بَابُ ثَوَابِ هَذِهِ الْأُمَّةِThe Reward of This Ummah

¹ His statement: “Your lifespan” refers to the duration set for something, here meaning the lifespan of the Ummah. It may also refer to death, indicating its final part. The meaning is that your lifespan compared to the total lifespans of past nations is like the time between Asr and sunset compared to the start of the day to Asr, yet you have greater reward than them combined. Then he clarified the proportion between this Ummah and the Jews and Christians individually. (As stated in Al-Lama’at)

² His statement: “Your example and that of the Jews and Christians” means in relation to the Lord. His statement: “He said” is in the form of a question. Repeating “qirat” indicates each worker gets a qirat, not the group collectively. “Then he said” refers to the man hiring the workers. (As stated in Al-Mirqat)

³ His statement: “They said: We worked more and received less” means the People of the Book said: Our Lord, You gave Muhammad’s Ummah great reward for little work, and us little reward for much work. They may say this on the Day of Judgment, or they said it after learning of this Ummah’s virtues in their scriptures. Our scholars used this to support Abu Hanifa’s view that Asr begins when the shadow of an object is twice its length, as the Christians’ work cannot exceed this Ummah’s unless this duration is considered. (As stated in Al-Mirqat)

⁴ His statement: “Have I wronged you” means have I diminished your rights. His statement: “That is My favor” means the matter or decree, indicating that the greater reward is My favor, which I grant to whomever I wish. The hadith shows that this Ummah’s time is shorter than the Christians’, whose time is shorter than the Jews’, and that this Ummah’s religion persists until the Hour without abrogation. (As stated in Al-Mirqat)

¹ His statement: “Among my Ummah, those who love me most intensely” means relative to others in their time. (As stated in Al-Mirqat) In Al-Lama’at, it is said: His statement: “those who love me most intensely” means some among them love me more than some of my companions in my time, or though their love is not greater, it is deemed more significant as it comes after me without seeing me. His statement: “wishing they could see me even at the cost of their family and wealth” means they wish to sacrifice their family and wealth to see and reach me.

¹ His statement: “scrolls” means manuscripts and parts containing a book from Allah, i.e., the Qur’an, and they believe in what is in those scrolls. It may include the Qur’an and Sunnah. Since the discussion is about astonishing and remarkable faith, the hadith does not prove superiority in any aspect of merit. (As stated in Al-Mirqat)

¹ His statement: “and believed in me” may be a condition for both. (As stated in Al-Mirqat)

¹ His statement: “is anyone better” means anyone before or after us. (As stated in Al-Lama’at)

¹ His statement: “standing for Allah’s command” means upholding His religion and the rulings of His Sharia, preserving the Qur’an, knowledge of the Sunnah, deriving rulings, striving in His path, advising His creation, and fulfilling collective obligations. “Those who abandon them” means those who fail to support or aid them harm themselves through their wrongdoing. “Until Allah’s decree comes” means their death while upholding His command. This indicates that the earth will never lack righteous people steadfast in Allah’s commands, avoiding His prohibitions, and preserving the Sharia’s matters, unaffected by people’s support or opposition. It may also mean that Islam’s strength will not entirely vanish; if it weakens in one region, it will rise in another, upheld by a group of Muslims. (As stated in Al-Mirqat)

¹ His statement: “no good in you” means no good in staying there or going to it. His statement: “A group from my Ummah will remain victorious” means prevailing over the enemies of the religion. His statement: “They are the people of hadith” means the preservers and narrators of hadith or those acting upon the Sunnah that clarifies the Qur’an, referring to the people of the Sunnah and the community. (As stated in Al-Mirqat)

¹ His statement: “fight” means with their hands or tongues against the people of trials, such as rebels, Khawarij, Rawafid, and other innovators. (As stated in Al-Mirqat)

¹ His statement: “It is not known whether its beginning is better or its end”: Torbushti said: This hadith should not be taken as uncertainty about the superiority of the first generation, as the first century is undoubtedly superior to all others, followed by the next, then the next. The fourth century has some ambiguity due to the narrator. The meaning is their benefit in establishing the Sharia and defending the truth. The Qadi said: Just as one cannot judge that some rain is more beneficial than others, one cannot judge that some individuals of the Ummah are better than others in all aspects, as the contexts differ. The early ones believed due to witnessed miracles and accepted the Prophet’s call with faith, while the later ones believed in the unseen through transmitted signs and followed their predecessors with goodness. The early ones strove to establish and lay the foundation, while the later ones exerted effort in summarizing and refining, dedicating their lives to confirmation and affirmation. All their sins are forgiven, their efforts appreciated, and their reward complete. The essence is that this Ummah never lacks goodness, as indicated by his statement: “This is a blessed Ummah,” as its Prophet is the Prophet of mercy. Unlike other nations, whose goodness was confined to their early generations, followed by evil as they altered their scriptures, this Ummah’s early ones are superior, but this is a consolation for the later ones. (As stated in Al-Mirqat)

¹ His statement: “or like a garden” means like an orchard with fruitful trees, likened to the religion with its laws, pillars, branches, and offshoots. “Fed” means benefited. “Group” means a gathering. “Crooked group” refers to a group, singular in form but plural in meaning. “Not from me” means not among my followers or beloved, and I am not from them, disavowing their disobedience and injustice. (As stated in Al-Mirqat)

¹ His statement: “mistakes” means the opposite of correctness, here referring to unintentional acts. The meaning is that Allah has forgiven the sin associated with it compared to other nations, though financial liability, like in accidental killing or damaging property, remains established in Sharia. Our scholars said in the principles of jurisprudence that a mistake is a valid excuse for waiving Allah’s rights if it results from ijtihad, but not for the rights of people, requiring compensation for harm. (As stated in Al-Mirqat) In Al-Lama’at, it is said: His statement: “overlooked mistakes and forgetfulness” likely means no sin is incurred, not absolute exemption from accountability, as blood money and expiation are required for accidental killing, and making up fasting is required for unintentional breaking, but sin is lifted in all cases, which is meant by overlooking.

² His statement: “forgetfulness” does not negate obligations toward Allah, but if forgetfulness is predominant, as in fasting or mentioning Allah’s name during slaughter, it is excused. It is not an excuse for people’s rights, so damaging property through forgetfulness requires compensation. (As stated in Al-Mirqat)

³ His statement: “what they were coerced into” refers to sins demanded under coercion, such as threats of death or severe beating. Its details regarding Allah’s and people’s rights are in the books of jurisprudence. (As stated in Al-Mirqat)

¹ His statement: “You are the best nation” means they were so in Allah’s knowledge or the Preserved Tablet, or among past nations, likely referring to all believers of this Ummah. (As stated in Al-Mirqat)

² His statement: “seventy nations” means major nations. Tayyibi said, regarding Allah’s statement, that “seventy” indicates abundance, not a specific number. (As stated in Al-Mirqat) In Al-Lama’at, it is said: Most hadiths in this chapter indicate that some after the companions may equal or surpass them. Ibn Abd al-Barr held this view, but the majority say the companions are the best of the Ummah, interpreting the hadiths as referring to specific aspects of goodness and virtue, while comprehensive virtue remains with the companions, without negating specific virtues for those after them.