33/1. Chapter:
Sahih Muslim 1821b — Twelve Rulers
The people follow the Quraish and the Caliphate belongs to the Quraish
Hadith About Twelve Men Governing from Quraish
Sahih Muslim : 1821b
Sahih MuslimHadith Number 1821b
حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي عُمَرَ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الْمَلِكِ بْنِ عُمَيْرٍ، عَنْ جَابِرِ بْنِ سَمُرَةَ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ " لاَ يَزَالُ أَمْرُ النَّاسِ مَاضِيًا مَا وَلِيَهُمُ اثْنَا عَشَرَ رَجُلاً " . ثُمَّ تَكَلَّمَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم بِكَلِمَةٍ خَفِيَتْ عَلَىَّ فَسَأَلْتُ أَبِي مَاذَا قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ " كُلُّهُمْ مِنْ قُرَيْشٍ " .
Jabir bin Samurah Narrated from:
I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: The affairs of the people will continue to be conducted (well) as long as they are governed by twelve men. Then the Prophet (ﷺ) said words which were obscure to me. I asked my father: What did the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say? He said: All of the (twelve men) will be from the Quraish.
Reference : Sahih Muslim 1821bIn-book reference : Book 33, Hadith 6USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 20, Hadith 4478
Summary of Sahih Muslim Hadith 1821b
This hadith about twelve men from Quraish speaks about public affairs and leadership. Jabir b. Samura heard the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) say that the affairs of the people would continue to be conducted as long as they were governed by twelve men. The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) then said a word that was unclear to the narrator. When he asked his father, his father said the words were: all of them will be from Quraish. The hadith uses simple wording but needs careful handling. It does not give names, dates, or a full explanation of events. Its focus is on twelve leaders and their connection to Quraish.
What we learn from this hadith
- The hadith connects public affairs with twelve leaders.
- The father clarified the hidden phrase as: all of them are from Quraish.
- The narration should not be turned into details not found in the text.
- Asking for clarification is shown as a sound way to preserve meaning.
