(1) N and M read: “And in Sahih Muslim.” (2) N reads: *dhahaba* rather than *dhahabat* (“are gone”). (3) This hadith appears in *al-Musnad*, al-Halabī ed., 4/398–399, from Abū Burda, from Abū Mūsā al-Asharī. In Muslim, however, it is narrated from Abū Burda, from his father. Abū Burda was a son of Abū Mūsā al-Asharī. His name was said to be al-Hārith, or Āmir; it was also said that his name was the same as his *kunya*. See *Tahdhīb al-Tahdhīb*, 12/18–19; *Tadhkirat al-Huffāz*, 1/95. The text of the hadith in Muslim, 4/1961 (Book of the Merits of the Companions, chapter: Explaining That the Prophet’s Continued Presence—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—Was a Source of Security for His Companions), reads: “We performed the sunset prayer with the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—and then said, ‘If only we were to remain seated until we perform the evening prayer with him.’ So we remained seated. He then came out to us and asked, ‘Are you still here?’ We replied, ‘O Messenger of Allah, we performed the sunset prayer with you and then said that we would remain seated until we performed the evening prayer with you.’ He said, ‘You have done well—or, you were right.’ He then raised his head toward the sky—and he would often raise his head toward the sky—and said, ‘The stars are a source of security for the sky…’” The remainder of the hadith follows. Al-Nawawī stated in his commentary on Muslim, 16/83: “The scholars said: *amanah*—with the first two letters pronounced *a* and *ma*—means the same as *amn* and *amān* (security). The hadith means that as long as the stars remain, the sky will remain. When the stars grow dim and are scattered on the Day of Resurrection, the sky will weaken, split apart, rupture, and pass away. The Prophet’s words—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—‘I am a source of security for my Companions; when I am gone, what they have been promised will come upon them,’ refer to tribulations, wars, the apostasy of those Bedouins who apostatized, discord among hearts, and similar events of which he explicitly warned. All of these occurred. His words—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—‘My Companions are a source of security for my Ummah; when my Companions are gone, what my Ummah has been promised will come upon it’—refer to the emergence of religious innovations and new developments, tribulations within the religion, the rising of Satan’s horn, the ascendancy of the Romans and others over the Muslims, the violation of the sanctity of Medina and Mecca, and other such events. All of these are among his miracles—may Allah bless him and grant him peace.”