{"fatawa":{"id":7628,"title":"Hadith about the conquest of India","slug":"hadith-about-the-conquest-of-india","order":"","question":"There is a hadith that speaks about the conquest of India and says that whoever participates in this conquest will enter Paradise. I would like to know how sound this hadith is, and the reference, the chain of narrators and the commentary on it in detail. May Allah reward you with good.","answer":"Praise be to Allah.\r\n\r\nFirstly: \r\n\r\nThe hadiths that speak of the conquest of India are as follows: \r\n\r\n-1-\r\n\r\nIt was narrated that Thawbaan, the freed slave of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: \u201cThere are two groups of my ummah whom Allah will protect from the Fire: a group who will conquer India, and a group who will be with \u2018Eesaa ibn Maryam (peace be upon him).\u201d \r\n\r\nNarrated by an-Nasaa\u2019i (no. 3175) and Imam Ahmad in al-Musnad (37\/81), Mu\u2019sasat ar-Risaalah edn. Classed as hasan by the commentators on al-Musnad. Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in as-Silsilah as-Saheehah (no. 1934) \r\n\r\n-2-\r\n\r\nIt was narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) promised us that we would conquer India, so if I am martyred I will be among the best of the martyrs, and if I return then I am Abu Hurayrah the freed (protected from Hellfire). \r\n\r\nThis hadith was narrated via three isnaads from Abu Hurayrah. \r\n\r\nThe first isnaad is from Jibr ibn \u2018Ubaydah, from Abu Hurayrah \r\n\r\nIt was narrated by Imam Ahmad in al-Musnad (12\/28) and others. This is a da\u2018eef (weak) isnaad because of Jibr ibn \u2018Ubaydah. No one narrated from him except one narrator whose name was Sayyaar ibn al-Hakam, and no one regarded him as thiqah (trustworthy). Rather he was mentioned only in passing by Ibn Hibbaan in ath-Thiqaat. Hence Imam adh-Dhahabi said: It is not known who he was, and the report is odd. End quote. \r\n\r\nSee: Tahdheeb at-Tahdheeb (2\/59). \r\n\r\nThe second isnaad is al-Bara\u2019 ibn \u2018Abdullah al-Ghanawi, from al-Hasan al-Basri, from Abu Hurayrah, who said: \r\n\r\nMy close friend, the truthful one, the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) told me: \u201cAmong this ummah there will be an expedition to Sindh and India.\u201d If I live to see it and am martyred, all well and good, and if I \u2013 and he said some word \u2013 return, I am Abu Hurayrah the freed, I will be ransomed from the Fire. \r\n\r\nNarrated by an-Nasaa\u2019i in as-Sunan (no. 3173) and by Ahmad in al-Musnad (14\/419). But it is also a da\u2018eef isnaad, because of al-Bara\u2019 ibn \u2018Abdullah al-Ghanawi concerning whom the critics were unanimously agreed that his hadith is layyin (a kind of weak hadith), as it says in Tahdheeb at-Tahdheeb (1\/427). Moreover, there is an interruption in the isnaad between al-Hasan al-Basri and Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him). \r\n\r\nThe third isnaad is Haashim ibn Sa\u2018eed, from Kinaanah ibn Nabeeh, from Abu Hurayrah. \r\n\r\nThis was narrated by Ibn Abi \u2018Aasim in al-Jihaad (no. 247), but it is also a da\u2018eef isnaad because of Haashim ibn Sa\u2018eed, concerning whom Ibn Ma\u2018een said: He is nothing. Abu Haatim said: His hadith is da\u2018eef. See: Tahdheeb at-Tahdheeb (11\/17). \r\n\r\nThe fourth isnaad is from Safwaan ibn \u2018Amr, from one of his shaykhs, from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said \u2013 and he mentioned India \u2013 then he said: \u201cAn army of yours will invade India and Allah will grant its conquest to them, until they bring their kings in chains, and Allah will forgive them their sins. Then they will return and when they return, they will find the son of Maryam in ash-Shaam (Syria).\u201d Abu Hurayrah said: If I live to see that campaign, I will sell everything I possess and join the campaign. Then if Allah grants us victory and we return, then I will be Abu Hurayrah the freed (protected from Hellfire). And when we return to Syria we will find there \u2018Eesa ibn Maryam. Then I shall make sure that I draw close to him and tell him that I accompanied you, O Messenger of Allah. The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) smiled and said: \u201cUnlikely, unlikely.\u201d [very difficult?]  \r\n\r\nNarrated by Na\u2018eem ibn Hammaad in al-Fitan (p. 409). Its isnaad includes a narrator who was ambiguous about his narration from Abu Hurayrah. Its isnaad also includes Baqiyyah ibn al-Waleed who is mudallis and narrated by saying \u2018an (\u201cfrom\u201d). \r\n\r\n-3-\r\n\r\nThe third hadith is: \r\n\r\n\u201cSome people of my ummah will invade India and Allah will enable them to conquer it, until they bring the kings of India in chains, and Allah will forgive them their sins. Then they will return to ash-Shaam (Syria) and they will find \u2018Eesa ibn Maryam in Syria.\u201d \r\n\r\nNarrated by Na\u2018eem ibn Hammaad in al-Fitan (p. 399). He said: al-Waleed told us, from Safwaan ibn \u2018Amr, from someone who told him, from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). \r\n\r\nThis isnaad is obviously da\u2018eef, because al-Waleed ibn Muslim narrated it by saying \u2018an (\u201cfrom\u201d). It also appears to be mursal, because there is no indication that the one who told Safwaan ibn \u2018Amr heard it from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) or that he was a Sahaabi. \r\n\r\nSo to sum up: the hadith of Thawbaan is the one that is saheeh concerning the conquest of India. As for the hadith of Abu Hurayrah, most of its isnaads are da\u2018eef (weak). And Allah knows best. \r\n\r\nSecondly: \r\n\r\nWhat appears to be the case from the apparent meaning of the hadith of Thawbaan and the hadith of Abu Hurayrah \u2013 if it is saheeh \u2013 is that the conquest of India referred to will occur at the end of time, and at a time close to the descent of \u2018Eesa ibn Maryam (peace be upon him), not at a time that was close to the era of Mu\u2018aawiyah ibn Abi Sufyaan (may Allah be pleased with him). \r\n\r\nAl-Haafiz Ibn Katheer (may Allah be pleased with him) said: \r\n\r\nThe Muslims invaded India at the time of Mu\u2018aawiyah, in 44 AH, and there occurred things which will be explained below. It was also invaded by the great ruler Mahmoud ibn Sabuktagin, the ruler of Ghaznah who conquered India around 400 AH. He invaded the land, where he killed, took prisoners, and captured booty. He entered Somnath where he broke the greatest idol that they used to worship, and he captured its swords and necklaces. Then he returned, safe and victorious. End quote. \r\n\r\nAl-Bidaayah wa\u2019n-Nihaayah (6\/223) \r\n\r\nHence al-\u2018Allaamah Hammood at-Tuwaijri (may Allah have mercy on him) said: \r\n\r\nWhat is mentioned in the hadith of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah have mercy on him), which was narrated by Na\u2018eem ibn Hammaad, about the conquest of India has not happened up till now, but it will happen when \u2018Eesaa ibn Maryam (peace be upon him) descends, if the hadith that says that is saheeh. And Allah knows best. End quote. \r\n\r\nIthaaf al-Jamaa\u2018ah (1\/366) \r\n\r\nAnd Allah knows best.\r\n\r\nIslam Q&A","status":1,"created_at":"2014-10-27T20:51:56.000000Z","updated_at":"2014-10-27T20:51:56.000000Z","language_id":1,"fatawacate_id":32,"parent_id":7627,"author_id":"","books":[],"articles":[],"videos":[],"audios":[],"author_name":"","category_name":"\u0627\u0644\u0623\u062d\u0627\u062f\u064a\u062b \u0627\u0644\u0636\u0639\u064a\u0641\u0629","category_slug":"","get_date":"2014-10-27"},"translations":[],"fatawa_books":[],"fatawa_articles":[],"fatawa_videos":[],"fatawa_audios":[],"url":"http:\/\/www.islamland.com\/eng\/api\/fatawas\/7628"}