Mouood Mouood English Edition
Al-Hakim comments:
This hadith has a sahih chain but they (i.e. al-Bukhari and Muslim) both have not recorded it.5
Imam al-Dhahabi (d. 748 H) agrees:
Sahih6
While analyzing this same hadith, ‘Allamah al-Albani (d. 1420 H) says:
Al-Hakim recorded it in al-Mustadrak … and said: “It has a sahih chain but they both have not recorded it” and al-Dhahabi agreed with him. I say: It is as they both have said (i.e. it truly has a sahih chain).7
In other words, the awliya of Allah will have ranks and positions on the Day of al-Qiyamah which even prophets and martyrs will envy.
It must be noted that “envy” in Arabic is of two types: al-hasad and al-ghabṭ. Imam Ibn al-Athir (d. 606 H), a top Sunni hadith linguist, explains both:
Al-Hasad: a man sees a blessing of his brother and wishes that he (i.e. his brother) loses it and it becomes his own instead.
Al-Ghabṭ: to wish to have the like of it (i.e. the blessing of his brother) without wishing that he (i.e. the brother) loses it.8
The hadith has adopted the second word to describe the envy of the prophets and martyrs. Therefore, it is the good envy, and not the sinful type. The prophets and martyrs will wish to also have the like of the ranks of the awliya on the Day of al-Qiyamah, along with them. It is apparent from the hadith that the prophets and martyrs will not be able to reach the level of the awliya – in terms of status and nearness to Allah – and will wish to do so. This confirms absolutely the superiority of these awliya over the prophets and martyrs.
Imam Abu Dawud (d. 275 H) as well documents:
Zuhayr b. Harb and ‘Uthman b. Abi Shaybah – Jarir – ‘Amarah b. al-Qa’qa’ – Abu Zur’ah b. ‘Amr b. Jarir – ‘Umar b. al-Khaṭṭab:
The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: “Verily, among the worshippers of Allah are people who are neither prophets nor martyrs. The prophets and the martyrs will envy them on the Day of al-Qiyamah DUE TO THEIR POSITION TO ALLAH THE MOST HIGH.” They asked, “O Messenger of Allah, inform us about them?” He replied,“They are a people who love one another with the Spirit of Allah, despite that they are not related by blood and do not give wealth to one another. I swear by Allah, their faces surely will be light, and they will be upon light. They will not fear when the people will fear, and they will not grieve when the people grieve.” Then, he recited this verse {No doubt! Verily, the awliya of Allah, no fear shall come upon them nor shall they grieve}.9
And al-Albani declares:
Sahih10
This shows that they will have a “position” to Allah which the prophets and martyrs will lack. Imam Abu Ya’la (d. 307 H) has a similar hadith too:
‘Abd al-Rahman b. Salih al-Azdi – Muhammad b. Fudhayl – ‘Amarah– Abu Zur’ah – Abu Hurayrah:
The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: “Verily, there are certain worshippers of Allah. The prophets and martyrs will envy them.” It was said,“Who are they, so that we may love them?” He replied, “They are a people who love one another with the Light of Allah, despite having no blood relationship. Their faces will be light, and they will be upon pulpits of light. They will not fear if the people fear and they will not grieve if the people grieve.”Then he recited {No doubt! Verily, the awliya of Allah, no fear shall come upon them nor shall they grieve} [Yunus: 62]11
Dr. Asad says:
Its chain is sahih12
‘Allamah al-Albani also submits concerning the riwayah:
I say: Its chain is sahih upon the standard of the two Shaykhs.13
Elsewhere, the ‘Allamah says about this same hadith:
Sahih14
And Shaykh al-Arnauṭconcurs with him:
Its chain is sahih15
With this, it is clear that the Messenger of Allah declared some awliya to be superior in rank above prophets and martyrs. This means that ‘Isa’s nubuwwah is not sufficient evidence of his alleged superiority over Imam al-Mahdi. Moreover, Allah Himself will “send” the Mahdi to be the Imam and amir – and therefore the best – of some of those same awliya whose status with Allah will make prophets and martyrs envy them on the Day of al-Qiyamah.
1. Abu al-‘Abbas Ahmad b. ‘Abd al-Halim b. Taymiyyah al-Harrani, Minhaj al-Sunnah al-Nabawiyyah (Muasassat Qurṭubah; 1st edition, 1406 H) [annotator: Dr. Muhammad Rashad Salim], vol. 8, p. 565
2. Qur’an 6:83-86
3. Qur’an 45:16
4. Abu ‘Abd Allah Muhammad b. ‘Abd Allah al-Hakim al-Naysaburi, al-Mustadrak ‘ala al-Sahihayn (Beirut: Dar al-Kutub al-’Ilmiyyah; 1st edition, 1411 H) [annotator: Mustafa ‘Abd al-Qadir ‘Aṭa], vol. 4, p. 188, # 7318
5. Ibid
6. Ibid
7. Abu ‘Abd al-Rahman Muhammad Nasir al-Din b. al-Hajj Nuh b. Tajati b. Adam al-Ashqudri al-Albani, Silsilah al-Ahadith al-Sahihah wa Shayhun min Fiqhihah wa Fawaidihah (Riyadh: Maktabah al-Ma’arif li al-Nashr wa al-Tawzi’;1st edition, 1422 H), vol. 7, pp. 1368-1369, # 3464
8. Abu Sa’adat al-Mubarak b. Muhammad, Ibn al-Athir al-Jazari, al-Nihayah fi Gharib al-Hadith wa al-Athar (Beirut: al-Maktabah al-‘Ilmiyyah; 1399 AH) [annotator: Tahir Ahmad al-Zawi and Mahmud Muhammad al-Tanahi], vol. 1, p. 383
9. Abu Dawud Sulayman b. al-Ash’ath al-Sijistani al-Azdi, Sunan (Dar al-Fikr) [annotator: Muhammad Nasir al-Din al-Albani], vol. 2, p. 310, # 3527
10. Ibid
11. Abu Ya’la Ahmad b. ‘Ali b. Muthanna al-Mawsili al-Tamimi, Musnad (Damascus: Dar al-Mamun li al-Turath; 1st edition, 1404 H) [annotator: Dr. Husayn Salim Asad], vol. 10, p. 495, # 6110
12. Ibid
13. Abu ‘Abd al-Rahman Muhammad Nasir al-Din b. al-Hajj Nuh b. Tajati b. Adam al-Ashqudri al-Albani, Silsilah al-Ahadith al-Sahihah wa Shayhun min Fiqhihah wa Fawaidihah (Riyadh: Maktabah al-Ma’arif li al-Nashr wa al-Tawzi’; 1st edition, 1422 H), vol. 7, p. 1370, # 3464
14. Abu Hatim Muhammad b. Hibban b. Ahmad b. Hibban b. Mu’adh b. Ma’bad al-Tamimi al-Darimi al-Busti, Sahih Ibn Hibban bi Tartib Ibn Balban (Beirut: Muasassat al-Risalah; 2nd edition, 1414 H) [annotators: Muhammad Nasir al-Din al-Albani and Shu’ayb al-Arnauṭ], vol. 2, p. 332, # 573
15.Ibid
