On the day of al-Hudaibiya, our numbers were one thousand four hundred, and the Prophet said to us, "To-day you are the best people on the earth." (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Ibn Mas'ud reported the Prophet as saying, "When I am gone copy those two of my companions, Abu Bakr and `Umar, follow the guidance of `Ammar, and hold fast to the injunction of Ibn Umm `Abd.'' Hudhaifa's version has "Believe what Ibn Mas'ud tells you" Instead of "Hold fast to the injunction of Ibn Umm `Abd." Tirmidhi transmitted it.

`Ali reported God's messenger as saying, "If I were to appoint anyone as commander without [need for] consultation I would appoint Ibn Umm `Abd." Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

I came to Medina and asked God to grant me a good companion to sit with and He granted me Abu Huraira. I sat with him and told him I had asked God to grant me a good companion to sit with and that he suited me. He asked where I came from and I replied that I belonged to al-kafa and had come desiring and seeking good. He then said, "Do you not have among you Sa'd b. Malik whose prayers are answered, Ibn Mas'ud who looked after God's messenger's water for ablution and his sandals, Hudhaifa who was God's messenger's confidant, `Ammar to whom God gave protection from the devil at the tongue of His Prophet, and Salman who was a believer in the two Books?" meaning the Injil and the Quran. Tirmidhi transmitted it.

Abu Huraira reported God's messenger as saying, "Abu Bakr is a fine man, `Umar is a fine man, Abu `Ubaida b. al-Jarrah is a fine man, Usaid b. Hudair is a fine man, Thabit b. Qais b. Shammas is a fine man, Mu'adh b. Jabal is a fine man, Mu'adh b. 'Amr b. al-Jamah is a fine man." Tirmidhi transmitted it, saying this is a gharib tradition.

'Ali, `Ammar and Salman." Tirmidhi transmitted it.

`Ali told that when `Ammar asked permission to come in to see the Prophet he said, "Let him come in. Welcome to the very good man!" Tirmidhi transmitted it.

`A'isha reported God's messenger as saying, "`Ammar is not given a choice between two things without choosing the more difficult and the lesser[*].'' *Cf. Tirmidhi, Manaqib, 34. The editions of Cairo, 1875 and 1931-34, do not contain the word translated 'lesser,' and instead of ashaddahuma (the more difficult of them) they have asaddahuma (the more upright of them). Tirmidhi adds that this is a hasan gharib tradition. Tirmidhi transmitted it.

Anas told that when Sa'd b. Mu'adh's bier was carried the hypocrites said, "How light his bier is[*]!" that being because of his decision regarding the B. Quraiza. When the Prophet was told of that he said, "The angels were carrying it." *This was said to show how they despised him because of his decision regarding the B. Quraiza. Tirmidhi transmitted it.

"The sky has not covered and the earth has not carried anyone more truthful than Abu Dharr." Tirmidhi transmitted it.

Abu Dharr reported God's messenger as saying, "The sky has not covered and the earth has not carried anyone who speaks more truthfully or is more faithful in keeping his word than Abu Dharr. He resembles Jesus, son of Mary," i.e., in asceticism. Tirmidhi transmitted it.

When Mu'adh b. Jabal was on his deathbed he said, "Seek knowledge from four people, front `Uwaimir Abud Darda', from Salman, from Ibn Mas'ud, and from `Abdallah b. Salam who was a Jewish convert to Islam, for I heard God's messenger say he would be the tenth, to enter paradise." Tirmidhi transmitted it.

Hudhaifa told that when the people expressed a desire that God's messenger should name a successor he said, "If I were to name a successor and you were to disobey him you would be punished, but believe what Hudhaifa tells you and recite what `Abdallah[*] recites to you." *i.e., Ibn Masud. Tirmidhi transmitted it.

There is no one who will be overtaken by trial regarding whom I do not fear it except Muhammad b. Maslama, for I heard God's messenger say, "Trial will not harm you." ... transmitted it. The name of the collection of traditions is omitted. The tradition is in Abu Dawud, sunna, 12.

`A'isha told that when the Prophet saw a lamp in az-Zubair's house he said, "I think, `A'isha, that Asma'[*] must have given birth to a child. Do not give it a name till I do so." He named him `Abdallah and with his own hand rubbed his palate with a moistened date. *Wife of Az Zubair and sister of A'isha. Tirmidhi transmitted it.

`Abd ar-Rahman b. Abu `Amira told that the Prophet said of Mu'awiya, "O God, make him a guide who is rightly guided and guide others by him." Tirmidhi transmitted it.

`Uqba b. `Amir reported God's messenger as saying, "The people accepted Islam, but `Amr b. al-`As had faith[*]." *Some accepted Islam outwardly, possibly through fear, but `Amr was a genuine believer. Tirmidhi transmitted it, saying this is a gharib tradition whose isnad is not strong.

God's messenger met me and said, "How is it, Jabir, that I see you downcast?" I replied, "My father has died a martyr, leaving children and a debt." He asked, "Shall I not give you good news of what God has caused your father to meet?" and when I replied, "Certainly, messenger of God," he said, "God has never spoken to anyone but from behind a veil, but He brought your father to life and spoke to him face to face saying, `My servant, if you express a wish to Me, I shall grant it.' He replied, `0 my Lord, my wish is that Thou shouldest grant me life and let me be killed for Thy sake a second time but the Lord who is blessed and exalted said, `I have already said that they will not return'." Then came down, "You must not consider those who have been killed in God's path to be dead...[*]" *Quran; 3:169 Tirmidhi transmitted it.

He told that God's messenger asked forgiveness for him twenty-five times. Tirmidhi transmitted it.

Anas reported God's messenger as saying, "There are many with dishevelled hair and dusty bodies who wear two ragged garments to whom no attention is paid but who would be declared righteous by God if they adjured Him. Among them is al-Bara' b. Malik." Tirmidhi and Baihaqi, in Dala'il an-nubuwa, transmitted it.

Abu Sa'id reported God's messenger as saying, "My confidants to whom I turn are my family, and my close friends are the Ansar, so forgive those of them who do wrong and accept the excuses of those of them who do good." Tirmidhi transmitted it, saying this is a hasan tradition.

Ibn `Abbas reported the Prophet as saying, "Let no one who believes in God and the Last Day hate the Ansar." Tirmidhi transmitted it, saying this is a hasan sahih tradition.

Anas quoted Abu Talha as telling that God's messenger said to him, "Give your people a greeting, for they, so far as I know, are abstemious and show endurance." Tirmidhi transmitted it.

Jabir told that al-Hatib's slave came to the Prophet to complain to him of Hatib, and said, "Messenger of God, Hatib will certainly enter hell." He replied, "You lie ; he will not enter it, for he was present at Badr and al-Hudaibiya." Muslim transmitted it. Here we have a tradition from Muslim in section II

Abu Huraira told that God's messenger recited this verse, "If you turn back He will substitute other people for you and they will not be like you[*]," and the people asked, "Messenger of God, who are these people of whom God has mentioned that they will be substituted for us if we turn back and will not be like us?" He struck Salman al-Farisi on the thigh and said, "This man and his people. If the religion were in the Pleiades men from among the Persians would attain to it." *Quran 47:38 Tirmidhi transmitted it.

He told that when the foreigners were mentioned in the presence of God's messenger he said, "I have more trust in them (or, in some of them) than I have in you (or, in some of you.)" Tirmidhi transmitted it.

`Ali reported God's messenger as saying, "Every prophet has seven eminent men who are guardians, but I have been given fourteen." `Ali was asked who they were and replied, "I, my two sons, Ja'far, Hamza, Abu Bakr, `Umar, Mus'ab b. `Umair, Bilal, Salman, `Ammar, `Abdallah b. Mas`ud Abu Dharr and al-Miqdad." Tirmidhi transmitted it.

`Ammar b. Yasir and I had words, and when I spoke roughly to him, he went to God's messenger and complained to him of me. Khalid[*] came when he was complaining to the Prophet and began to speak roughly to him, with the result that he made him all the more angry. The Prophet meanwhile kept silent without speaking a word, so `Ammar wept and said, "Messenger of God, do you not see him?" The Prophet then raised his head and said, "He who is hostile to `Ammar is hostile to God and he who hates `Ammar is hated by God." Khalid said: I then went out, and there was nothing dearer to me than 'Ammar's goodwill, so I treated him in a manner pleasing to him and he was well pleased. Abu `Ubaida told that he heard God's messenger say, "Khalid is one of the swords of God who is great and glorious, and he is the fine warrior of the tribe." *Here the narrator of the tradition seems to take over the story till near the end where Khalid himself is again the speaker. Ahmad transmitted the two traditions.

Buraida reported God's messenger as saying, "God who is blessed and exalted has commanded me to love four people, and He has informed me that He loves them." He was asked to name them and said, "`Ali is one of them (saying that three times), also Abu Dharr, al-Miqdad and Salman. He has commanded me to love them, and He has informed me that He loves them." Tirmidhi transmitted it, saying this is a hasan gharib tradition.

Jabir told that `Umar used to say, "Abu Bakr is our chief, and he manumitted our chief," meaning Bilal. Bukhari transmitted it.

Qais b. Abu Hazim told that Bilal said to Abu Bakr, "If you bought me only for your own sake keep me, but if you bought me only for God's sake let me go and undertake God's work." Bukhari transmitted it.

Abu Huraira told that when a man came to God's messenger and told him he was suffering from distress he sent a message to one of his wives who said, "I swear by Him who sent you with the truth that I have nothing but water. He sent to another who said the same, and when they had all said the same God's messenger said, "Who will provide entertainment for him? God have mercy on him!" One of the Ansar called Abu Talha got up and said, "I shall, messenger of God." He then, took him to his house and asked his wife if she had anything, and when she replied that they had nothing but the children's food he said, "Put them off with something and put them to sleep. Then when our guest enters make him think we are eating, and when he puts forward his hand to eat get up, go to the lamp to adjust it, and put it out." She did so and they sat down, and the guest ate but they spent the night hungry. In the morning he came to God's messenger who said, "God is charmed with (or, has smiled on) such and such a man and such and such a woman." A version has the same without his naming Abu Talha, and at the end it says that God most high then sent down, "And they give preference to others over themselves even though they are suffering poverty[*]." *Quran; 59:9. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

We alighted at a camping-place along with God's messenger, and when the people began to pass, he was asking, "Who is this, Abu Huraira?" and I would tell him it was so and so. He would then say, "This is a good servant of God.' He would ask about another, and when I told him he was so and so he said, "This is a bad servant of God." This went on till Khalid b. al-Walid passed by, and when he asked who he was and I replied that he was Khalid b. al-Walid, he said, "Khalid b. al-Walid is a good servant of God; he is one of God's swords." Tirmidhi transmitted it.

Zaid b. Arqam told that when the Ansar said, "Prophet of God, every prophet has followers and we have followed you, so beseech God to appoint that our followers should be of our stock," he did so. Bukhari transmitted it.

We know no clan of the Arabs which will have more martyrs or be more exalted on the day of resurrection than the Ansar. He told that Anas said seventy of them were killed at the battle of Uhud, seventy at the battle of Bi'r Ma'una[1], and seventy at the battle of al-Yamama[2] in the time of Abu Bakr. 1. In Safar, 4 A.H. 2. 11 A.H., when Musailima was killed. Bukhari transmitted it.

`Umar b. al-Khattab reported God's messenger as saying, "A man called Uwais will come to you from the Yemen leaving there only a mother. He had been afflicted by leprosy and made supplication to God who removed it all except to the extent of a dinar (or dirham). If any of you meet him let him ask forgiveness for you." In a version he told that he heard God's messenger say, "The best of the Followers will be a man called Uwais who has a mother and has been afflicted by leprosy. Tell him he must ask forgiveness for you." Muslim transmitted it.

Abu Huraira reported the Prophet as saying, "The people of the Yemen have come to you. -They have the tenderest minds and gentlest hearts. Faith belongs to the Yemen and wisdom belongs to the Yemen; boasting and pride are to be found among the owners of camels, and calm deportment and gravity among the owners of sheep." (Bukhari and Muslim.)

He reported God's messenger as saying, "The fountain-head of unbelief is towards the east; boasting and pride are to be found among owners of horses and camels and husbandmen[*] who live in camel-hair tents; but calm deportment is to be found among the owners of sheep." *The word faddadun means either husbandmen or `camel-drivers. The former seems the more appropriate here as owners of camels have already been mentioned. Cf. Mirqat, 5: 649. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Mas'ud al-Ansari reported the Prophet as saying, "From here I (indicating the east) dissensions have come, and roughness and harsh hearts are to be found among the husbandmen who live in camel-hair tents who walk behind camels and oxen among Rabi'a and Mudar. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Jabir reported God's messenger as saying, "Harsh hearts and roughness are to be found in the east, but faith among the people of the Hijaz." Muslim transmitted it.

0 God, bless us in our Yemen." Those present said, "And in our Najd, messenger of God," but he said, "O God, bless us in our Syria; 0 God, bless us in our Yemen." Those present said, "And in our Najd, messenger of God." Ibn `Umar told that he thought he said on the third occasion, "Earthquakes and dissensions are here, and the horn of the devil will arise in it." Bukhari transmitted it.

Anas quoted Zaid b. Thabit who told that the Prophet looked towards the Yemen and said, "O God, turn their hearts towards us, and bless us in our sa' and our mudd." Tirmidhi transmitted it.

Zaid b. Thabit told that God's messenger said, "Blessed is Syria," and when his hearers asked him why that was, he replied, "Because the angels of the Compassionate One are spreading their wings over it." Ahmad and Tirmidhi transmitted it.

`Abdallah b. `Umar reported God's messenger as saying, "A fire will issue from the direction of Hadramaut (or, from Hadramaut) and assemble mankind." He was asked what he commanded them to do and replied, "Go to Syria." Tirmidhi transmitted it.

`Abdallah b. `Amr b. al-`As told that he heard God's messenger say, "There will be emigration after emigration, and the people who are best will be those who go to the places to which Abraham emigrated." A version has "The best people on the earth are those who cleave most closely to the places to which Abraham emigrated. The worst of its people will remain in the earth, cast out by their lands, abhorred by God, collected along with apes and swine by fire[*] which will spend the night and midday where they are in their company." *This is explained as the fire of civil strife. Cf. Mirqat, v. 652 AbuDawud transmitted it.

Ibn Hawala reported God's messenger as saying, "It will turn out tha t you will be armed troops, one in Syria, one in the Yemen, and one in al-`Iraq." Ibn Hawala said, "Choose for me, messenger of God, if I reach that time." He replied, "Go to Syria, for it is God's chosen land to which His best servants will be gathered; but if you are unwilling, go to your Yemen and draw water from your tanks, for God who is great and glorious has on my account taken special charge of Syria and its people." Ahmad and Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Shuraih b. `Ubaid told that when the people of Syria were mentioned in `Ali's presence and someone said, "Curse them, commander of the faithful," he refused, saying he had heard God's messenger say, "The substitutes[*], a body of forty men, will be in Syria, and as often as one dies God will put another in his place. By virtue of them rain will be provided, by virtue of them help will be sought against enemies, and by virtue of them affliction will be averted from the Syrians." One of the Companions reported God's messenger as saying, "Syria will be conquered, and when you are given your choice of places in which to settle go on a city called Damascus, for it will be the fortress of the Muslims to protect them in the wars during which it will be a place of assembly. In its neighbourhood there is some land called al-Ghuta." *al-abdal. These belong to one of the degrees of the Sufi hierarchy of saints. There are different views as to their number. This tradition would seem to support the view which holds that there are 70. forty in Syria and thirty elsewhere. They presumably get their title because every vacancy in their number is immediately filled. Ahmad transmitted the two traditions.

Abu Huraira reported God's messenger as saying, "The Caliphate will be in Medina and the kingdom in Syria." `Umar reported God's messenger as saying, "I saw a pillar of light which came forth from under my head and spread till it settled in Syria." Baihaqi transmitted the two traditions in Dala'il an-nubuwa.

Abud Darda' reported God's messenger as saying, "The place of assembly of the-Muslims at the time of the war will be in al-Ghuta near a city called Damascus, one of the best cities of Syria." Aba Dawud transmitted it.

`Abd ar-Rahman b. Sulaiman said that a king of the foreigners will come and prevail over all the cities except Damascus. Abu Dawud transmitted it.