Hadith on Times of Conflict and Civil War

From the Editor

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Hadith on Times of Conflict and Civil War

As civil war and terrorism wreak havoc on Muslim countries, some words of the Prophet addressing how Muslims should behave in times of fitna (chaos, civil war, conflict). Most of these hadith are selected from the collection of abu Dawud, a hadith scholar whose books are amongst the sahih-sitta (six books of Prophetic Traditions considered most authentic) and while they immediately addressed the conflicts that fell upon the Arab and Muslim world in the period shortly after the passing of the Prophet, they are immediately and sadly relevant to the world we live in today.

Narrated Abu Hurayrah: The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: There will be civil strife (fitnah) which will render people deaf, dumb and blind regarding what is right. Those who contemplate it will be drawn by it, and giving rein to the tongue during it will be like smiting with the sword. (Abu Dawud)

Narrated Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-'As: The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: There will be civil strife which wipe out the Arabs, and their slain will go to Hell. During it the tongue will be more severe than blows of the sword. (Abu Dawud)

The Apostle of Allah (peace be upon him) said: There will be a period of fitna in which the one who lies down will be better than the one who sits, and the one who sits is better than the one who stands, and the one who stands is better than the one who walks, and the one who walks is better than the one who runs (to it).

Narrated Abu Musa al-Ash'ari: The Apostle of Allah (peace be upon him) said: Before the Last Hour there will be fitna like pieces of a dark night in which a man will be a believer in the morning and an infidel in the evening, or a believer in the evening and infidel in the morning. He who sits during them will be better than he who gets up and he who walks during them is better than he who runs. So break your bows, cut your bowstrings and strike your swords on stones. If people then come in to one of you, let him be like the better of Adam's two sons. (Abu Dawud)

Narrated Abu Bakrah: The Apostle of Allah (peace be upon him) said: There will be a period of fitna in which the one who lies down will be better than the one who sits, and the one who sits is better than the one who stands, and the one who stands is better than the one who walks, and the one who walks is better than the one who runs (to it). He asked: What do you command me to do, Apostle of Allah? He replied: He who has camels should remain with his camels, he who has sheep should remain with his sheep, and he who has land should remain with his land. He asked: If anyone has more of these, (what should he do)? He replied: He should take his sword, strike its edge on a stone, and then escape if he can.

This version adds: He (the Prophet) said: All their slain will go to Hell. I (Wabisah) asked: When will this happen Ibn Mas'ud? He replied: This is the period of turmoil (harj) when a man will not be safe from his associates. I asked: What do you command me (to do) if I happen to live during that period? He replied: You should restrain your tongue and hand and stay at home. When Uthman was slain, I recollected this tradition. I then rode (on a camel) and came to Damascus. There I met Khuraym ibn Fatik and mentioned this tradition to him. He swore by Allah, there was no god but He, he had heard it from the Apostle of Allah (peace be upon him), as Ibn Mas'ud transmitted it to me. (Abu Dawud)

Upon hearing all of these, the companions, may Allahu ta'ala be well pleased with them, asked Rasulullah, peace be upon him, as to how the Muslims of that time should behave. In response he said, "Be like furniture in your house!" In another narration he said, "At such times of instigation, do not depart from your homes!" [This hadith exists in the hadith books Abu Dawud and Tirmidhi.]

Narrated Abu Musa: The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: This people of mine is one to which mercy is shown. It will have no punishment in the next world, but its punishment in this world will be trials, earthquakes and being killed. (Abu Dawud)

Narrated Al-Miqdad ibn al-Aswad: I swear by Allah, I heard the Apostle of Allah (peace be upon him) say: The happy man is he who avoids fitna: happy is the man who avoids fitna; happy is the man who avoids fitna: but how fine is the man who is afflicted and shows endurance. (Abu Dawud)

Hadith of The Day

عن أبي هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه قَالَ:
قَبَّلَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم الْحَسَنَ بْنَ عَلِيٍّ وَعِنْدَهُ الأَقْرَعُ بْنُ حَابِسٍ التَّمِيمِيُّ جَالِسًا‏.‏ فَقَالَ الأَقْرَعُ إِنَّ لِي عَشَرَةً مِنَ الْوَلَدِ مَا قَبَّلْتُ مِنْهُمْ أَحَدًا‏.‏ فَنَظَرَ إِلَيْهِ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ثُمَّ قَالَ ‏"‏ مَنْ لاَ يَرْحَمُ لاَ يُرْحَمُ ‏"‏‏

God's Messenger kissed Al-Hasan bin Ali (his grandchild) while Al-Aqra' bin Habis At-Tamim was sitting beside him. Al-Aqra said, "I have ten children and I have never kissed anyone of them", God's Messenger cast a look at him and said, "Whoever is not merciful to others will not be treated mercifully." (Bukhari, Good Manners and Form (Al-Adab), 18)