64/64. Chapter:
Sahih Bukhari 4359 — Choosing Leaders and Avoiding Rule by Sword
The departure of Jarir to Yemen
Hadith About Leadership After the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم
Sahih Bukhari : 4359
Sahih BukhariHadith Number 4359
حَدَّثَنِي عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ الْعَبْسِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ إِدْرِيسَ، عَنْ إِسْمَاعِيلَ بْنِ أَبِي خَالِدٍ، عَنْ قَيْسٍ، عَنْ جَرِيرٍ، قَالَ كُنْتُ بِالْبَحْرِ فَلَقِيتُ رَجُلَيْنِ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْيَمَنِ ذَا كَلاَعٍ وَذَا عَمْرٍو، فَجَعَلْتُ أُحَدِّثُهُمْ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ لَهُ ذُو عَمْرٍو لَئِنْ كَانَ الَّذِي تَذْكُرُ مِنْ أَمْرِ صَاحِبِكَ، لَقَدْ مَرَّ عَلَى أَجَلِهِ مُنْذُ ثَلاَثٍ. وَأَقْبَلاَ مَعِي حَتَّى إِذَا كُنَّا فِي بَعْضِ الطَّرِيقِ رُفِعَ لَنَا رَكْبٌ مِنْ قِبَلِ الْمَدِينَةِ فَسَأَلْنَاهُمْ فَقَالُوا قُبِضَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَاسْتُخْلِفَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ وَالنَّاسُ صَالِحُونَ. فَقَالاَ أَخْبِرْ صَاحِبَكَ أَنَّا قَدْ جِئْنَا وَلَعَلَّنَا سَنَعُودُ إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ، وَرَجَعَا إِلَى الْيَمَنِ فَأَخْبَرْتُ أَبَا بَكْرٍ بِحَدِيثِهِمْ قَالَ أَفَلاَ جِئْتَ بِهِمْ. فَلَمَّا كَانَ بَعْدُ قَالَ لِي ذُو عَمْرٍو يَا جَرِيرُ إِنَّ بِكَ عَلَىَّ كَرَامَةً، وَإِنِّي مُخْبِرُكَ خَبَرًا، إِنَّكُمْ مَعْشَرَ الْعَرَبِ لَنْ تَزَالُوا بِخَيْرٍ مَا كُنْتُمْ إِذَا هَلَكَ أَمِيرٌ تَأَمَّرْتُمْ فِي آخَرَ، فَإِذَا كَانَتْ بِالسَّيْفِ كَانُوا مُلُوكًا يَغْضَبُونَ غَضَبَ الْمُلُوكِ وَيَرْضَوْنَ رِضَا الْمُلُوكِ.
Jarir Narrated from:
While I was at Yemen, I met two men from Yemen called Dhu Kala and Dhu `Amr, and I started telling them about Allah's Messenger (ﷺ). Dhu `Amr said to me, "If what you are saying about your friend (i.e. the Prophet) is true, then he has died three days ago."Then both of them accompanied me to Medina, and when we had covered some distance on the way to Medina, we saw some riders coming from Medina. We asked them and they said, "Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) has died and Abu Bakr has been appointed as the Caliph and the people are in a good state.' Then they said, "Tell your friend (Abu Bakr) that we have come (to visit him), and if Allah will, we will come again." So they both returned to Yemen. When I told Abu Bakr their statement, he said to me, "I wish you had brought them (to me)."Afterwards I met Dhu `Amr, and he said to me, "O Jarir! You have done a favor to me and I am going to tell you something, i.e. you, the nation of 'Arabs, will remain prosperous as long as you choose and appoint another chief whenever a former one is dead. But if authority is obtained by the power of the sword, then the rulers will become kings who will get angry, as kings get angry, and will be delighted as kings get delighted."
Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 4359In-book reference : Book 64, Hadith 385USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 5, Book 59, Hadith 645
Summary of Sahih Bukhari Hadith 4359
This hadith about leadership after the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم tells of Jarir meeting two men from Yemen, Dhu Kala and Dhu Amr. Jarir spoke to them about the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم. On the way to Madinah they heard from riders that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم had died, Abu Bakr had been appointed as caliph, and the people were in a good state. Later Dhu Amr told Jarir that the Arabs would remain in good condition as long as, when one leader died, they appointed another. He warned that if authority came through the sword, rulers would act like kings in anger and pleasure. The core topic is leadership, order, and avoiding power taken by force.
What we learn from this hadith
- News of the Prophet’s صلى الله عليه وسلم death and Abu Bakr’s appointment is central to the report.
- The narration values orderly appointment after a leader dies.
- Dhu Amr warned about authority gained by the sword.
- Power can change behavior when it becomes like kingship.
