88/6. Chapter:
Sahih Bukhari 6930 — Truth in Hadith
Killing Al-Khawarij and Al-Mulhidun
وَقَوْلِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى: {وَمَا كَانَ اللَّهُ لِيُضِلَّ قَوْمًا بَعْدَ إِذْ هَدَاهُمْ حَتَّى يُبَيِّنَ لَهُمْ مَا يَتَّقُونَ}. وَكَانَ ابْنُ عُمَرَ يَرَاهُمْ شِرَارَ خَلْقِ اللَّهِ وَقَالَ إِنَّهُمُ انْطَلَقُوا إِلَى آيَاتٍ نَزَلَتْ فِي الْكُفَّارِ فَجَعَلُوهَا عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ.
Hadith About Truth in Narration and Empty Faith
Sahih Bukhari : 6930
Sahih BukhariHadith Number 6930
حَدَّثَنَا عُمَرُ بْنُ حَفْصِ بْنِ غِيَاثٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي، حَدَّثَنَا الأَعْمَشُ، حَدَّثَنَا خَيْثَمَةُ، حَدَّثَنَا سُوَيْدُ بْنُ غَفَلَةَ، قَالَ عَلِيٌّ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ إِذَا حَدَّثْتُكُمْ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم حَدِيثًا فَوَاللَّهِ، لأَنْ أَخِرَّ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ أَحَبُّ إِلَىَّ مِنْ أَنْ أَكْذِبَ عَلَيْهِ، وَإِذَا حَدَّثْتُكُمْ فِيمَا بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَكُمْ فَإِنَّ الْحَرْبَ خَدْعَةٌ، وَإِنِّي سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ " سَيَخْرُجُ قَوْمٌ فِي آخِرِ الزَّمَانِ، حُدَّاثُ الأَسْنَانِ، سُفَهَاءُ الأَحْلاَمِ، يَقُولُونَ مِنْ خَيْرِ قَوْلِ الْبَرِيَّةِ، لاَ يُجَاوِزُ إِيمَانُهُمْ حَنَاجِرَهُمْ، يَمْرُقُونَ مِنَ الدِّينِ كَمَا يَمْرُقُ السَّهْمُ مِنَ الرَّمِيَّةِ، فَأَيْنَمَا لَقِيتُمُوهُمْ فَاقْتُلُوهُمْ، فَإِنَّ فِي قَتْلِهِمْ أَجْرًا لِمَنْ قَتَلَهُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ ".
'Ali Narrated from:
Whenever I tell you a narration from Allah's Messenger (ﷺ), by Allah, I would rather fall down from the sky than ascribe a false statement to him, but if I tell you something between me and you (not a Hadith) then it was indeed a trick (i.e., I may say things just to cheat my enemy).No doubt I heard Allah's Apostle saying, "During the last days there will appear some young foolish people who will say the best words but their faith will not go beyond their throats (i.e. they will have no faith) and will go out from (leave) their religion as an arrow goes out of the game. So, where-ever you find them, kill them, for who-ever kills them shall have reward on the Day of Resurrection."
Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 6930In-book reference : Book 88, Hadith 12USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 9, Book 84, Hadith 64
Summary of Sahih Bukhari Hadith 6930
This hadith shows how serious it is to speak truthfully when narrating from Allah's Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم). Ali says he would rather fall from the sky than falsely attribute words to the Prophet. This gives a clear lesson about hadith authenticity, truth in speech, and fear of lying about the Prophet. The narration then warns about a group appearing in the last days. They will use good religious words, but their faith will not pass beyond their throats. In simple terms, their speech may sound religious, but the hadith describes a deep gap between words and real faith. The core message is to respect truthful narration and to understand that outward speech alone is not enough.
What we learn from this hadith
- Lying about the Prophet is treated with extreme seriousness.
- Good words alone do not prove true faith.
- Religious speech must be joined with sincere belief.
- Ali clearly separated prophetic narration from ordinary personal speech.
