Join Sham, For Allah Has Guranteed… !
حدثنا عبد الله حدثني أبي ثنا حيوة بن شريح ويزيد بن عبد ربه قالا ثنا بقية قال حدثني بحير بن سعد عن خالد بن معدان عن أبي قتيلة عن بن حوالة انه قال قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم : سيصير الأمر إلى ان تكون جنود مجندة جند بالشام وجند باليمن وجند بالعراق فقال بن حوالة خر لي يا رسول الله ان أدركت ذاك قال عليك بالشام فإنه خيرة الله من أرضه يجتبي إليه خيرته من عباده فان أبيتم فعليكم بيمنكم واسقوا من غدركم فان الله عز وجل قد توكل لي بالشام وأهله
The Prophet Muhammad said:
“It shall reach a point when you will all be joining [opposite] armies: one army in shaam, one in Yemen, one in ‘Iraq. Abdullah ibn Hawaalah said, “Choose for me Oh Rasulullah!” He said, “You must join Shaam, for it is Allah’s chosen land in His earth. In it shall the chosen ones among His servants have protection. Otherwise, go to Yemen but be prepared to drink from still water. For Allah has given me a gurantee concerning Shaam and its people.” [This is the translation of Shaykh G.f. Haddad and It is correct.]
Takhrij: This is the report of Imam Ahmad. Arna’ut said that this hadith is Sahih, however this specific chain is weak due to Baqiyah Ibn Al Walid making tadlis taswiya. It has a second chain in the Musnad without Baqiyah:
حدثنا عبد الله حدثني أبي ثنا أبو سعيد مولى بنى هاشم وهاشم بن القاسم قالا ثنا محمد بن راشد ثنا مكحول عن عبد الله بن حوالة
To this Arna’ut said, “This hadith is Sahih, all of the men are from the men of the Sahih except Muhammad ibn Raashid and he is from the men of the Sunan.”
It is also reported by Ibn Hibban in his Sahih with a slightly different chain via Mak-hul:
أخبرنا مكحول ببيروت قال : حدثنا العباس بن الوليد بن مزيد قال : حدثنا أبي قال : سمعت سعيد بن عبد العزيز قال : أخبرني مكحول عن أبي إدريس الخولاني عن عبد الله بن حوالة قال : قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم : ( إنكم ستجندون أجنادا : جندا بالشام وجندا بالعراق وجندا باليمن ) قال : قلت : يا رسول الله خر لي ؟ قال : ( عليك بالشام فمن أبى فليلحق بيمنه وليسق من غدره فإن الله تكفل لي بالشام وأهله )
Arna’ut in his Tahqiq states, “Its chain is Sahih.”
In another report of Ibn Hawaalah we find him saying, “When He (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) noticed my distaste for Sham he said: “Do you know what Allah says about Sham? Verily, Allah said: ‘Oh Sham, you are the safwa (quintessence) of My lands and I shall inhabit you with the chosen ones of my servants.”
Imam Al-Mundhiri reports these narrationsin his Targhib wat-Tarhib in his chapter “At-Targhib regarding settling in Ash-Shaam and what has been reported regarding its Virtues.” To the first narration he concludes, “It is reported by Abu Dawud (2483), Ibn Hibban in his Sahih, and Al-Hakim who said its chain is Sahih.” His conclusion to the second narration is, “It is reported by At-Tabarani from two chains (tariqayn), one of them is Jayyidah (fair).” [4522-4523 Dar Ibn Hazm's Edition]
as-salaamu alaykum,
Akhi has this taken place of different armies? or is it meaning different armies as in different states? Or is it something other than this?
I do not know for certain the intent of our Messenger’s words.
Jazaakum Allahu Khairan.
of course the hadith has meaning. If we look today to Syrian few other countries can preach of a more kufr pushing regime, as its. Many of the ulema are either supressed to speak the truth, or worse rush to promote and support batil.
who said the hadith didn’t have meaning?