ʿAbd al-Ḥāfiẓ ibn Badrān of Nablus and Yūsuf ibn Aḥmad ibn Ghāliyah of Damascus both informed us, saying:
Mūsā ibn ʿAbd al-Qādir informed us; Saʿīd ibn Aḥmad informed us; ʿAlī ibn al-Busrī informed us; Abū Ṭāhir al-Mukhalliṣ narrated to us; Abū al-Qāsim al-Baghawī narrated to us; al-ʿAbbās ibn al-Walīd al-Narsī narrated to us; Abū ʿAwānah narrated to us, from ʿUmar ibn Abī Salamah, from his father, from Abū Hurayrah, who said:
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “You will continue to be asked questions until someone finally says to you, ‘This is Allah who created us, so who created Allah?’”
Abū Hurayrah added: I was once sitting when a man said to me, “This is Allah who created us, so who created Allah?” I placed my fingers in my ears and cried out, “Allah and His Messenger have spoken the truth: Allah—the One, the Unique, the Eternal Refuge; He neither begets nor is begotten, and there is none comparable to Him (1).”
This is a fair, singular ḥadīth.
…whose fragrance is noticeable. The hypocrite who recites the Quran is like basil: it smells pleasant but tastes bitter, whereas the hypocrite who does not recite the Quran is like colocynth: it tastes bitter and has no fragrance.
It is reported by al-Bukhari, 9/58–59 (Virtues of the Quran, “The superiority of the Quran over all other speech”); by Muslim, no. 797 (Prayer of Travellers, “The merit of the Quran-memoriser”); and by Ahmad and the four Sunan compilers.
(1) The chain is sound. Abu Dawud (4722) transmits it through Muhammad b. Ishaq, from Utba b. Muslim, from Abu Salama b. ‘Abd al-Rahman, from Abu Hurayra: “I heard the Messenger of Allah say: ‘People will keep asking one another… When they do so, say: “Allah is One. Allah al-Samad (the Self-Sufficient). He begets not, nor is He begotten, and none is comparable to Him.”’ Then spit lightly to the left three times and seek refuge from Satan.” Its isnad is strong.
Al-Bukhari also narrates it, 13/230 (Holding Fast to the Book and the Sunnah), from Anas b. Malik: “People will continue to question until they say: ‘This is Allah, the Creator of everything; so who created Allah?’”
He likewise reports it, 6/240 (Beginning of Creation); Muslim, no. 134 (Faith, “Clarifying whisperings”); and Abu Dawud (4721) via ‘Urwa, from Abu Hurayra: “People will keep asking until it is said: ‘This is Allah who created the creation; who then created Allah?’ Whoever feels such a thought should say: ‘I believe in Allah.’”
Muslim (135, 215) records it through Abu Salama, from Abu Hurayra: the Prophet ﷺ told him, “They will not cease asking you, Abu Hurayra, until they say: ‘This is Allah; who created Allah?’” Abu Hurayra continues: While I was in the mosque some Bedouins came and asked the very question, so I picked up pebbles, threw them at them and said, “Stand up, stand up! My intimate friend spoke the truth.”
Al-Khattabi comments: When such a doubt is whispered by Satan, seeking Allah’s protection and refusing to engage with it repels the insinuation. This differs from an objection raised by a human, who can be answered with rational proof and argument.