allegorical in the Quran, those are the people whom Allah has named (in the Quran). So avoid them.

Narrated AbuDharr:

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: The best of the actions is to love for the sake of Allah and to hate for the sake of Allah.

‘Abd Allah b. Ka;b b. Malik who used to lead his father from among his sons when he became blind, said: I heard Ka’b b. Malik say: The transmitter Ibn al-sarh then narrated the story of his remaining behind from the prophet (ﷺ) forbade the Muslims to speak to any of us three. When ( in this state) abundant time passed on me, I ascended the wall of the garden of Abu Qatadah who was my cousin. I saluted him, but, I swear by Allah, he did not return salute to me. He then narrated the story of the revelation of the Qur’anic verses relating to his repentance.

‘Ammar b. Yasir said: I came to my family when my hands had cracks. They dyed me with saffron. I then went to Prophet (ﷺ) and saluted him, but he did not return me salutation. He said: Go and wash it away from you.

‘A’ishah said: The camel of Safiyyah daughter of Huyayy was fatigued, and Zainab had a surplus mount. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said to Zainab : Give her the camel. She said: Should I give to that Jewess? Thereupon the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) became angry and kept away from her during Dhu al-Hijjah, Muharram, and a part of Safar.

Narrated AbuHurayrah:

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Controverting about the Qur'an is disbelief.

Narrated Al-Miqdam ibn Ma'dikarib:

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Beware! I have been given the Qur'an and something like it, yet the time is coming when a man replete on his couch will say: Keep to the Qur'an; what you find in it to be permissible treat as permissible, and what you find in it to be prohibited treat as prohibited. Beware! The domestic ass, beasts of prey with fangs, a find belonging to confederate, unless its owner does not want it, are not permissible to you If anyone comes to some people, they must entertain him, but if they do not, he has a right to mulct them to an amount equivalent to his entertainment.

Narrated AbuRafi':

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Let me not find one of you reclining on his couch when he hears something regarding me which I have commanded or forbidden and saying: We do not know. What we found in Allah's Book we have followed.

'Aishah reported the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying: if any one introduces into this affair of ours anything which does not belong to it, it is rejected. Ibn Isa said: the prophet (ﷺ) said: if anyone practices any action in away other than our practice, it is rejected.

Narrated Irbad ibn Sariyah:

AbdurRahman ibn Amr as-Sulami and Hujr ibn Hujr said: We came to Irbad ibn Sariyah who was among those about whom the following verse was revealed: "Nor (is there blame) on those who come to thee to be provided with mounts, and when thou saidst: "I can find no mounts for you."

We greeted him and said: We have come to see you to give healing and obtain benefit from you.

Al-Irbad said: One day the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) led us in prayer, then faced us and gave us a lengthy exhortation at which the eyes shed tears and the hearts were afraid.

A man said: Messenger of Allah! It seems as if it were a farewell exhortation, so what injunction do you give us?

He then said: I enjoin you to fear Allah, and to hear and obey even if it be an Abyssinian slave, for those of you who live after me will see great disagreement. You must then follow my sunnah and that of the rightly-guided caliphs. Hold to it and stick fast to it. Avoid novelties, for every novelty is an innovation, and every innovation is an error.

‘Abd Allah b. Mas’ud reported the Prophet (ﷺ) as saying: Beware! The extremists perished, saying it three times.

Abu Hurairah reported the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying: If anyone summons other to follow right guidance, his reward will be equivalent to that of the people who follow him, without their rewards being diminished in any respect on that account; and if anyone summons others to follow error the sin of which sins being diminished in any respect on that account.

‘Amir b. sa’id on his father’s authority reported the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying: The Muslim who offends most against the Muslims is he who enquires about something which has not been forbidden to men, and it is declared forbidden because of his enquiry.

Yazid b. ‘Umairah, who was one of the companions of Mu’adh b. Jabal said: Whenever he (mu’adh b. jabal) sat in a meeting for preaching, he would say: Allah is a just arbiter; those who doubt would perish. One day Mu’adh b. jabal said: In the times after you there would be trails in which riches would be abundant. During these trails the Quran would be easy so much so that every believer, hypocrite, man, woman, young, grown up, slave and free man will learn it. Then a man might say: What happened with the people that they do not follow me while I read the Quran? They are not going to follow me until I introduce a novelty for them other than it. So avoid that which is innovated (in religion), for whichever is innovated is an error. I warn you of the deviation of a scholar from right guidance, for sometimes Satan utters a word of error through the tongue of a scholar; and sometimes a hypocrites may speak a word of truth. I said to Mu’adh b. jabal: I am at a loss to understand may Allah have mercy on you that a learned man sometimes may speak a word of error and a hypocrite may speak a word of truth. He replied: Yes, avoid the speech of a learned man on distract you from him (the learned), for it is possible that he may withdraw (from these well-known things), and you get the truth when you hear it, for truth has light.

Abu Dawud said: In this tradition Ma’mar on the authority of al-Zuhrl said: The words “wa la yun iyannaka” instead of “wa la yuthniyannaka,” with the same meaning: “it may not distract you” salih b. Kaisan on the authority of al-Zurhrl said in this tradition the words “al-mushtaharat” (well-know things). He also said the word “La yuthniyannaka” as ‘Uqail mentioned. Ibn ishaq, on the authority of al-Zuhri, said: Yes, if you are doubtful about the speech of a scholar until you say: WHAT did he mean by this word?

Sufyan said (according to one chain), and Abu al-Salit said (according to another chain): A man wrote to 'Umar b. 'Abd al-Aziz asking him about Divine decree. He wrote to him: To begin with, I enjoin upon you to fear Allah, to be moderate in (obeying) His Command, to follow the sunnah (practice) of His Prophet (ﷺ) and to abandon the novelties which the innovators introduced after his Sunnah has been established and they were saved from its trouble (i.e. novelty or innovation) ; so stick to Sunnah, for it is for you, if Allah chooses, a protection ; then you should know that any innovation which the people introduced was refuted long before it on the basis of some authority or there was some lesson in it, for the Sunnah was introduced by the people who were conscious of the error, slip, foolishness, and extremism in case of (the sunnah) was opposed. So accept for yourself what the people (in the past) had accepted for themselves, for they had complete knowledge of whatever they were informed, and by penetrating insight they forbade (to do prohibited acts); they had more strength (than us) to disclose the matters (of religion), and they were far better (than us) by virtue of their merits. If right guidance is what you are following, then you outstriped them to it. And if you say whatever the novelty occurred after them was introduced by those who followed the way other then theirs and disliked them. It is they who actually outstripped, and talked about it sufficiently, and gave a satisfactory explanation for it. Below them there is no place for exhaustiveness, and above them there is no place for elaborating things. Some people shortened the matter more than they had done, and thus they turned away (from them), and some people raised the matter more than they had done, and thus they exaggerated. They were on right guidance between that. You have written (to me) asking about confession of Divine decree, you have indeed approached a person who is well informed of it, with the will of Allah. I know what whatever novelty people have brought in, and whatever innovation people have introduced are not more manifest and more established than confession of Divine decree. The ignorant people (i.e. the Arabs before Islam) in pre-Islamic times have mentioned it ; they talked about it in their speeches and in their poetry. They would console themselves for what they lost, and Islam then strengthened it (i.e. belief in Divine decree). The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) did not mention it in one or two traditions, but the Muslims heard it from him, and they talked of it from him, and they talked of it during his lifetime and after his death. They did so out of belief and submission to their Lord and thinking themselves weak. There is nothing which is not surrounded by His knowledge, and not counted by His register and not destined by His decree. Despite that, it has been strongly mentioned in His Book: from it they have derived it, and from it they have and so ? they also read in it what you read, and they knew its interpretation of which you are ignorant. After that they said: All this is by writing and decreeing. Distress has been written down, and what has been destined will occur ; what Allah wills will surely happen, and what He does not will will not happen. We have no power to harm or benefit ourselves. Then after that they showed interest (in good works) and were afraid (of bad deeds).

Nafi said: Ibn ‘Umar had a friend from the people of Syria who used to correspond with him. ‘Abd Allah b. ‘Umar wrote to him: I have been informed that you have talked something about Divine decree. You should write it to me, for I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: Among my community there will be people who will falsify Divine decree.

Khalid al-Hadhdha said: I said to al-Hasan: Abu Sa’id, tell me about Adam. Was he created for the heaven or the earth? He said: No, for the earth. I said: It was unavoidable for him. I said: Tell me about the following verse of the Quran: ”can lead (any) into temptation concerning Allah, except such as are (themselves) going to blazing fire.” He said: The devils do not lead anyone astray by their temptation except the one whom Allah destined to go to Hell.

Khalid al-Hadhdha, asked al-Hasan about the Quranic verse: “And for this did He create them.” He said: He created these for this and those for that.

Khalid al-Hadhdha asked al-Hasan about the Quranic verse: “Can lead (any) into temptation concerning Allah, except such as are (themselves) going to the blazing fire.” He said: Except the one whom Allah destined that he should go to Hell.

Humaid said: Al-Hasan used to say that his fall from the heaven on the earth is dearer to him than uttering: The matter is in my hand.

Humaid said: Al-Hasan came to us. The jurists of Mecca told me that I should speak to him that some day he should hold a meeting for them and preach to them. He said: Yes. So they gathered and he addressed them. I did not see anyone on orator greater than him. A man said: Abu Sa’id, who created Satan? He replied: Glory be to Allah! Is there any creator other than Allah? Allah created Satan, and he created good and created evil. The man said: May Allah ruin them! How do they lie to this old man.

Humaid al-Tawil asked al-Hasan about the verse: “Even so do We let it creep into the hearts of the sinners.” He said: Polytheism

Explaining the Quranic verse; “And between them and their desire is placed a barrier.” Al-Hasan said: Between them and their faith.

Ibn ‘Awn said: I was a prisoner in Syria. A man called me from behind. I turned towards him and suddenly found that it was Raja b. Haiwah. He said: Abu ‘Awn, what is this that the people are telling about al-Hasan? I said: They are much lying to al-Hasan.

Hammad said: I heard Ayyub say: Two kinds of people have lied to al-Hasan: people who believed in free will and they intended that they publicise their belief by it; and people who had enmity with and hostility (for al-Hasan), saying: Did he not say so and so? Did he not say so and so?

Yahya b. Kathir al-‘Anbari said: Qurrah b. Khalid used to tell us: O young people! Do not think that al-Hasan denied predestination, for his opinion (i.e., belief) was sunnah and sight.

Ibn ‘Awn said: If we learnt that the remark of al-Hasan would reach the extent that it has reached, we would write a book for his withdrawal and call witnesses to him; but we said: This is a remark that surprisingly came out (from him) and it will not be transmitted to others.

Ayyub said: Al-Hasan said: I will never return to it.

‘Uthman al-Batti said: Al-Hasan never interpreted any Quranic verse but to establish (Divine decree).

Ibn ‘Umar said: We used to say in the times of the Prophet (ﷺ): We do not compare anyone with Abu Bakr. ’Umar came next and then ‘Uthman. We then would leave (rest of) the companions of the Prophet (ﷺ) without treating any as superior to other.

Ibn ‘Umar said: When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was alive, we used to say: The most excellent member of the community of the Prophet (ﷺ) after himself is Abu Bakr, then ‘Umar, then 'Uthman.

Muhammad b. al-Hanafiyyah said: I said to my father: Which of the people after the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) is best? He replied: Abu Bakr. I then asked: Who comes next? He said: ‘Umar. I was then afraid of asking him who came next, and he might mention ‘Uthman, so I said: You came next, O my father? He said: I am only a man among the Muslims.

Muhammad al-Firyabl said: I heard Sufyan say: If anyone thinks that ‘All (Allah be pleased with him) was more deserving for the Caliphate than both of them, he imputed error to Abu Bakr, ‘Umar, the Muhajirun (Immigrants), and the Ansar (Helpers) Allah be pleased with all of them. I think that with this (belief) none of his action will rise to the heaven.

Sufyan al-Thawri said: The Caliphs are five: Abu Bakr, ‘Umar, ‘Uthman, ‘All and ‘Umar b. ‘Abd al-Aziz.

Ibn 'Abbas said: Abu Hurairah said that a man came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and said: I saw (in my dream) a piece of cloud from which ghee and honey were dropping. I saw the people spreading their hands. Some of them took much and some a little. I also saw a rope hanging from Heaven to Earth. I saw, Messenger of Allah, that you caught hold of it and ascended by it. Then another man caught hold of it and ascended it. Then another man caught hold of it and ascended it. Then another man caught hold of it, but it broke, and then it was joined and he ascended it.

AbuBakr said: May my parents be sacrificed for you, if you allow, I shall interpret it.

He said: Interpret it. He said: The piece of cloud is the cloud of Islam; the ghee and honey that were dropping from it are the Qur'an, which contains softness and sweetness. Those who received much or little of it are those who learn much or little of the Qur'an. The rope hanging from Heaven to Earth is the truth which you are following. You catch hold of it and then Allah will raise you to Him. Then another man will catch hold of it and ascend it, Then another man will catch hold of it and it will break. But it will be joined and he will ascend it. Tell me. Messenger of Allah, whether I am right or wrong.

He said: You are partly right and partly wrong. He said: I adjure you by Allah, you should tell me where I am wrong.

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Do not take an oath.

The tradition mentioned above has also been transmitted by Ibn ‘abbas through a different chain of narrators. This version adds: He refused to tell him (his mistake).

Narrated AbuBakrah:

One day the Prophet (ﷺ) said: Which of you had dream? A man said: It is I. I saw as though a scale descended from the sky. You and AbuBakr were weighed and you were heavier; AbuBakr and Umar were weighed and AbuBakr was heavier: Umar and Uthman were weighed and Umar was heavier; than the scale was taken up. we saw signs of dislike on the face of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ).

Abu Bakrah said: One day the Prophet (ﷺ) asked: Which of you had a dream? He then mentioned the rest of the tradition to the same effect, but he did not mention the word “disliked”. Instead, he said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was grieved about that. He then said: There will be a caliphate on the model of prophecy, then Allah will give the kingdom to whom he wills.

Jabir b. ‘Abd Allah reported the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying: Last night a good man had a vision in which Abu Bakr seemed to be joined to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). ‘Umar to Abu Bakr, and ‘Uthman to ‘Umar. Jabir said: When we got up and left the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), we said: The good man is the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), and that their being joined together means that they are the rulers over this matter with which Allah has sent His Prophet (ﷺ).

Abu Dawud said: It has been transmitted by Yunus and Shu’aib, but they did not mention ‘Amr b. Aban.

Samurah b. Jundub told that a man said: Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)! I saw (in a dream) that a bucket was hung from the sky. Abu Bakr came, caught hold of both ends of its wooden handle, and drank a little of it. Next came ‘Umar who caught hold of both ends of its wooden handle and drank of it to his fill. Next came ‘Uthman who caught hold of both ends of its handle and drank of it to his fill. Next came ‘All. He caught hold of both ends of its handle, but it became upset and some (water) from it was sprinkled on him.

Makhul said: The Romans will enter Syria and stay there for forty days, and no place will be saved from them but Damascus and 'Uman.

Abu al-A’yas ‘Abd al-Rahman b. Salam said: A king of the foreigners will come and prevail over all the cities except Damascus.

Makhul reported the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying: The place of the assembly of Muslims at the time of war will be in a land called al-Ghutah.

‘Awf said: I heard al-Hajjaj addressing the people say: The similitude of ‘Uthman with Allah is like the similitude of Jesus son of Mary. He then recited the following verse and explained it: “Behold! Allah said: O Jesus! I will take thee and raise thee to Myself and clear thee (of the falsehood) of those who blaspheme.” He was making a sign with his hand to us and to the people of Syria.

Al-Rabi’ b. Khalid al-Dabbi said: I heard al-Hajjaj say in his address: Is the messenger of one of you sent for some need is more respectable with him or his successor among his people? I thought in my mind: I make a vow for Allah that I shall never pray behind you. If I find people who fight against you, I shall fight against you along with them. Ishaq added in his version: He fought in the battle of al-Jamajim until he was killed.

‘Asim said: I heard al-Hajjaj say on the pulpit: Fear Allah as much as possible; there is no exception in it. Hear and obey the Commander of the Faithful ‘Abd al-Malik; there is no exception in it. I swear by Allah, if order people to come but from a certain gate of the mosque, and they come out from another gate, their blood and their properties will be lawful for me. I swear by Allah, if I seize the tribe of Rabi’ah for the tribe of Mudar, it is lawful for me from Allah. Who will apologies to me for the slave of Hudhail (i.e. ‘Abd Allah b. Mas’ud) who thinks that his reading of the Quran is from Allah. I swear by Allah, it is a rhymed prose of the Bedouins. Allah did not reveal it to his Prophet (ﷺ). Who will apologies to me for these clients (non-Arab). One of them thinks that he will throw a stone and when it falls (on the ground) he says: Something new has happened. I swear by Allah, I shall leave them (ruined and perished) like the day that passes away.

He said: I mentioned it to al-A’mash. He said: I swear by Allah, I heard it from him.

Al-A’mash said: These clients (i.e., non-Arabs) are to be struck and cut off. I swear by Allah, if I strike a stick with a stick, I would annihilate them like the day that passed away. Al-hamra means clients or non-Arabs.

Sulaiman al-A’mash said: I prayed the Friday prayer with al-Hajjaj and he addressed. He then transmitted the tradition of Abu Bakr b. ‘Ayyash. He said in it: Hear and obey the caliph of Allah and his select ‘Abd al-Malik bin Marwan. He then transmitted the rest of the tradition, and said: If I seized Rabi’ah for Mudar. But he did not mention the story of the clients (i.e. non Arabs).