one generation passed and another came. When death came to him, he said: “My sons, what kind of father have I been to you?” They replied: “The best of fathers.” He said: “Will you obey me?” They said: “Yes.” He said: “See to it that, when I die, you burn me until you leave me as charcoal.” The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “They did so. Then grind me in a mortar”—and he gestured with his hand. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “They did so—by Allah! Then scatter me in the sea on a windy day, so that perhaps I may escape Allah.” The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “They did so—by Allah! Then there he was in Allah’s grasp, and He said: ‘O son of Adam, what prompted you to do what you did?’ He replied: ‘My Lord, fear of You.’ He said: ‘So Allah forgave him because of it.’”
Ahmad recorded it (4/447 and 5/3), as did al-Tabarani in al-Muʿjam al-Kabir (The Major Dictionary) (19/427/1073).
I say: This is an authentic chain of transmission; all of its narrators are trustworthy.
I also say: Hammad ibn Salamah’s narration of this hadith through three chains of transmission, from three Companions, indicates that he was among the foremost hadith masters. It also shows that the hadith was well known among the Companions. This is further confirmed by the fact that it was narrated from Abu Hurayrah through other routes, and from other Companions as well.
As for the routes from Abu Hurayrah:
- Abu al-Zinad narrated it from al-Aʿraj, from him, attributed to the Prophet, with similar wording.
Malik recorded it (1/238), and through his route: al-Bukhari (7506), Muslim (8/97), al-Khatib in al-Tarikh (4/389), and Ibn Abd al-Barr in al-Tamhid (18/38), all of them from Malik through this chain. The additional wording and the chain are from Muslim.