I say: In sum, the mention of the Household alongside the Quran in this hadith is like the mention of the Sunnah of the Rightly Guided Caliphs alongside his Sunnah, peace and blessings be upon him, in his statement: “You must adhere to my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the Rightly Guided Caliphs ...” Shaykh al-Qari said (1/199): “For they acted only upon my Sunnah. Thus, its attribution to them is either because they acted upon it or because they derived and chose it.”

Once you have understood the foregoing, this hadith is a strong supporting witness for the hadith in al-Muwatta, worded: “I have left among you two matters: you will never go astray so long as you hold fast to them—Allah’s Book and the Sunnah of His Messenger.” It is found in al-Mishkat (186). The force of this supporting evidence escaped some of our present-day novice brethren, who have filled pages seeking to weaken the hadith of al-Muwatta. Allah is the One whose help is sought.

1762 — “The signs are beads strung on a cord; if the cord is cut, they will follow one another.”

Al-Hakim (4/473–474) and Ahmad (2/219) recorded it through two routes from Khalid ibn al-Huwayrith, from Abdullah ibn Amr, who said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said it.

I say: Its chain of transmission is weak, for Khalid ibn al-Huwayrith is not well-known. Ibn Ma‘in said: “I do not know him,” while Ibn Hibban included him among the reliable narrators. However, the hadith has a supporting narration from Anas ibn Malik, attributed to the Prophet, to the same effect, except that it reads: “The portents are beads ...” Al-Hakim recorded it (4/546) and said: “Authentic according to Muslim’s criteria.” Al-Dhahabi concurred with him, and it is as they said.