54/6. Chapter:
Sahih Muslim 2891a — Hudhaifa's Knowledge of Turmoil
The Prophet's Foretelling Of What Will Happen Until The Hour Begins
Hadith About Hudhaifa and Coming Fitnah
Sahih Muslim : 2891a
Sahih MuslimHadith Number 2891a
حَدَّثَنِي حَرْمَلَةُ بْنُ يَحْيَى التُّجِيبِيُّ، أَخْبَرَنَا ابْنُ وَهْبٍ، أَخْبَرَنِي يُونُسُ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، أَنَّ أَبَا إِدْرِيسَ الْخَوْلاَنِيَّ، كَانَ يَقُولُ قَالَ حُذَيْفَةُ بْنُ الْيَمَانِ وَاللَّهِ إِنِّي لأَعْلَمُ النَّاسِ بِكُلِّ فِتْنَةٍ هِيَ كَائِنَةٌ فِيمَا بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَ السَّاعَةِ وَمَا بِي إِلاَّ أَنْ يَكُونَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَسَرَّ إِلَىَّ فِي ذَلِكَ شَيْئًا لَمْ يُحَدِّثْهُ غَيْرِي وَلَكِنْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ وَهُوَ يُحَدِّثُ مَجْلِسًا أَنَا فِيهِ عَنِ الْفِتَنِ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَهُوَ يَعُدُّ الْفِتَنَ " مِنْهُنَّ ثَلاَثٌ لاَ يَكَدْنَ يَذَرْنَ شَيْئًا وَمِنْهُنَّ فِتَنٌ كَرِيَاحِ الصَّيْفِ مِنْهَا صِغَارٌ وَمِنْهَا كِبَارٌ " . قَالَ حُذَيْفَةُ فَذَهَبَ أُولَئِكَ الرَّهْطُ كُلُّهُمْ غَيْرِي .
Hudhaifah bin Al-Yaman Narrated from:
By Allah, I have the best knowledge amongst people about every turmoil which is going to appear in the period intervening me and the Last Hour; and it is not for the fact that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) told me something confidentially pertaining to it and he did not tell anybody else about it, but it is because of the fact that I was present in the assembly in which he had been describing the turmoil. and he especially made a mention of three turmoils which would not spare anything and amongst these there would be turmoils like storms in the hot season.Some of them would be violent and some of them would be comparatively mild. Hudhaifa said: All (who were present) except I have gone (to the next world).
Reference : Sahih Muslim 2891aIn-book reference : Book 54, Hadith 28USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 41, Hadith 6908
Summary of Sahih Muslim Hadith 2891a
This hadith about fitnah records Hudhaifa b. al-Yaman speaking about his knowledge of future turmoil up to the Last Hour. He made it clear that this was not because the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم told him a private secret that no one else heard. Rather, he was present in a gathering where the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم described the turmoils. The report mentions three turmoils that would hardly leave anything, and other turmoils like summer winds, some small and some large. The text teaches that Hudhaifa’s knowledge came from hearing and remembering what was taught. It also shows that fitnah can differ in size and force.
What we learn from this hadith
- Hudhaifa linked his knowledge to a public gathering he attended.
- The hadith mentions severe turmoils and others of different levels.
- Not every fitnah is the same in size or effect.
- Remembering prophetic teaching helped Hudhaifa understand later events.
