Ahadith which have three/four Taabi'i in its isnaad

[Abu Isra'il]

Imam Nawawi stated the following under the first chapter "Sincerity and Having a Conscious Intention in all actions" of his book Bustan al-Arifin:

Allah says: "They were only ordered to worship Allah, making their din sincerely His as people of pure natural pure belief (hunafa) and to establish the prayer and pay zakaat; that is din al-qayyima (the din of the correct)." (al-Bayyinah 98/5)

This means the straight (mustaqim) system of worship. It is also said that it means "based on the truth" (al-qa'imatu bi'l-haqq). Allah knows best.

Allah says: "If anyone leaves his home, emigrating to Allah and His Messenger, and death catches up with him, it is Allah Who will reward him." (an-Nisa 4/100)

Allah says: "Your Lord knows best what is in your selves." (al-Isra 17/25)

Allah says: "Their flesh and blood dies not reach Allah but taqwa (your fear of Him) does reach Him." (al-Hajj 22/37)

Ibn Abbas (ra) said: "It means that your intentions reach Him."

Ibrahim said: "Taqwa is the means by which you desire His Face."

Imam Abu'l-Hasan al-Wahidi reported that az-Zajjaj said: "The meaning of this is that Allah will not accept an offering of flesh and blood when it is offered without fearful awareness of Allah. He accepts that through which you show Him your fearful awareness of Him." This indicates that no act of worship is without intention. The intention is that you want to draw near to Allah and carry out His command.

Our Shaykh, Abu'l-Baqa ash-Shafi'i (ra) related to us from Abu'l-Yaman al-Kindi, from Muhammad al-Ansari, from Abu Muhammad Ali al-Jawhari, from Abu'l-Husayn al-Muzaffar, from Abu Bakr al-Wasiti, from Abu Nu'aym Abd ibn Hisham al-Halabi, from Ibn al-Mubarak, from Yahya ibn Sa'id, from Muhammad ibn Ibrahim at-Taymi, from Alqama ibn Waqqas al-Laythi, that Umar ibn al-Khattab (ra) said that RasulAllah (saw) said: "Indeed, actions only go by intentions. Everyone gets what they intend. Anyone, therefore, who emigrates for Allah and His Messenger, then his emigration is indeed for Allah and His Messenger. But anyone who emigrates to gain something of this world or to marry a woman, his emigration is for that for which he emigrated."

This hadith is unanimously agreed to be sound. Its position is immense and sublime. It is one of the foundations of belief (iman), its first pillar and its strongest support. It is a unique and precious hadith, as is well-known. The backbone of its isnaad is Yahya ibn Sa'id al-Ansari. ash-Shafi'i said: "This hadith from RasulAllah (saw), is only sound by virtue of its having come by way of Alqama, and only sound by virtue of having come from Alqama by way of Yahya ibn Sa'id. From Yahya, the transmission of it spreads out to more than 200 men, most of whom are Imams."

Imam Bukhari related it in his Sahih in seven places. He related it at the beginning of his book, and in the chapters on belief, marriage, freeing slaves, emigration, giving up deception and oaths. This hadith is related in the Sahih in various ways: "Indeed actions only go by intentions," and: "Indeed action is only by the intention." At the beginning of the Book of Shihab, it reads: "Actions are by intentions," and does not include the word "indeed." However, Abu Musa al-Isfahani said that the isnaad of transmission for this version is not sound. The meaning of the intention is to aim for the goal. It is the heart's resolve. "Indeed" is used to express limitation. It affirms what is mentioned, and rejects everything else. The meaning of the hadith is that the actions of the Shari'ah are only valid by intention. As for the one whose goal is the pleasure of Allah by his emigration, and as for the one whose goal is this world, both of them obtain only that portion.

According to this hadith, the intention is a precondition for wudu, ghusl, tayammum, prayer, zakaat, fasting, retreat, hajj, etc. Muhammad ibn Idris ash-Shafi'i (ra) said: "This hadith contains seventy gates of the science of law (fiqh)." He also said: "This hadith contains one-third of knowledge." Ahmad ibn Hanbal (ra) stated: "It contains a third of knowledge." Others have mentioned this hadith in the same way.

Abu Bakr Bayhaqi said in the beginning of his book, The Summary of the Sunnan: "What ash-Shafi'i meant about the fact that it contains a third of knowledge derives from the fact that the slave acquires everything by means of his heart, his tongue and his intentions. The intention is one of the divisions of his acquisition, but it is the most predominant of the three, because it is worship on its own. The other two are not. Words and actions can be perverted by showing-off. But this does not affect intention in any way."

Scholars recommend that you begin all books with this hadith. Bukhari is one of those who have begun their books with it. It is the first hadith in his Sahih Collection, which is the soundest book after the Book of Allah. Abu Sa'id Abdu'r-Rahman ibn Mahdi said: "If I had written a book I would have started every chapter with this hadith." He also said: "Whoever desires to write a book should begin it with this hadith." At the beginning of Information about the Commentary on the Sahih of al-Bukhari, Khattabi said: "Our previous shaykhs recommended that we put the hadith: "Actions are by the intention." at the start of all matters of the din that we initiate, since it is generally needed in all aspects of the din."

We have heard many things like this from the early Muslims regarding this hadith. Allah knows best. The chain of transmission (isnaad) of this hadith is very rare and excellent among the people of hadith. This is due to the fact that its chain of transmission includes three Followers, each one relating the hadith from the others. These three Followers are: Yahya ibn Sa'id al-Ansari, Muhammad ibn Ibrahim at-Taymi and Alqama ibn Waqqas. Although this is marvelous, there are several sound ahadith that have three Followers relating the hadith from one another, and there are even some that include four Followers in the chain. Ibn Abdu'r-Rahman gathered them all together in a section of his book. I have transmitted it and condensed it at the beginning of my commentary on the Sahih of Bukhari. I added some others to them which I found to be like them. There were more than thirty ahadith of this kind, but Allah knows best.

Now let us turn to those ahadith which are said to be the basis of Islam and the roots of the din. They the bedrock of Islam and the core of the science of law and knowledge. We will mention them in this section because one of them is the hadith: "Indeed actions only go by intentions." They are very important, and should be the first to be dealt it. Scholars have differed a great deal about their number. Shaykh Abu Amr Uthman ibn Abdu'r-Rahman (known as Ibn as-Salah) attempted to compile them and distinguish which they are. I can add nothing whatsoever to his precision and perfection. I have just condensed some of what he mentioned, and added a bit to it which he did not mention.

"The din is good counsel."

Part of good counsel lies in attributing the benefit received to the one who gave it. Whoever does that adds to his knowledge and his state. But whoever omits that or plagiarizes from someone should not profit by his knowledge, nor should he receive any blessing in his state. The people of knowledge and favor continue to ascribe benefits to the ones who gave the good counsel. We ask Allah for success in this always!

After weighing what the various Imams have said about which ahadith are central to Islam and after considering their disagreement about their number, and which ahadith they actually are, Shaykh Abu Amr said: "I arrived at twenty-six ahadith."

First Hadith:

The hadith already mentioned: "Indeed, actions only go by intentions. Everyone gets what they intend. Anyone, therefore, who emigrates for Allah and His Messenger, then his emigration is indeed for Allah and His Messenger. But anyone who emigrates to gain something of this world or to marry a woman, his emigration is for that for which he emigrated."

Second Hadith:

Aishah (raa) said that RasulAllah (saw) said: "If anyone introduces an innovation in this affair of ours which is not part of it, it will be rejected."

Everyone agrees that this hadith is sound. Bukhari and Muslim related it in their Sahih collections. In the version in Muslim, it says: "If anyone originates something which is not in accordance with this affair of ours it will be rejected."

Third Hadith:

an-Nu'man ibn Bashir (ra) reported that he heard RasulAllah (saw) say: "The halaal is clear and the haraam is clear. But between the two there are ambiguous matters about which most people have no knowledge. Whoever exercises caution with regard to what is ambiguous shows prudence in respect of his din and his honor. Whoever gets involved in the ambiguous things is like a herdsman who grazes his animals near a private preserve. He bound to enter it. Every king has a private preserve and the private preserve of Allah on His earth are the things that He has made forbidden. There is a lump of flesh in the body, the nature of which is that when it is sound, the entire body is sound, and when it is corrupt, the entire body is corrupt. It is the heart."

Everyone agrees that this is a sound hadith and it is related in the two Sahih collections.

Fourth Hadith:

Abd-Allah ibn Mas'ud (ra) reported that RasulAllah (saw) the truthful and confirmed one, told him: "The way that each of you is created is that you are gathered in your mother's womb for forty days as a sperm-drop and then for a similar length of time as a blood-clot and then for a similar length of time as a lump of flesh. Then an angel is sent and he breathes the spirit (ruh) into you and is en-charged with four commandments: To write down your provision; your life-span; your actions; and whether you will be happy or wretched. By Him, apart form Whom there is no god, one of you can do the actions of someone destined for the Garden until there is only an arm's length between him and it, and then what is written will overtake him and he will do the actions of someone destined for the Fire and enter it. And one of you can do the actions of someone destined for the Fire until there is only an arm's length between him and it, and then what is written will overtake him and he will do the actions of someone destined for the Garden and enter it."

Bukhari and Muslim related it in their Sahih collections.

Fifth Hadith:

Hasan ibn Ali (ra) said: "I remember that RasulAllah (saw) stated: Leave what gives you doubt for what gives you no doubt."

It is a sound hadith. Tirmidhi and Nasai related it. Tirmidhi said that it is a sound hadith.

Sixth Hadith:

Abu Hurayrah (ra) reported that RasulAllah (saw) said: "Part of the excellence of a man's Islam is his leaving alone what does not concern him."

It is an excellent hadith. Tirmidhi and Ibn Maajah related it.

Seventh Hadith:

Anas ibn Malik (ra) said that RasulAllah (saw) said: "Not one of you will believe until he desires for his brother what he desires for himself."

It is agreed to be sound.

Eighth Hadith:

Abu Hurayrah (ra) said: RasulAllah (saw) said: "O people! Allah is good and He only accepts the good. Allah gives the same command to the believers that He gives the Messengers. Allah Almighty says: "O Messengers! Eat of the good things and act rightly." (al-Mu'minun 23/52) and the Almighty says: "O you who believe! Eat of the good things We have provided for you." (al-Baqarah 2/172) Then he mentioned a man who goes on a long journey, is disheveled and dusty and he stretches his hands to heaven, saying: 'O Lord! O Lord!' when his food is haraam, his drink is haraam, his clothes are haraam, and his sustenance is haraam. How could such a man be responded to?"

Muslim related it in his Sahih collection.

Ninth Hadith:

"Do not inflict injury nor repay one injury with another."

Malik and Daraqutni and a group of notable men related it with an uninterrupted chain of transmission. It is an excellent hadith.

Tenth Hadith:

Tamim ad-Dari (ra) reported that RasulAllah (saw) said: "The din is faithfulness/good counsel. We asked: To whom? He (saw) replied: To Allah, His Messenger, the Imams of the Muslims, and their common people."

Muslim related it.

Eleventh Hadith:

Abu Hurayrah (ra) said that he heard RasulAllah (saw) say: "Stay with what I have left you (without asking for more). Those before you were destroyed by their excessive questioning and their disagreeing with their Prophets."

Everyone agrees that is is sound.

Twelfth Hadith:

Sahl ibn Sa'id (ra) said: "A man came to RasulAllah (saw) and said: O RasulAllah, show me an action which will make Allah love me and people love me if I do it. He (saw) replied: Go without in this world and Allah will love you. Do without in what people have, and people will love you!"

It is an excellent hadith. Ibn Maajah related it.

Thirteenth Hadith:

Ibn Mas'ud (ra) reported that RasulAllah (saw) said: "The blood of a Muslim man who says that there is no god except Allah and that I am the Messenger of Allah; is not lawful (to shed) except in three cases: A married man who commits adultery; a life for a life; and someone who abandons the din and splits up the community."

It is agreed to be sound.

Fourteenth Hadith:

Abd-Allah ibn Umar (ra) reported that RasulAllah (saw) said: "I am commanded to fight people until they testify that there is no god except Allah and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, establish the prayer, and pay zakaat. If they do that, their lives and their property are protected from me, except for the right of Islam. Their reckoning is up to Allah Almighty."

It is agreed that it is sound.

Fifteenth Hadith:

Ibn Umar (ra) reported that RasulAllah (saw) said: "Islam is based on five things: The testimony that there is no god except Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah; performing the prayer; paying zakaat; performing the hajj to the House; and fasting Ramadaan."

It is agreed that it is sound.

Sixteenth Hadith:

Ibn Abbas (ra) reported that RasulAllah (saw) said: "If people had been given what they claim, men would lay claim to the property of the people and their blood. However, the one making the claim must bring a clear proof, and the one who denies it must take an oath."

This hadith is related in this way, while part of it is included in the Sahih collections.

Seventeenth Hadith:

Wabisa ibn Ma'bad (ra) mentioned that he went to RasulAllah (saw) who said: "Have you come to ask me about birr (piety)? Yes! Wabisa replied. RasulAllah (saw) said: Consult your heart. Piety is that with which the soul is at rest and the heart is at rest. Wrong action is what is hatched up in yourself, and echoes to and fro in your breast, even if people give a decision in your favor and ask for your opinion."

One version has: "Even if the one asked gives a decision in your favor." It is an excellent hadith. Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Darimi and others have related it. The version of an-Nawwas ibn Sam'an is in the Sahih Collection of Muslim. He (saw) said: "Piety consists of good character and wrong action is that which you hatch up in yourself and which you hate to show to people."

Eighteenth Hadith:

Shaddad ibn Aws (ra) reported that RasulAllah (saw) said: "Allah has written excellent behavior (ihsan) for everything. Therefore when you kill, kill well. When you sacrifice, sacrifice well. Each of you should sharpen the edge of his knife and should calm down his sacrificial animal."

Muslim related it.

Nineteenth Hadith:

Abu Hurayrah (ra) reported that RasulAllah (saw) said: "Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should speak what is good or remain silent. Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should honor his neighbor. Whoever believe Allah and the Last Day should honor the guest."

It is agreed to be sound.

Twentieth Hadith:

Abu Hurayrah (ra) reported that a man said to RasulAllah (saw): "Give me some advice! He (saw) said: Do not get angry. He repeated his request several times, and RasulAllah (saw) repeated: Do not get angry."

Bukhari related it in his Sahih collection.

Twenty-First Hadith:

Abu Tha'laba (ra) reported that RasulAllah (saw) said: "Allah has has made certain things into obligations, so you should not neglect them! He has made certain things unlawful, so you should not commit them! He has been silent about certain things as a mercy to you without any forgetfulness of His part, so do not delve into them!"

Daraqutni related it with an excellent chain of transmission.

Twenty-Second Hadith:

Abu Dharr (ra) and Mu'adh (ra) reported that RasulAllah (saw) said: "Fear Allah wherever you are. Follow up an evil action with a good action which will wipe it out. Treat people well."

Tirmidhi related it and said that it is an excellent hadith. In some copies, he says that it is a sound/excellent hadith.

Twenty-Third Hadith:

Mu'adh (ra) narrated: "I said: O RasulAllah, tell me of an action I can do which will admit me to the Garden and keep me far away from the Fire! He (saw) said: You have asked about a great matter, but it is easy for the one to whom Allah makes it easy. You should worship Allah and do not associate anything with Him, do the prayer, pay zakaat, fast Ramadaan and go on hajj to the House. Then RasulAllah (saw) said: Shall I direct you to the gates of good? Fasting, which is protection, and sadaqa, which extinguishes mistakes as water extinguishes fire, and the prayer of a man in the middle of the night. Then he (saw) recited: "Their sides eschew their beds as they call on their Lord in fear and ardent hope. And they give of what We have provided them. No self knows the delight that is hidden away for it in recompense for what it used to do." (as-Sajdah 32/16-17) Then he (saw) said: "Shall I tell you of the head of the matter, its support and its peak? I said: Yes indeed, o RasulAllah. He (saw) said: The head of the matter is Islam and its support is the prayer and its peak is Jihaad. Then he (saw) said: Shall I tell you of the foundation of all that? I said. Yes, o RasulAllah. He (saw) took hold of his tongue and said: Restrain this! I said: O RasulAllah, will we be taken to task for what we say? He (saw) said: May your mother be bereaved! Are people thrown on their faces in the Fire for anything other but the harvest of their tongues?"23

Tirmidhi related it and said that it is sound/excellent.

Twenty-Fourth Hadith:

Irbad ibn Sariya (ra) said: "RasulAllah (saw) gave us a profound exhortation which made our hearts afraid and our eyes weep. We said: O RasulAllah, it is an exhortation which is as if it were bidding us farewell, so advise us! He (saw) said: I commend you to fear Allah and to hear and obey, even if it a slave is put in command over you. Any among you who live long enough will see much disagreement, so you must hold to my sunnah and the sunnah of the rightly-guided khalifs. Hold onto it with your teeth. Beware of new matters. Every innovation is misguidance."

Abu Dawud and Tirmidhi related it and said that it is a sound/excellent hadith.

Twenty-Fifth Hadith:

Ibn Abbas (ra) said: "I was behind RasulAllah (saw) one day. He (saw) said: Young man, I will teach you some words. Hold fast to Allah and He will preserve you! Cling to Allah and you will find Him before you! If you ask, ask Allah. If you seek help, seek it from Allah. Know that even if the community were to join together to do something to benefit you, they could only benefit you, they could only benefit in what Allah has written for you. And if they were to join together to do something to harm you, they could only harm you in what Allah has written for you. The pens have been lifted and the pages are dry."

Tirmidhi related it, and said that it is a sound/excellent hadith. In a variant other than the one of Tirmidhi, it says: "Hold fast to Allah and you will find Him before you! Be acquainted with Allah in ease, and He will be acquainted with you in hardship. Know that what missed you could not have hit you, and that what hit you could not have missed you!" Another version has: "Know that victory comes with steadfastness relief with trouble and ease with hardship."

Twenty-Sixth Hadith:

The hadith of Ibn Umar (ra) from his father Umar ibn al-Khattab (ra):

"While we were sitting with RasulAllah (saw) one day a man came up to us whose clothes were extremely white, whose hair was extremely black, upon whom traces of traveling could not be seen, and whom none of us knew, until he sat down close to RasulAllah (saw) so that he rested his knees upon his knees and placed his two hands upon his thighs and said: O Muhammad, tell me about Islam. RasulAllah (saw) said: Islam is that you witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, and you establish the prayer, and you give the Zakaat, and you fast Ramadaan, and you perform the hajj of the House if you are able to take a way to it. He said: You have told the truth. And we were amazed at him asking him and (then) telling him that he told the truth. He said: Tell me about iman. RasulAllah (saw) said: That you affirm Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, and the Last Day, and that you affirm the Decree, the good of it and the bad of it. He said: You have told the truth. He said: Tell me about ihsan. RasulAllah (saw) said: That you worship Allah as if you see Him, for if you don't see Him then truly He sees you. He said: Tell me about the Hour. RasulAllah (saw) said: The one asked about it knows no more than the one asking. He said: Then tell me about its tokens. He (saw) said: That the female slave should give birth to her mistress, and you see poor, naked, barefoot shepherds of sheep and goats competing in making tall buildings. He went away, and I remained some time. Then RasulAllah (saw) asked, me (i.e., Umar): Do you know who the questioner was? I said: Allah and His Messenger know best. RasulAllah (saw) said: He was Jibril who came to you to teach you your din."

These are the hadiths which Shaykh Abu Amr ibn as-Salah (ra) mentioned. One hadith with the same meaning is the following.

Twenty-Seventh Hadith:

Sufyan ibn Abd-Allah (ra) reported: "I said: O RasulAllah, tell me something about Islam which I could not ask from anyone but you! He (saw) said: Say: I have believed in Allah! and then go straight."

Muslim related it.

Twenty-Eighth Hadith:

Abu Mas'ud Uqba ibn Amr al-Badri (ra) reported: "RasulAllah (saw) said: Provided it does not cause you shame, do whatever you wish!"

Bukhari related it in his Sahih collection.

Twenty-Ninth Hadith:

Jabir (ra) reported that a man asked RasulAllah (saw): "Do you think that if I pray the prescribed prayers, fast Ramadaan, make halaal what is halaal and make haraam what is haraam, and do not do anything more than that, that I will enter the Garden? He (saw) said: Yes!"

Muslim related it." (Bustan al-Arifin)