The Ahadith of Sahih Muslim in this article are taken from the translation of Abdul Hamid Siddiqi with slight changes, and the Ahadith of “Sahih Al-Bukhari” are taken from the translation of Dr Muhsin Khan also with slight changes.

Some Ahadith of “Sahih Al-Bukhari” about Al-Hawd:

Book “To make the heart tender (Ar-Riqaq):

Volume 8, Book 76, Number 533:

Narrated Ibn ‘Abbas: The Prophet stood up among us and addressed (saying) “You will be gathered, barefooted, naked, and uncircumcised (as Allah said): ‘As We began the first creation, We shall repeat it.’ (21.104) And the first human being to be dressed on the Day of Resurrection will be (the Prophet) Ibrahim Al-Khalil.

Then will be brought some men of my community who will be taken towards the left (i.e., to the Fire), and I will say: ‘O Lord! My companions whereupon Allah will say: You do not know what they did after you left them. I will then say as the pious slave, ‘Isa (Jesus) said, “And I was witness over them while I dwelt amongst them………. (up to) …the All-Wise.” (5.117-118).

The narrator added: Then it will be said that those people (relegated from Islam, that is) kept on turning on their heels (deserted Islam).

Volume 8, Book 76, Number 584:

Narrated Anas: The Prophet said, “Some of my companions will come to me at my Lake Fount (al-Hawd), and after I recognize them, they will then be taken away from me, whereupon I will say, ‘My companions!’ Then it will be said, ‘You do not know what they innovated (new things) in the religion after you.”

Volume 8, Book 76, Number 585:

Narrated Abu Hazim from Sahl bin Sa’d: The Prophet said, “I am your predecessor (forerunner) at the Lake-Fount (Al-Hawd), and whoever will pass by there, he will drink from it and whoever will drink from it, he will never be thirsty. There will come to me some people whom I will recognize, and they will recognize me, but a barrier will be placed between me and them.”

Abu Hazim added: An-Nu’man bin Abi ‘Aiyash, on hearing me, said. “Did you hear this from Sahl?” I said, “Yes.” He said, ” I bear witness that I heard Abu Said Al-Khudri saying the same, adding that the Prophet said: ‘I will say: They are of me (i.e. my followers). It will be said, ‘You do not know what they innovated (new things) in the religion after you left‘. I will say, ‘Far removed, far removed (from mercy), those who changed (their religion) after me.”

Abu Hurayrah narrated that the Prophet said, “On the Day of Resurrection a group of companions will come to me, but will be driven away from the Lake-Fount, and I will say, ‘O Lord (those are) my companions!’ It will be said, ‘You have no knowledge as to what they innovated after you left; they turned apostate as renegades.”

Volume 8, Book 76, Number 586:

Narrated Ibn Al-Musaiyab: The companions of the Prophet said, “Some men from my companions will come to my Lake-Fount and they will be driven away from it, and I will say, ‘O Lord, my companions!’ It will be said, ‘You have no knowledge of what they innovated after you left: they turned apostate as renegades.”

In the chapter “Chapter Afflictions and the End of the World”:

Volume 9, Book 88, Number 172:

Narrated Asma’: The Prophet said, “I will be at my Lake-Fount waiting for whoever will come to me. Then some people will be taken away from me whereupon I will say, ‘My followers!’ It will be said, ‘You do not know they turned Apostates as renegades.'”

(Ibn Abi Mulaika said, “Allah, we seek refuge with You from turning on our heels from the (Islamic) religion and from being put to trial”).

Volume 9, Book 88, Number 173:

Narrated ‘Abdullah: The Prophet said, “I am your predecessor at the Lake-Fount and some men amongst you will be brought to me, and when I will try to hand them some water, they will be pulled away from me by force whereupon I will say, ‘O Lord, my companions!’ Then the Almighty will say, ‘You do not know what they did after you left, they introduced new things into the religion after you.'”

Volume 9, Book 88, Number 174:

Narrated Sahl bin Sa’d: I heard the Prophet saying, “I am your predecessor at the Lake-Fount, and whoever will come to it, will drink from it, and whoever will drink from it, will never become thirsty after that. There will come to me some people whom I know and they know me, and then a barrier will be set up between me and them.”

Abu Sa’id Al-Khudri added that the Prophet further said: “I will say those people are from me. It will be said, ‘You do not know what changes and new things they did after you.’ Then I will say, ‘Far removed (from mercy), far removed (from mercy), those who changed (the religion) after me!”

Some Ahadith of “Sahih Muslim” about al-Hawd:

The Book pertaining to the Excellent Qualities of the Holy Prophet (saw) and his companions (Kitab Al-Fadhail)

Chapter 9: The cistern of our apostle (saw) and its characteristics

Book 30, Number 5682:

Sahl (b. Sa’d) reported: I heard Allah’s Apostle (saw) as saying : I shall go to the Cistern before you and he who comes would drink and he who drinks would never feel thirsty, and there would come to me people whom I would know and who would know me. Then there would be intervention between me and them.

Abu Hazim said that Nu’man b. Abu ‘Ayyash heard it and I narrated to them this Hadith, and said: Is it this that you heard Sahl saying? He said: Yes, and I bear witness to the fact that I heard it from Abu Sa’id Khudri also, but he made this addition that he (the Holy Prophet) would say: They are my followers (they are of me), and it would be said to him: You do not know what they did after you and I will say to them: Woe to him who changes (his religion) after me.

Book 30, Number 5684:

Asma’, daughter of Abu Bakr said: Allah’s Messenger (saw) said: I would be on the Cistern and so that I would be seeing those who would be coming to me from you, but some people would be detained (before reaching me). I would say: My Lord, they are my followers and belong to my Ummah, and it would be said to me: Do you know what they did after you? By Allah, they did not do good after you, and they turned back upon their heels.

He (the narrator) said: lbn Abu Mulaika used to say (in supplication): O Allah, I seek refuge with Thee that we should turn back upon our heels or put to any trial about our religion.

Book 30, Number 5686:

‘A’isha reported: I heard Allah’s Messenger (saw) say in the company of his Companions: I would be on the Cistern waiting for those who would be coming to me from amongst you. By Allah, some persons would be prevented from coming to me, and I would say: My Lord, they are my followers (they are of me) and people of my Ummah. And He would say: You don’t know what they did after you; they had been constantly turning back on their heels.

Book 30, Number 5686:

Umm Salama, the wife of Allah’s Apostle (saw), said I used to hear from people making a mention of the Cistern, but I did not hear about it from Allah’s Messenger (saw). One day while a girl was combing me I heard Allah’s Messenger (saw) say: “O people.” I said to that girl: Keep away from me. She said: He (the Holy Prophet) has addressed the men only and he has not invited the attention of the women. I said: I am amongst the people also (and have thus every right to listen to the things pertaining to religion).

Allah’s Messenger (saw) said: I shall be your harbinger on the Cistern; therefore, be cautious lest one of you should come (to me) and may be driven away like a stray camel. I would ask the reasons, and it would be said to me: You don’t know what innovations they made after you. And I would then also say: Be away.

Book 30, Number 5690:

‘Abdullah reported Allah’s Messenger (saw) as saying; I shall be there at the Cistern before you, and I shall have to contend for some people, but I shall have to yield. I would be saying: My Lord, they are my companions, they are my companions, and it would be said: You don’t know what innovations they made after you.

Some Ahadith in Al-Bukhari and Muslim mention that the Prophet (saw) will say as Prophet ‘Isa (aley Salam), meaning he is not witness of his community after his death.

In Sahih Al-Bukhari, Book of Prophetic Commentary on the Qur’an (Tafseer of the Prophet (saw))

Imam Al-Bukhari narrated in his “Sahih”, Kitab At-Tafsir, Bab “Wa Kuntu aleyhim Shaihdan ma dumtu fihim falamma Tawafaytani kunta anta Ar-Raqeeb Alaeyhim, wa anta ‘ala kulli shayin Shaheed” (And I was a witness over them while I dwelt amongst them. When You took me up. You were the Watcher over them and You are a Witness to all things.” (5.117))

Narrated Ibn Abbas: Allah’s Apostle delivered a sermon and said, “O people! You will be gathered before Allah bare-footed, naked and not circumcised.” Then (quoting Quran) he said:–

“As We began the first creation, We shall repeat it. A promise We have undertaken: Truly we shall do it.” (21.104)

The Prophet then said, “The first of the human beings to be dressed on the Day of Resurrection, will be Abraham.

Lo! Some men from my community will be brought and then (the angels) will drive them to the left side (Hell-Fire). I will say. ‘O my Lord! (They are) my companions!’ Then a reply will come (from Almighty), ‘You do not know what they did after you.’ I will say as the pious slave (the Prophet Jesus) said: “And I was a witness over them while I dwelt amongst them. When You took me up. You were the Watcher over them and You are a Witness to all things.” (5.117) Then it will be said, “These people have continued to be apostates since you left them.”

Hafiz ibn Hajar wrote in Fathul Bari in Sharh of this Hadith: “The aim from it (meaning bringing this Hadith in commentary of this verse) is “I will say as the pious slave (the Prophet Jesus) said: “And I was a witness over them while I dwelt amongst them”

So Imam Al-Bukhari in bringing this Hadith as explanation of this verse was to show that the Prophet (saw)’s condition is the same as that of Isa (aleyhi salam), and it is clear that both were not witness of what they community did after them

In “Sahih Muslim” Kitab al-jannat wa sifat na’imiha wa ahliha (Book pertaining to paradise, its description, its bounties and its intimates)

Chapter 14: Pertaining to the destruction of the world and assembling on the day of resurrection

Book 040, Number 6847:

”And, behold! some persons of my Ummah would be brought and taken to the left and I would say: My Lord, they are my companions, and it would be said: You do not know what they did after you, and I would say just as the pious servant (Hadrat ‘Isa) said: “I was a witness regarding them as I remained among them and Thou art a witness over everything, so if Thou chastisest them, they are Thy servants and if Thou for- givest them, Thou art Mighty, Wise” (v. 117-118).

And it would be said to him: They constantly turned to their heels since you left them. This Hadith has been transmitted on the authority of Waki’ and Mu’adh (and the words are): “What new things they fabricated.”

Explanation of the Ahadith of Al-Hawd by Imam An-Nawawi

The Hadith of Al-Hawd are Mutawatir as mentioned by An-Nawawi in his explanation of Sahih Muslim.

In the chapter of “Purification”, Bab Istihbab Italatu Ghurah wa Tahjil fil Wudhu

Book 002, Number 0480:

Abu Huraira reported the Messenger of Allah (saw) said: My people would come to me on the Cistern (Al-Hawd) and I would drive away persons (from it) just as a person drives away other people’s camels from his camels. They (the hearers) said: Apostle of Allah, would you recognize us? He replied: Yea, you would have a mark which other people will not have. You would come to me with a white blaze on your foreheads and white marks on your feet because of the traces of ablution. A group among you would be prevented from coming to me, and they would not meet me, and I would say: O my Lord, they are my companions. Upon this an angel would reply to me saying: Do you know what these people did after you?

Imam An-Nawawi said in the explanation of this Hadith:

“And in another version: “They have changed after you, and I will say: Woe to you” and this is among (matters) in which scholars differed about who (the people) meant are, with different opinions:

One of them: The people meant are the hypocrites and the apostates, and it is possible that they would be resurrected with Al-Ghurah wat Tahjeel (white blaze on the foreheads and white marks on the feet), and the Prophet (saw) will call them because of their marks that will be on them, and he will be told: these are not people about whom I gave promise, these changed after you, meaning they did not die on their apparent Islam.

The second (saying): The people meant are those who (were Muslim) at the time of the Prophet (saw) then became apostate after him, and the Prophet (saw) will call them even if they did not have the marks of Wudhu as he knew them to be upon Islam in his life, and he will be told: they turned apostate after you.

The third (saying): the people meant are the sinners and people who committed great sins (Kabair) and died upon Tawhid and the people of innovation who did not come out of Islam because of their innovations. And according to this saying these people will not be prevented (from Al-Hawd) because of hell, but it is possible that they will be prevented as a punishment and then Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta’ala) will forgive them and He will make them enter the paradise without punishment.

The people of this saying say: It is not impossible they had Al-Ghurah wa Tahjeel, and it is possible they were at the time of the Prophet (saw) and after him but he recognized them because of their marks.

And the Imam Al-Hafiz Abu ‘Amr ibn Abdil Barr said: “Everybody who innovated in the religion will be among people coming to the Hawd as the Khawarij and the Rawafid and all people of desire” and he said: “And likewise the unjust people who were busy in oppression and discredit of the truth and the cursed people because of great sins” and he said: “All of these people, it is feared for them that they are the people meant by this narration, Allah knows best.” End of An-Nawawi’s words

In Book 30, Number 5706:

Anas b. Malik reported Allah’s Apostle (may peace be upon him) as saying: “Some persons who had accompanied me would turn to my Cistern; when I would see them and they would be presented to me, they would be detained in the way while coming to me. I would say: My Lord, they are my companions, they are my companions, and it would be said to me: You don’t know what innovations they made after you.”

An-Nawawi said after this Hadith: “Al-Qadhi ‘Iyad said: “This is a proof for the authenticity of the interpretation of those who considered that they were apostates, and this is why it was said: may you perish (Suhqan Suhqan), and this is not said for the people of sins of the community, rather intercession is done for them…”.

And he said: “It is said: they are from two categories, one of them is that of sinners that turned away from the right path not from Islam, and these are changing their good deeds into evils ones, and the second (category) is those who turned to real disbelief, turning on their heels, and the name of change (Tabdil) include both categories.”

Explanation of Hafiz ibn Hajar on Ahadith of Al-Hawd

Hafiz Ibn Hajar said in “Fath ul Bari” Kitab Riqaq Bab Kayfa Al-Hashr:

“Firabri said that it is mentioned from Abi Abdillah Al-Bukhari from Qabisah that these (people) are those who became apostate at time of Abu Bakr and Abu Bakr fought them, meaning until they were killed and died on disbelief. Al-Isma’ili brought a full Isnad of that trough another way from Qabisah. Al-Khattabi said that none of the Sahabah did became apostate, only some hard Bedouins bringing no help to religion did became apostate, and this does not bring any blame on the famous Sahabah…

And others said : the disbelief is on its apparent meaning, and the meaning of “my Ummah” is the Ummah of Da’wah (the community addressed by the Prophet (saw), meaning all mankind including disbelievers) and not the Ummah of Ijabah (the community who believed in the Prophet saw, meaning our community), and this is given precedence because of his saying in the Hadith of Abu Hurayrah : “Then I would say to them go away (Suhqan)” and this is also strengthened by the fact that their situation remained hidden to him, and if they were from Ummah of Ijabah, then he would know their situation as their actions are presented to him.

And this (view) is refuted by his saying in the Hadith of Anas: “until I recognized them” (‘araftuhum) and the same in the Hadith of Abu Hurayrah.

(Tr: So the Prophet (saw) did recognize them, so they could not be disbelievers, rather were people he knew, and he did not know what they did after him, and the Hadith of the actions being presented is weak as it will follow)

And Ibn Tin said that it is possible that they were hypocrites or doers of Kabair (major sins). And it has been said that they were people from hard Bedouins who entered Islam out of fear.

Ad-Dawudi said: there is nothing preventing people of major sins and innovations to be from these people.

And An-Nawawi said: And it is said they are the hypocrites and the apostate, and it is possible that they would be resurrected with Al-Ghurah wat Tahjeel (white blaze on the foreheads and white marks on the feet) because of them being from the Ummah generally, and he (saw) will call them because of their marks that will be on them and he will be told: they changed after you, meaning they did not die on the apparent (Islam) on which you left them.

‘Iyad and others said: And after this, their Ghurah and Tahjeel will disappear and their light will extinguish.

And it has been said that there is no necessity for them to have marks, rather he (saw) will call them from what he knew from their Islam.

And it has been said that they are people of major sins and innovations who died on Islam, so we cannot be certain of their entry into fire, as it is permissible that they are first prevented from Al-Hawd as a punishment for them, then they are being forgiven.

And it is not impossible that they have signs, so he recognizes them with their signs whether they were from his time or after him.

And ‘Iyad, Al-Baji and others gave preference to the saying of Qabisah, the narrator of the narration, that they became apostate after him (saw), and the fact that he recognized them does not necessitate them to have marks, because it is a favour that shows the actions of the Muslim, and the actions of the apostate are cancelled, so he will recognize them individually and not because of their characteristics, (he will recognize them basing) on what they were before their apostasy.

And it is not far that hypocrites from his time might be included in these people, and it will come in the Hadith of Shafa’ah that “this Ummah will remain with hypocrites inside it”, so this shows that they will be gathered with the believers and their individuals will be recognized, although they will not have these signs, and he will called those he will recognize, thinking that their condition upon which he left them in the world, did not change.

As for including the people of innovations in this, then it is far because he called them: “My companions” and people of innovations innovated after him. And it has been answered by taking the meaning of companion in a general meaning,

And this is also far because we do not say “Woe to you (Suhqan)” to a Muslim although he is an innovator. This has been answered that it is not forbidden to say that to someone known to be judged with punishment for his sins, then he will be saved with the Shafa’ah, then his saying “Suhqan” is acknowledging the decision of Allah with remain of hope, and likewise for people of major sins.

And Al-Baydhawi said that his saying “apostate” is not a clear prove for their being apostate from Islam, rather it is a possibility, and it is also possible that it means they were sinners among believers, turning away from the right path and they changed good actions by evil ones. End of his words.

Abu Ya’la narrated with a Hasan Isnad from Abu Sa’id : “I heard the Messenger of Allah (saw)” … he mentioned the Hadith and he said : “O people, I will be your predecessor on the Hawd, when you will come, a man will say : “O Prophet of Allah, I am so and so ibn so and so” and another will say : “I am so and so (Fulan) son of so and so” and I will say : as for the genealogy I know it, but maybe you changed after me and became apostate.”

And Ahmad and Al-Bazzar narrated a similar version from the Hadith of Jabir…” End of Ibn Hajar’s words

So we can see all the scholars above, whether they say these people were apostate or innovators and sinners, all agree on the fact that the Prophet (saw) did not know their condition, their innovations or apostasy.

Those who say they were his former companions then became apostate during the era of Abu Bakr, say he will recognize them as he knew them in the world, and he was not aware their situation changed. Or these apostates might have marks that will disappear, and the Prophet (saw) will recognise them with their marks.

Those who say these people were innovators or sinners of his community and not only people of his era, say that the Prophet (saw) will recognize them with their marks of Wudhu and will call them companions because of them being from his community, and the meaning of apostasy is not real.

In “Umdatul Qari”, Al-Ayni, Imam of the Ahnaf of his time, quoted the same scholars as Ibn Hajar: ibn Tin, Ad-Dawudi, An-Nawawi, Qadhi ‘Iyad and others. So he also agreed on the explanations that the Prophet (saw) did not recognize their apostasy.

Explanation of Abu ‘Abdillah Al-Qurtubi and Abul ‘Abbas Al-Qurtubi

Imam Abu ‘Abdillah Al-Qurtubi (author of the famous Tafsir) said in his “Tazkirah fi Ahwalil Mowta wal Akhirah” after quoting the Ahadith of Al-Hawd:

“Chapter: Our scholar, may Allah’s mercy be on them all, have stated:

Whoever apostasies from the religion of Allah or innovates in it what displeases Allah and what Allah did not legislate, they will be pushed away and distanced from it, and the most pushed away are those who oppose the Jama’ah of Muslims and separate from their way, as the Khawarij with their difference in sects, the Rawafid with their difference in misguidance, and the Mu’tazilah with their categories of passion, all of them are people who have brought change (to the religion).

And this is also the case for the darkness of people involved in tyranny and oppression and discredit of the truth and killing those who support the truth and their humiliation.

The same for those who commit major sins openly and exceed the bounds in sins and the group of people of deviation and desire and innovation.

Then the distance can be in a state then they can approach it after forgiveness if it is a change in actions and not in beliefs.

And on this supposition, they will be recognized (by the Prophet) by the marks of their Wudhu, and then they will be told: May you perish.

And if they are among hypocrites that were present at time of the Prophet (saw) and they were showing faith and hiding disbelief, then he will consider them on Zahir (apparent actions) and then their covers (real states) will be uncovered (to him) and he will say to them : May you perish. End of Qurtubi’s words

Abul ‘Abbas Al-Qurtubi said in his explanation of “Sahih Muslim”:

“The scholars differed on the interpretation of this, and what Al-Baji and others went to, and it is the clearest according to the context of the Ahadith, is that these persons that will be told these words, are people that were hypocrites and apostates among the Sahabah and others, so they will be resurrected in the community of the Prophet (saw), as it has preceded in his saying “This community will stay with its hypocrites within it”, and they will have marks of Ghurah and Tahjil of this Ummah, and when the Prophet (saw) will see them, he will recognize them with their marks and (he will recognize) those who were among his companions individually and he will call them: “come here”, and when they will come, there will be a barrier between them and him and they will be turned towards the left side, and the Prophet (saw) will say: “O my Lord, they are of me and from my community” and in other words “they are my companions” and it will then be told to him: “You do not know what they invented after you, they did not stop being apostates since you left them”, and then the Ghurah and Tahjil will disappear from them, and their light will extinguish and they will remain in darkness…” End of Al-Qurtubi’s words.

Al-Qastalani and Abdul Haq Muhadith Dehlawi views

Al-Qastalani wrote in his “Irshadul Sari li Sharh Sahih Al-Bukhari” in Kitab Ar-Riqaq, Bab Fil Hawd, Hadith n 6576 about some people being removed from his hawd and he will say they are his companions, and angels will reply: you have no knowledge of what they innovated after you:

“(You have no knowledge of what they innovated after you) from apostasy from Islam or sins”

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1538203236448485&set=a.1458060901129386.1073741828.100007764697032&type=3&theater

Shaykh Abdul Haq Muhadith Dehlawi obliterating the Brelwi religion. He wrote in his Sharh of Mishkat “Ash’at Lamhat”, which is translated from Persian to Urdu by Brelwis, on the Hadith of Hawd in which the Prophet saw will say like Isa as that he was witness over them as long as he was among them:

“Hazrat Isa will say in the presence of Allah Rabul Izat: as long as I dwelled among them, I was aware of their condition, I did not leave them upon Kufr, they were upon truth then, and when you raised me, You only are aware of their condition, You are the one knowing Ghaib wa Hadhir”

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1578838009051674&set=pcb.1578838085718333&type=3&theater

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1578838029051672&set=pcb.1578838085718333&type=3&theater

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After Shaykh Abdul Haq Dehlawi mentioned the 2 famous opinions of scholars that the group repelled from Hawd was either people who apostated and followed Musaylamah Kazzab or Aswad Ansi and similar people or second opinion that apostasy here does not mean turning away from Islam but exiting the straight path and others…

Conclusion

We clearly learn from these Ahadith that the Prophet (saw) was not aware of their apostasy or innovations they did after him:

1) The Prophet (saw) seeing them being removed asked Allah: “O my Lord, they are my companions” and in some narrations: “they are of me”. In a narration of Muslim narrated by Umm Salamah, the Prophet (saw) clearly asked for the reason: “I would ask the reasons” so it is a clear proof that the Prophet (saw) did not know the reason for their removal from the Hawd.

2) The angels and Allah in some narrations clearly denied the Prophet’s knowledge of what they did after him. So this is a clear explanation leaving no room for the claim that the Prophet (saw) knew their condition. Whoever claims the Prophet (saw) knew their conditions is clearly opposing these agreed upon texts.

3) The Prophet (saw) after knowing their state had strong words against them: “Suhqan”, meaning “may you perish, Woe to you, be far away”…so it shows that the Prophet (saw) after knowing the reality of their condition changed his behaviour towards them, and instead of calling them companions had strong words of rejection.

4) In some narrations of Al-Bukhari and Muslim, the Prophet (saw) recited the verse: “And I was a witness over them while I dwelt amongst them. When You took me up. You were the Watcher over them and You are a Witness to all things.” (5.117)

And this verse clearly shows that the Prophet (saw) was not aware of their apostasy or innovations after him, as ‘Isa (aley Salam) was not aware of what Christians said about him after him. And the verse clearly tells the Prophet (saw) was a witness when alive, and after he did not know their conditions.

5) None of the scholars above said that the Prophet (saw) knew their true conditions, some said they are apostate and the Prophet (saw) will recognize them according to what he knew of them being Muslim when he was alive, or they are hypocrites and the Prophet (saw) will call them according to their apparent state, and he did not know their inner state, or these people are innovators and sinners the Prophet (saw) will recognize them by their marks of Wudhu, or some few even said they are apostates and hypocrites, yet they will still have marks by which they will be recognized. So all of these scholars agree that the Prophet (saw) was not aware of these people’s apostatsy or innovations.

As for who these people are, the words “and there would come to me people whom I would know and who would know me” and the words “They constantly turned to their heels since you left them” and the words in a narration of Muslim: “Some persons who had accompanied me would turn to my Cistern“ favour the view that these people were companions during the life of the Prophet (saw) and then became apostate like people who refused to give Zakah or joined Musaylamah Al-Kazzab.

Yet the other view of them being innovators is also possible, and the Prophet (saw) can know them by their marks, and the words “since you left them” can mean “since you left your community”, meaning the Prophet (saw) is not aware of the actions of the innovators of his Ummah after he left the Ummah. What can strengthen this view is that in some Hadith of Al-Bukhari and Muslim, the Prophet (saw) said these people are from his community:

“Then will be brought some men of my community who will be taken towards the left (i.e., to the Fire), and I will say: ‘O Lord! My companions whereupon Allah will say: You do not know what they did after you left them.”

So there is no definitive proof in the words “companions” to mean it is restricted to the era of the Prophet (saw), as the Prophet (saw) also named them as men of his community. So either we say that “men of my community” does not mean they belong to the community but they will be resurrected in the community, or we say that the words “Some persons who accompanied me” is a narration in meaning (bil Ma’na), and other narrations mention “men of my community” and this should be favoured.

Also the Hadith in Sahih Muslim: “My people would come to me on the Cistern (Al-Hawd) and I would drive away persons (from it) just as a person drives away other people’s camels from his camels. They (the hearers) said: Apostle of Allah, would you recognize us? He replied: Yea, you would have a mark which other people will not have. You would come to me with a white blaze on your foreheads and white marks on your feet because of the traces of ablution. A group among you would be prevented from coming to me, and they would not meet me, and I would say: O my Lord, they are my companions…” favours that these people are from the Ummah of the Prophet (saw) as the context shows they will also have marks of Wudhu, although it is not clearly indicated. But mentioning that this group will be among them, just after saying that he (saw) will recognize them because of their marks of Wudhu seem to favour they will also be recognised with these marks. Also the Prophet (saw) did not mention that this group will not have these marks, and if they did not have these marks, the Prophet (saw) would know they are not from his community.

And this view has been favoured by Ibn Battal in his explanation of “Sahih Al-Bukhari”:

“As for the Ahadith of the people of this chapter dealing with the mention of those the Prophet (saw) would recognize from his community, and their would be separated from him as they innovated after him, then this includes every innovation in the religion, about which Allah is not pleased, and opposing the group of the Muslims. And all the groups of innovations are Mubbadilun (changing their religion) and innovators (Muhdithun), and likewise the people of injustice and oppression opposing the truth and its people, all are Muhdithun and Mubaddilun, doing things that are not in Islam, and all of them are included in the meaning of this Hadith.”

He said further: “Abu Ja’far Ad-Dawudi said: “We cannot definitively say that people removed (from the Hawd) will enter the hell, because it is possible that they were removed for a period, and they will face the terror of this day and its hardships as much as Allah wills, and Allah will give them as much as He wills from His mercy, and the words “Suhqan Suhqan” do not mean that there will be no intercession for them after…” end if ibn Battal’s words

Note: the words “Suhqan” can be said for people who will go to hell, as this community will divide in seventy three sects, and they will all go to hell except one, so it means the other sects of innovaters will go to hell, and the Khawarij are also called the dogs of hell, so these people can go to hell, yet they will have marks of Wudhu by which they will be recognized, and then taken by Angels towrds the left side and put in hell, and then after some time they exit the hell and go to paradise because of their Tawhid.

Allah knows best

The weakness of the Hadith “Your actions will be presented to me”

Taken and adapted from “As-Silsilah Ad-Da’ifah” vol 2 p 404, n 975 of Shaykh Albani:
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Hafiz Abu Bakr Al-Bazzar narrated in his “Musnad” from Yusuf ibn Musa, from ‘Abdul Majid ibn Abdil ‘Aziz ibn Abi Ruwad from Sufyan from ‘Abdullah ibn Saib from Zathan from ‘Abdullah and he is Ibn Mas’ud from Prophet saw :

“Allah has (appointed) angels wandering on earth, they bring me the salam of my Ummah”, and the Prophet saw said : “My life is good for you, you narrate me and I narrate to you, and my death is good for you, your actions will be presented to me, what I will see from good deeds I will praise Allah, what I will see from bad deeds, I will ask forgiveness to Allah for you”

And Al Bazzar said : “We do not know anyone who narrated the last part from ‘Abdullah (ibn Mas’ud) except from this way (this sanad)”

The first part : “Allah has (appointed) angels wandering on earth, they bring me the salam of my Ummah” has been transmitted by An-Nassai ( 1/189) from many Asanid from Sufyan Ath-Thawri from ‘Abdullah ibn Saib, and from Al-A’mash in “Mu’jam Al-Kabir” of At-Tabarani ( 3/81/2) , “Akhbar Asbahan” of Abu Nu’aym ( 2/205) and Ibn Asakir ( 9/189/2).

Shaykh Albani said : “The agreement of a group of Thiqah (trustworthy) narrators on this narration from Sufyan without mention of end of Hadith “My life…”, and A’mash following him in that shows for me the Shuzooz of this addition (meaning the addition is shaadh), because ‘Abdul Majid ibn Abdul Aziz is alone in reporting it, and how not when he his Mutakalam Fihi (spoken about) because of his memory, despite his being from narrators of Muslim, a group has declared him to be Thiqah, and other have declared him weak, and some mentioned the reason (for weakening).

Al-Khalili said : “He is Thiqah, but he makes mistakes in Ahadith”

An-Nassai said : “ He is not strong, his Hadith are written”

Ibn Abdil Barr said : “He narrated from Malik Ahadith in which he made mistakes”

Ibn Hibban said in “Al-Majruhin” ( 2/152) : “Very Munkarul Hadith, he mixes narrations, he narrates Manakir from famous (people), and he deserves to be abandoned”

I say : This is why Hafiz (ibn Hajar) said in “At-Taqrib” : “Saduq, he makes mistakes”

So when you know this, then the saying of Hafiz Al-Haythami in Majma’ ( 6/24) : “ Narrated by Al-Bazzar and the men are the men of the Sahih”, then it gives error that nobody has been criticized among them.

Maybe As-Suyuti has been misled by this when he said : “ Its Sanad is authentic”

And this is why, I say, that Hafiz al-‘Iraqi, the Shaykh of Al-Haythami, was more precise in telling the reality of this Isnad in his “Takhreej Al-Ihya” ( 4/12) where he said :

“The narrators are narrators of the Sahih, except that Abdel Majeed ibn Abi Ruwad although Muslim narrated from him, and Ibn Ma’in and An-Nassa’i declared him thiqqah, other declared him to be weak”

As for his saying or from his son in “Tarh At-Tathrib fi Sharh Taqrib” ( 3/297) : “ Its Isnad is Jayd (correct)”, then it is not Jayd for me, and he was saying this if there was no opposition of ‘Abdul Majid to Thiqah (group) as it has preceded. So this is a defect in the hadeeth…

Yes, the Isnad has been declared authentic in a Mursal way from Bakr ibn Abdullah Al-Muzani, and it has three ways :

First from Ghalib Al-Qattan from him (Al-Muzani), it has been quoted by ‘Ismail Al-Qadhi in “Fadl Salah ‘ala An-Nabi” p 25 with my verification, and ibn Sa’d in Tabaqat (2/2/2), and all his men are thiqah, narrators of the two “Sahih”.

Second from Kathir ibn Fadl from him (Al-Muzani), also quoted by ‘Ismail p 26, and the narrators are narrators of Muslim except Kathir, and the name of his father is Yasar, and he is known as an Hafiz has shown in “Lisan” in refutation of the saying of Ibn Al-Qattan that his condition is not known.

Third from Jisr ibn Farqad from him, it has been quoted by Al-Harith ibn Abi Usamah in his Musnad (230 in “Bughyatul Bahith an Zawaid Musnad Al-Harith”) and Jisr is weak.”
…
As for the Hadith of Anas, it has two ways :

From Abu Sa’id Al-Hassan ibn Ali ibn Zakaryah ibn Salih Al-‘Adawi Al-Basri, from Kharash from Anas in a marfu’ way and in summaraised way similar to this and in it there is :

“Your actions will be presented to me in the night of Monday and Thursday”

It has been quoted by Ibn ‘Adi ( 2/124) and Abu Mansur Al-Jarbazqani in “Thani min Uroos Al-Ajzai” ( 2/139) and ‘Abdul Qadir ibn Muhammad Al-Qurshi al-Hanafi in his “Juzz” ( 2/2) and Hafiz Al-‘Iraqi (4/12) attributed it to Al-Harith ibn Abi Usamah in his “Musnad” with a weak isnad, and this is this isnad, and shown by Al-Munawi in “Fayd Al-Qadir”, after mentioning its weakness:

“ Because there is in it Kharash ibn Abdallah dropped (Saqit) ‘Admun, and he does not come except with Abi Sa’id Al-‘Adawi Al-Kazab (great liar), and ibn Hibban said it is not permissible to write his Ahadith except to know him…”

I say : the Isnad is fabricated, so there is no need to be happy from it.

Second from Yahya ibn Khidam from Muhammad ibn Abdil Malik ibn Zyad Abu Salamah Al-Ansari from Malik ibn Dinar from Anas similar to this and there is in it :

“Your actions will be presented to me every Thursday”

This has been quoted by Abu Tahir Al-Mukhlis in “Thanee minal ‘Aashir min Hadithihi” ( 2/212) from Yahya (ibn Muhammad ibn Sa’id) from Yahya ibn Khidam.

I say : It is also fabricated because of this Al-Ansari (Muhammad ibn ‘Abdil Malik ibn Zyad Abu Salamah Al-Ansari)

Al-‘Uqayli said : Munakr ul Hadith.

Ibn Hibban said : Very Munkar ul Hadith, he reports from thiqah what is not from
their Hadith, basing on him (to justify matters) is not permissible”

Ibn Tahir said : Liar…

Al-Hakim Abu ‘Abdillah said : “He narrates fabricated Ahadith”
…

In conclusion, this Hadith is weak from all its ways, the best among them being from Hadith of Bakr ibn ‘Abdillah Al-Muzanee and it is Mursal, which is among weak categories for Muhadith, then the Hadith of ibn Mas’ud, and it is a mistake, and the worst is the Hadith of Anas with both ways”

End of shaykh Albani’s words

So one can see that this Hadith is never to the standards of Al-Bukhari and Muslim, and it opposes the narration of Al-Hawd that is from Al-Bukhari and Muslim, which denies the Prophet (saw)’s knowledge of what some people did after him, and the narration of Al-Hawd is a Qati’ Nass (clear text, leaving no doubt), as these Ahadith are Mutawatir and accepted by the community (Talaqi bil Qabul).

And the Hadith of the actions of action being presented to the Prophet (saw) despite opposing the Hadith of Al-Hawd, it does also oppose the creed of the Brawliyah, as they consider that the Prophet (saw) is a witness of all actions, and not that these actions are presented to him, meaning he did not know them before their being presented, speciqllay the Hadith of Anas about actions being presented on Thursday and Monday, it would mean that the other days, the Prophet (saw) is not aware of the actions of his community.

Also these Ahadith only speak about the actions of the community, not of disbelievers, animals or plants, while Brawli believe the Prophet (saw) sees everything that happen on earth.

If ever this Hadith was to be authentic, it would only mean that the Prophet (saw) is being presented with whole actions of his community, meaning total of prayers, fasting…and he will praise Allah for these, and also total of sins, and he will ask forgiveness for them, and it cannot mean that Bakr prayed this day, ‘Amr did a sin this day, as the Prophet (saw) was not aware of the actions of the people removed from his Hawd, enquired about the reason of their being removed, and he was informed that he did not know what they did after him.

Yet the Prophet (saw) taught us to recite a du’a after the call to prayer, and whoever recites it, he (saw) will intercede for him on the day of Judgement, and he did not say in his grave, which shows he does not seek intercession and forgiveness in his grave, rather will do it on the day of judgement.

May Allah send Salah and Salam on the Prophet (saw), his household, his companions and those who follow them.

Compiled by Ali Hassan Khan