- “A group from my Ummah will continue fighting for the truth, prevailing over those who oppose them, until the last of them fights the Dajjāl (False Messiah).”
It was narrated by Abū Dāwūd (1/388–389), al-Ḥākim (4/450), and Aḥmad (4/429 and 437), through Ḥammād ibn Salamah, from Qatādah, from Muṭarrif ibn ʿAbd Allāh al-Shikhkhīr, from ʿImrān ibn Ḥuṣayn, attributed to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. Al-Ḥākim said: “Authentic according to Muslim’s criteria.” Al-Dhahabī agreed with him, and it is as they both said.
It was also narrated by Abū al-ʿAlāʾ ibn al-Shikhkhīr, whose name was Yazīd ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn al-Shikhkhīr, from his brother Muṭarrif, who said: ʿImrān said to me, “Today I relate to you a hadith by which Allah, the Exalted, may benefit you after today. Know that the best servants of Allah are those who praise Him abundantly. Know that a group from the people of Islam will continue to fight in defence of the truth, prevailing over those who oppose them, until they fight the Dajjāl. And know that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, had a member of his household perform ʿumrah (lesser pilgrimage) during the first ten days. No verse was revealed to abrogate this, nor did the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, forbid it until he passed away. Thereafter, each person adopted whatever opinion Allah willed him to adopt.”
Aḥmad narrated it (4/434), saying: Ismāʿīl narrated to us: al-Jurayrī informed us, from Abū al-ʿAlāʾ ibn al-Shikhkhīr, with it. This is an authentic chain of transmission according to the criteria of the six canonical hadith collections. Muslim also narrated it through this chain (4/47), but without the first two statements beginning, “Know that.” Ibn Mājah likewise narrated it (2/229), from Abū Usāmah, from al-Jurayrī. I had previously cited the hadith briefly through the first chain under no. 270, from a rare source; this completes what is found there.
- “A group from my Ummah will continue fighting for the truth, prevailing until the Day of Resurrection. Then Jesus, son of Mary, peace be upon him, will descend, and their leader will say: ‘Come and lead us in prayer.’ But he will say: ‘No; some of you are leaders over others—an honour from Allah for this Ummah.’”
It was narrated by Muslim (1/95 and 6/53) and Aḥmad (3/384), through Ibn Jurayj,