with the turmoil that followed the murder of ʿUthmān (may Allah be pleased with him), and they have continued until today. He also foretold that a number of his community would join the idol-worshippers both in their lands and in their religion, and that parties from the ummah would slip into idolatry—and events proved him right, for graves, trees, and stones have indeed been worshipped. He informed us as well that claimants to prophethood would appear, and that every such claimant is a liar, for prophethood came to an end with his own mission ﷺ. Yet he ﷺ also gave the glad tidings that, despite these calamities and disasters, a group from his ummah would remain steadfast upon Islam; though few, they will not be harmed by the plots of their enemies or opponents.

Relevance of the hadith to this chapter: the Prophet ﷺ stated here that groups from his ummah would worship idols, providing a rebuttal to those who deny the occurrence of shirk within the community.

Benefits drawn from the hadith:
1- Shirk will take place in this ummah, refuting those who deny it.
2- It is a manifest sign of the Prophet’s ﷺ truthfulness, for everything he foretold occurred exactly as he said.
3- It shows the perfection of his compassion ﷺ for his ummah: he asked his Lord for what benefits them—above all tawḥīd (pure monotheism)—and feared for them what harms them—chief among it shirk.
4- A warning to the ummah against division and against the callers to misguidance.
5- Confirmation that prophethood was sealed with him ﷺ.
6- Glad tidings that the truth will never be wiped out completely, and that a band of believers will remain upon it, unharmed by those who forsake or oppose them.