2621 — “There is no leader of ten people who will not be brought forth on the Day of Resurrection in shackles; nothing but justice will release him, or tyranny will bring about his ruin.”

It was narrated by Ahmad (2/431), Abu Ya‘la (4/1564), al-Bayhaqi in al-Sunan (10/96), and al-Tabarani in al-Awsat (1/199/1), through Muhammad ibn ‘Ajlan, from his father, from Abu Hurayrah, from the Prophet. In one version recorded by Ahmad, Ibn ‘Ajlan said: Sa‘id narrated to me from Abu Hurayrah, with the same wording. Al-Bazzar also narrated it (p. 178) by both routes.

I say: This is a good chain of transmission. Al-Mundhiri said (3/139): “Ahmad narrated it through a sound chain, whose narrators are those of the Sahih!” I say: It also has two further routes from Abu Hurayrah. The first is through Sa‘id ibn Yasar from him. Al-Darimi (2/240) and al-Bazzar narrated it with an authentic chain, while Ahmad (2/431) narrated it with a good chain. The other is through Bishr ibn Sa‘id from him; al-Hakim narrated it (4/89).

It has a corroborating report from the hadith of Abu Umamah, whose sourcing has preceded under no. 349. There is another corroborating report through Yazid ibn Abi Ziyad, from ‘Isa ibn Fa’id, from a man, from Sa‘d ibn ‘Iyadah, attributed to the Prophet with the same wording, with the addition: “And no one learns the Quran and then forgets it but that he will meet Allah, Mighty and Majestic, maimed.” Ahmad narrated it (5/284 and 285), as did his son (5/327–328).

I say: This is a weak chain of transmission, containing three defects. The first is the unnamed man, who is unknown in person.