chain of transmission includes Muhammad ibn Bakkar ibn al-Rayyan and Zubayd, who is Zubayd ibn al-Harith al-Yami, or al-Iyami, who is the only one mentioned in the two Sahih anthologies with this name and affiliation. The chain of transmission also includes Abu Wa’il, whose name is Shaqiq ibn Salamah.
The chain of transmission of the first version of this hadith includes three different routes meeting at Zubayd. This is how the hadith is reported in several original copies, but in some copies accepted by Shaykh Abu [Amr ibn al-Salah it is given in two routes, omitting the one of Muhammad ibn al-Muthanna from Ibn Mahdi from Sufyan.
i.Related by al-Bukhari, 48; al-Tirmidhi, 1983 and 2635; al-Nasa’i, 4120 and 4121.
i.Related by al-Bukhari, 6044 and 7076; al-Nasa’i, 4120, 4122, 4223 and 4224; Ibn Majah, 69.
CHAPTER 30
THE PROPHET’S WARNING: ‘DO NOT RELAPSE INTO DISBELIEF AFTER I AM GONE, STRIKING EACH OTHER’S NECKS’
[121–118]. (Dar al-Salam 0124) Abu Bakr ibn Abi Shaybah, Muhammad ibn al-Muthanna and Ibn Bashshar narrated:i all of them from Muhammad ibn Ja[far; from Shu[bah [H] Also [Ubaydillah ibn Mu[adh narrated [his text]; my father narrated; Shu[bah narrated; from [Ali ibn Mudrik: he heard Abu Zur[ah narrating from his grandfather Jarir: ‘The Prophet said during his farewell pilgrimage: “Tell people to listen”, then he said: “Do not relapse into disbelief after I am gone, striking each other’s necks”.’
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْـمُثَنَّى، وَابْنُ، بَشَّارٍ جَمِيعًا عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ جَعْفَرٍ، عَنْ شُعْبَةَ ح. وَحَدَّثَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللهِ بْنُ مُعَاذٍ، - وَاللَّفْظُ لَهُ - حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي، حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ مُدْرِكٍ، سَمِعَ أَبَا زُرْعَةَ، يُحَدِّثُ عَنْ جَدِّهِ جَرِيرٍ قَالَ: قَالَ لِيَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فِي حَجَّةِ الْوَدَاعِ «اسْتَنْصِتِ النَّاسَ». ثُمَّ قَالَ: «لاَ تَرْجِعُوا بَعْدِي كُفَّارًا يَضْرِبُ بَعْضُكُمْ رِقَابَ بَعْضٍ».
[000–119]. (Dar al-Salam 0125) [Ubaydillah ibn Mu[adh nar-rated:ii my father narrated; Shu[bah narrated; from Waqid ibn Muhammad; from his father; from Ibn [Umar; from the Prophet (peace be upon him): the same.
وَحَدَّثَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللهِ بْنُ مُعَاذٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي، حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنْ وَاقِدِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بِمِثْلِهِ.
[122–120]. (Dar al-Salam 0126) Abu Bakr ibn Abi Shaybah and Abu Bakr ibn Khallad al-Bahili narrated: Muhammad ibn Ja[far narrated; Shu[bah narrated; from Waqid ibn Muhammad ibn Zayd that he heard his father narrating from [Abdullah ibn [Umar; from the Prophet (peace be upon him) that he said in his farewell pilgrimage: ‘How is it with you! (or he said: Woe to you): Do not relapse into disbelief after I am gone, striking each other’s necks’.
وَحَدَّثَنِي أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، وَأَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ خَلاَّدٍ الْبَاهِلِيُّ قَالا: حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنْ وَاقِدِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ زَيْدٍ، أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ أَبَاهُ يُحَدِّثُ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ عُمَرَ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَنَّهُ قَالَ فِي حَجَّةِ الْوَدَاعِ: «وَيْحَكُمْ - أَوْ قَالَ وَيْلَكُمْ - لاَ تَرْجِعُوا بَعْدِي كُفَّارًا يَضْرِبُ بَعْضُكُمْ رِقَابَ بَعْضٍ».
[000–000]. (Dar al-Salam 0127) Harmalah ibn Yahya narrated to me: [Abdullah ibn Wahb reported: [Umar ibn Muhammad narrated to me; that his father narrated to him from Ibn [Umar; from the Prophet: the same as the hadith reported by Shu[bah from Waqid.12
حَـدَّثَنِي حَرْمَلَـةُ بْنُ يَحْيَى، أَخْـبَرَنَا عَبْـدُ اللهِ بْنُ وَهْـبٍ، قَالَ حَـدَّثَنِي عُمَـرُ بْـنُ مُحَمَّدٍ، أَنَّ أَبَاهُ حَـدَّثَهُ عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَـرَ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْـهِ وَسَـلَّمَ بِمِثْـلِ حَدِيثِ شُـعْبَـةَ عَنْ وَاقِـدٍ.
Text Explanation
12. Seven different views are given in explaining this hadith: 1) A person who believes that such unjustified action is lawful is an unbeliever; 2) it represents a denial of God’s favour and the duties imposed by Islam; 3) it moves a person closer towards disbelief and leads him there; 4) this action is the same as that of disbelievers; 5) it means unbelief, which renders the hadith as advising us not to disbelieve but to remain believers; 6) this view is stated by al-Khattabi and others, suggesting that the word used by the Prophet to indicate ‘unbelievers’ means ‘wearing one’s personal armament’; and 7) al-Khattabi says: ‘The hadith means: Do not accuse one another of disbelief so as to legitimize fighting one another’. The view that is closest to the hadith’s intent is the fourth; this is also the view of Qadi [Iyad.
Literally translated, the Prophet’s words, ‘after I am gone,’ means, ‘after me’. Qadi [Iyad quotes al-Sabri who said: ‘This means after I have left this place, which was on Eid Day during the Farewell Pilgrimage. Or it means ‘do not behave in future in a way different from what I have ordered’. Alternatively, he was assured that this would not take place during his lifetime and ordered them not to resort to it after his death’.
The Prophet said to one of his companions: ‘Tell the people to listen’. He wanted them to be attentive as he was about to give them some very important rules and instructions which they must implement.
The hadith mentions that this was during the ‘Farewell Pilgrimage’. The Prophet’s pilgrimage is described as such because during it, he bid them farewell, summed up the essentials of believers’ faith and urged them to inform others who were not then present. He told them: ‘Let those of you who are present now inform those who are absent’.
In one version, the Prophet is quoted as having said to his audience, ‘how is it with you’, or ‘woe to you’.
