ʿUbayd Allah al-Ḥaḍramī, who said: Abū Idrīs al-Khawlānī related to me that he heard Ḥudhayfah ibn al-Yamān say:

“People used to question the Messenger of Allah ﷺ about good, whereas I would question him about evil, fearing that it might overtake me. I said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, we were living in ignorance and wickedness, then Allah brought us this good. Will there be any evil after this good?’ He replied, ‘Yes.’ I asked, ‘And will there be good after that evil?’ He said, ‘Yes, though it will be tainted.’ I asked, ‘What will taint it?’ He answered, ‘A people who will guide by something other than my guidance; you will approve of some of what they do and disapprove of some.’ I asked, ‘Will there be evil after that good?’ He said, ‘Yes—callers at the gates of Hell; whoever responds to them they will hurl into it.’ I said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, describe them to us.’ He said, ‘They are from among us and they speak our language.’ I asked, ‘What do you command me to do if that happens to me?’ He said, ‘Adhere to the community (jamāʿah) of the Muslims and to their leader.’ I asked, ‘And if they have neither community nor leader?’ He said, ‘Then keep away from all those factions, even if you must cling to the trunk of a tree until death overtakes you while you are in that state.’”

This ḥadīth is also recorded by al-Bukhārī and Muslim (1) through Muḥammad ibn al-Muthannā, from al-Walīd, from ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Yazīd ibn Jābir, with this same chain.

Al-Bukhārī further said: Muḥammad ibn al-Muthannā narrated to us; Yaḥyā ibn Saʿīd narrated to us; from Ismāʿīl; from Qays; from Ḥudhayfah, who said, “My companions learned good, whereas I learned evil.” Al-Bukhārī alone reports this (2).

In Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, through Shuʿbah, from ʿAdī ibn Thābit, from ʿAbd Allah ibn Yazīd, from Ḥudhayfah, it is related that he said, “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ told me of everything that will take place until the Hour is established; the only thing I did not ask him was what will drive the people of Madinah out of it.” (3)

Likewise in Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, from ʿIlbāʾ ibn Aḥmar, from Abū Zayd—ʿAmr ibn Akhṭab—who said, “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ informed us of what had occurred and of what will occur until the Day of Resurrection; the one among us who memorised the most is the most knowledgeable of it.” (4)

Another narration states: “…until the people of Paradise enter Paradise and the people of Hell enter Hell.” (5)

The ḥadīth of Khabbāb ibn al-Aratt cited earlier reads: “By Allah, Allah will certainly complete this matter, but you are being hasty.” (6)

The ḥadīth of ʿAdī ibn Ḥātim (7) conveys the same message.