that whoever participates in this conquest will enter Paradise. I
would like to know how sound this hadith is, and the reference, the
chain of narrators and the commentary on it in detail. May Allah
reward you with good.
Praise be to Allah.
Firstly:
The hadiths that speak of the conquest of India are as follows:
-1-
It was narrated that Thawbaan, the freed slave of the Messenger of
Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), said: The Messenger
of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: "There are
two groups of my ummah whom Allah will protect from the Fire: a group
who will conquer India, and a group who will be with 'Eesaa ibn Maryam
(peace be upon him)."
Narrated by an-Nasaa'i (no. 3175) and Imam Ahmad inal-Musnad(37/81),
Mu'sasat ar-Risaalah edn. Classed as hasan by the commentators
onal-Musnad. Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani inas-Silsilah
as-Saheehah(no. 1934)
-2-
It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him)
said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon
him) promised us that we would conquer India, so if I am martyred I
will be among the best of the martyrs, and if I return then I am Abu
Hurayrah the freed (protected from Hellfire).
This hadith was narrated via three isnaads from Abu Hurayrah.
The first isnaad is from Jibr ibn 'Ubaydah, from Abu Hurayrah
It was narrated by Imam Ahmad inal-Musnad(12/28) and others. This is a
da'eef (weak) isnaad because of Jibr ibn 'Ubaydah. No one narrated
from him except one narrator whose name was Sayyaar ibn al-Hakam, and
no one regarded him as thiqah (trustworthy). Rather he was mentioned
only in passing by Ibn Hibbaan inath-Thiqaat. Hence Imam adh-Dhahabi
said: It is not known who he was, and the report is odd. End quote.
See:Tahdheeb at-Tahdheeb(2/59).
The second isnaad is al-Bara' ibn 'Abdullah al-Ghanawi, from al-Hasan
al-Basri, from Abu Hurayrah, who said:
My close friend, the truthful one, the Messenger of Allah (blessings
and peace of Allah be upon him) told me: "Among this ummah there will
be an expedition to Sindh and India." If I live to see it and am
martyred, all well and good, and if I – and he said some word –
return, I am Abu Hurayrah the freed, I will be ransomed from the Fire.
Narrated by an-Nasaa'i inas-Sunan(no. 3173) and by Ahmad
inal-Musnad(14/419). But it is also a da'eef isnaad, because of
al-Bara' ibn 'Abdullah al-Ghanawi concerning whom the critics were
unanimously agreed that his hadith is layyin (a kind of weak hadith),
as it says inTahdheeb at-Tahdheeb(1/427). Moreover, there is an
interruption in the isnaad between al-Hasan al-Basri and Abu Hurayrah
(may Allah be pleased with him).
The third isnaad is Haashim ibn Sa'eed, from Kinaanah ibn Nabeeh, from
Abu Hurayrah.
This was narrated by Ibn Abi 'Aasim inal-Jihaad(no. 247), but it is
also a da'eef isnaad because of Haashim ibn Sa'eed, concerning whom
Ibn Ma'een said: He is nothing. Abu Haatim said: His hadith is da'eef.
See:Tahdheeb at-Tahdheeb(11/17).
The fourth isnaad is from Safwaan ibn 'Amr, from one of his shaykhs,
from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: The
Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said –
and he mentioned India – then he said: "An army of yours will invade
India and Allah will grant its conquest to them, until they bring
their kings in chains, and Allah will forgive them their sins. Then
they will return and when they return, they will find the son of
Maryam in ash-Shaam (Syria)." Abu Hurayrah said: If I live to see that
campaign, I will sell everything I possess and join the campaign. Then
if Allah grants us victory and we return, then I will be Abu Hurayrah
the freed (protected from Hellfire). And when we return to Syria we
will find there 'Eesa ibn Maryam. Then I shall make sure that I draw
close to him and tell him that I accompanied you, O Messenger of
Allah. The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon
him) smiled and said: "Unlikely, unlikely." [very difficult?]
Narrated by Na'eem ibn Hammaad inal-Fitan(p. 409). Its isnaad includes
a narrator who was ambiguous about his narration from Abu Hurayrah.
Its isnaad also includes Baqiyyah ibn al-Waleed who is mudallis and
narrated by saying 'an ("from").
-3-
The third hadith is:
"Some people of my ummah will invade India and Allah will enable them
to conquer it, until they bring the kings of India in chains, and
Allah will forgive them their sins. Then they will return to ash-Shaam
(Syria) and they will find 'Eesa ibn Maryam in Syria."
Narrated by Na'eem ibn Hammaad inal-Fitan(p. 399). He said: al-Waleed
told us, from Safwaan ibn 'Amr, from someone who told him, from the
Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).
This isnaad is obviously da'eef, because al-Waleed ibn Muslim narrated
it by saying 'an ("from"). It also appears to be mursal, because there
is no indication that the one who told Safwaan ibn 'Amr heard it from
the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) or that he was
a Sahaabi.
So to sum up: the hadith of Thawbaan is the one that is saheeh
concerning the conquest of India. As for the hadith of Abu Hurayrah,
most of its isnaads are da'eef (weak). And Allah knows best.
Secondly:
What appears to be the case from the apparent meaning of the hadith of
Thawbaan and the hadith of Abu Hurayrah – if it is saheeh – is that
the conquest of India referred to will occur at the end of time, and
at a time close to the descent of 'Eesa ibn Maryam (peace be upon
him), not at a time that was close to the era of Mu'aawiyah ibn Abi
Sufyaan (may Allah be pleased with him).
Al-Haafiz Ibn Katheer (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
The Muslims invaded India at the time of Mu'aawiyah, in 44 AH, and
there occurred things which will be explained below. It was also
invaded by the great ruler Mahmoud ibn Sabuktagin, the ruler of
Ghaznah who conquered India around 400 AH. He invaded the land, where
he killed, took prisoners, and captured booty. He entered Somnath
where he broke the greatest idol that they used to worship, and he
captured its swords and necklaces. Then he returned, safe and
victorious. End quote.
Al-Bidaayah wa'n-Nihaayah(6/223)
Hence al-'Allaamah Hammood at-Tuwaijri (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
What is mentioned in the hadith of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah have mercy
on him), which was narrated by Na'eem ibn Hammaad, about the conquest
of India has not happened up till now, but it will happen when 'Eesaa
ibn Maryam (peace be upon him) descends, if the hadith that says that
is saheeh. And Allah knows best. End quote.
Ithaaf al-Jamaa'ah(1/366)
And Allah knows best.
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