Hadith of al-Aswad ibn Sari‘ (may Allah be pleased with him)

حَدِيثُ الْأَسْوَدِ بْنِ سَرِيعٍ، ١٦٢٩٩ - حَدَّثَنَا رَوْحٌ، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا سَعِيدٌ، وَعَبْدُ الْوَهَّابِ قَالَ: أَخْبَرَنَا سَعِيدٌ، عَنْ قَتَادَةَ، عَنِ الْحَسَنِ، عَنِ الْأَسْوَدِ بْنِ سَرِيعٍ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بَعَثَ سَرِيَّةً يَوْمَ حُنَيْنٍ، قَالَ رَوْحٌ: فَأَتَوْا حَيًّا مِنْ أَحْيَاءِ الْعَرَبِ، فَذَكَرَ الْحَدِيثَ، قَالَ: " وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ، مَا مِنْ نَسَمَةٍ تُولَدُ إِلَّا عَلَى الْفِطْرَةِ حَتَّى يُعْرِبَ عَنْهَا لِسَانُهَا " (١)،

It is narrated from Aswad bin Sari’ that the Prophet (ﷺ) sent a detachment on the occasion of the Battle of Hunayn: then the narrator mentioned the entire hadith and said: By Him in Whose hand is the life of Muhammad, every soul that is born into this world is created upon the natural disposition (fitrah) until its tongue expresses what is in its heart.

حَدَّثَنَا حَسَنُ بْنُ مُوسَى، حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادُ بْنُ زَيْدٍ، عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ زَيْدٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ أَبِي بَكْرَةَ، عَنِ الْأَسْوَدِ بْنِ سَرِيعٍ قَالَ: قُلْتُ: يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ، إِنِّي قَدْ مَدَحْتُ اللهَ بِمَدْحَةٍ، وَمَدَحْتُكَ بِأُخْرَى، فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: " هَاتِ، وَابْدَأْ بِمَدْحَةِ اللهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ " (٢)، ،

It is narrated from Aswad that once I presented myself before the Prophet (ﷺ) and submitted: O Messenger of Allah! I have composed verses in praise of my Lord and in your praise. The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Recite them, what have you said in praise of your Lord?

حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللهِ، حَدَّثَنَا مُعَاذُ بْنُ هِشَامٍ، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنِي أَبِي، عَنْ قَتَادَةَ، عَنِ الْأَحْنَفِ بْنِ قَيْسٍ، عَنِ الْأَسْوَدِ بْنِ سَرِيعٍ، أَنَّ نَبِيَّ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: " أَرْبَعَةٌ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ: رَجُلٌ أَصَمُّ لَا يَسْمَعُ شَيْئًا، وَرَجُلٌ أَحْمَقُ، وَرَجُلٌ هَرَمٌ، وَرَجُلٌ مَاتَ فِي فَتْرَةٍ، فَأَمَّا الْأَصَمُّ فَيَقُولُ: رَبِّ، لَقَدْ جَاءَ الْإِسْلَامُ وَمَا أَسْمَعُ شَيْئًا، وَأَمَّا الْأَحْمَقُ فَيَقُولُ: رَبِّ، لَقَدْ جَاءَ الْإِسْلَامُ وَالصِّبْيَانُ يَحْذِفُونِي بِالْبَعْرِ، وَأَمَّا الْهَرَمُ فَيَقُولُ: رَبِّ، لَقَدْ جَاءَ الْإِسْلَامُ وَمَا أَعْقِلُ شَيْئًا، وَأَمَّا الَّذِي مَاتَ فِي الْفَتْرَةِ (١) فَيَقُولُ: رَبِّ، مَا أَتَانِي لَكَ رَسُولٌ، فَيَأْخُذُ (٢) مَوَاثِيقَهُمْ لَيُطِيعُنَّهُ، فَيُرْسِلُ إِلَيْهِمْ أَنْ ادْخُلُوا النَّارَ، قَالَ: فَوَالَّذِي نَفْسُ مُحَمَّدٍ (٣) بِيَدِهِ، لَوْ دَخَلُوهَا لَكَانَتْ عَلَيْهِمْ بَرْدًا وَسَلَامًا "، (٤)، ، . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .، ،

It is narrated from Aswad bin Sari’ that on the Day of Resurrection there will be four types of people: (1) A deaf person who could not hear anything; (2) a foolish person; (3) an old man; (4) a person who died during the period of interruption of revelation (when messengers were not sent). Thus, the deaf person will plead: "O Lord, Islam did come, but I could not hear anything." The foolish person will say: "O Lord, Islam did come, but children used to throw dung at me." The old man will say: "O Lord, Islam did come, but at that time my mind had stopped working." And the one who died during the period of interruption of revelation will say: "O Lord, no messenger from You came to me." Allah will take a promise from them that they will obey Him, and then He will command them to enter Hell. By the One in Whose hand is my soul, if they enter Hell, it will become cool and safe for them.

حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيٌّ، حَدَّثَنَا مُعَاذُ بْنُ هِشَامٍ، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنِي أَبِي، عَنِ قَتَادَةَ، (١) عَنِ الْحَسَنِ، عَنْ أَبِي رَافِعٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، مِثْلَ هَذَا غَيْرَ أَنَّهُ قَالَ فِي آخِرِهِ: " فَمَنْ دَخَلَهَا كَانَتْ عَلَيْهِ بَرْدًا وَسَلَامًا، وَمَنْ لَمْ يَدْخُلْهَا يُسْحَبُ إِلَيْهَا " (٢)، ،

The previous hadith is also narrated through this second chain of transmission.

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا السَّرِيُّ بْنُ يَحْيَى، حَدَّثَنَا الْحَسَنُ، حَدَّثَنَا الْأَسْوَدُ بْنِ سَرِيعٍ (١) وَكَانَ رَجُلًا مِنْ بَنِي سَعْدٍ قَالَ: وَكَانَ أَوَّلَ مَنْ قَصَّ فِي هَذَا الْمَسْجِدِ ـ يَعْنِي الْمَسْجِدَ (٢) الْجَامِعَ ـ قَالَ: غَزَوْتُ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَرْبَعَ غَزَوَاتٍ، قَالَ: فَتَنَاوَلَ قَوْمٌ الذُّرِّيَّةَ بَعْدَمَا قَتَلُوا الْمُقَاتِلَةَ، فَبَلَغَ ذَلِكَ رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَقَالَ: " أَلَا مَا بَالُ أَقْوَامٍ قَتَلُوا الْمُقَاتِلَةَ حَتَّى تَنَاوَلُوا الذُّرِّيَّةَ "، قَالَ: فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ: يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ، أَوَلَيْسَ أَبْنَاءُ الْمُشْرِكِينَ؟ قَالَ: فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: " إِنَّ خِيَارَكُمْ أَبْنَاءُ الْمُشْرِكِينَ، إِنَّهَا لَيْسَتْ نَسَمَةٌ تُولَدُ إِلَّا وُلِدَتْ عَلَى الْفِطْرَةِ، فَمَا تَزَالُ عَلَيْهَا حَتَّى يُبِينَ عَنْهَا لِسَانُهَا، فَأَبَوَاهَا يُهَوِّدَانِهَا وَ (٣) يُنَصِّرَانِهَا "، قَالَ: وَأَخْفَاهَا الْحَسَنُ (٤)، ،

It is narrated from Aswad bin Sari’ that on the occasion of the Battle of Hunayn, the Prophet (peace be upon him) sent out a detachment: they fought against the polytheists, and as the fighting intensified, it reached the point where their children were also killed. When those people returned, the Prophet (peace be upon him) asked them, “What compelled you to kill the children?” They replied, “O Messenger of Allah! They were the children of the polytheists.” The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Are not the best among you the children of polytheists? By the One in Whose hand is my soul, every soul that is born in this world is born upon the natural disposition (fitrah) until its tongue expresses itself, and it is its parents who make it a Jew or a Christian.”