Topic
أحاديث الفتن
Hadith on Fitan (Trials and Tribulations)
18 hadith in the six books
Fitan (singular fitnah) are trials and tribulations that test a person's faith, from personal temptations to widespread conflict. Bukhari, Ibn Majah and others devote a whole book (Kitab al-Fitan) to these reports, and Muslim, Abu Dawud and Tirmidhi collect them in their own chapters.
This page groups the main narrations: the instruction to seek refuge in Allah from trials, the conversation between Umar and Hudhayfa about the fitnah that “surges like the waves of the sea”, and narrations describing how a person should conduct himself when trials appear.
Seeking refuge from trials
Muslim records the instruction “Seek refuge in Allah from trials, the apparent and the hidden”; other reports give the wording of refuge-seeking supplications.
Muslim · 7213مَنْ يَعْرِفُ أَصْحَابَ هَذِهِ الْأَقْبُرِ ؟Abu Sa'id al-Khudri reported:I did not hear this hadith from Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) directly but it was Zaid b. Thabit who narrated it from him. As Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) was going along with us towards the dwellings of Bani a7 narratorsBukhari · 7089حَدَّثَنَا مُعَاذُ بْنُ فَضَالَةَ ، حَدَّثَنَا هِشَامٌ ، عَنْ قَتَادَةَ ، عَنْ أَنَسٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ ، قَالَ : سَأَلُوا النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ حَتَّى أَحْفَوْهُ بِالْمَسْأَلَةِ ، " فَThe people started asking the Prophet (ﷺ) too many questions importunately. So one day he ascended the pulpit and said, "You will not ask me any question but I will explain it to you." I looked right and left, and behold4 narratorsBukhari · 6376اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ فِتْنَةِ النَّارِ ، وَمِنْ عَذَابِ النَّارِ ، وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ فِتْنَةِ الْقَبْرِ ، وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ عَذَابِ الْقَبْرِ ، وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ فِتْنَةِ الْغِنَى ، وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِThe Prophet (ﷺ) used to seek refuge with Allah (by saying), "O Allah! I seek refuge with You from the affliction of the Fire and from the punishment in the Fire, and seek refuge with You from the affliction of the grave,5 narratorsNasa'i · 5520تَعَوَّذُوا بِاللَّهِ مِنْ عَذَابِ النَّارِ ، وَعَذَابِ الْقَبْرِ ، وَمِنْ فِتْنَةِ الْمَحْيَا وَالْمَمَاتِ ، وَمِنْ شَرِّ الْمَسِيحِ الدَّجَّالِAbu Hurairah said:The Messenger of Allah [SAW] said: "Seek refuge with Allah from the torment of the Fire and the torment of the grave, from the trials of life and death, and from the evil of Al-Masihid-Dajjal6 narratorsAbu Dawud · 983إِذَا فَرَغَ أَحَدُكُمْ مِنَ التَّشَهُّدِ الْآخِرِ فَلْيَتَعَوَّذْ بِاللَّهِ مِنْ أَرْبَعٍ : مِنْ عَذَابِ جَهَنَّمَ ، وَمِنْ عَذَابِ الْقَبْرِ ، وَمِنْ فِتْنَةِ الْمَحْيَا وَالْمَمَاتِ ، وَمِنْ شَرِّ الْمَسِيحِ الدَّجَّاAbu Hurairah reported the Messenger of Allah ﷺ as saying: When one of you finishes the last tashahhud, he should seek refuge in Allah from four things: the punishment in Hell, the punishment in the grave, the trail of li6 narrators
The fitnah that surges like the waves of the sea
Hudhayfa narrates that Umar asked about the trial that would surge like the sea, and was told a closed door stood between him and it.
Bukhari · 7096فِتْنَةُ الرَّجُلِ فِي أَهْلِهِ وَمَالِهِ وَوَلَدِهِ وَجَارِهِ تُكَفِّرُهَا الصَّلَاةُ وَالصَّدَقَةُ ، وَالْأَمْرُ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَالنَّهْيُ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ ، قَالَ : لَيْسَ عَنْ هَذَا أَسْأَلُكَ ، وَلَكِنِ الَّتِي تَمI heard Hudhaifa saying, "While we were sitting with `Umar, he said, 'Who among you remembers the statement of the Prophet (ﷺ) about the afflictions?' Hudhaifa said, "The affliction of a man in his family, his property, 5 narratorsMuslim · 7268فِتْنَةُ الرَّجُلِ فِي أَهْلِهِ وَمَالِهِ وَنَفْسِهِ وَوَلَدِهِ وَجَارِهِ ، يُكَفِّرُهَا الصِّيَامُ وَالصَّلَاةُ وَالصَّدَقَةُ ، وَالْأَمْرُ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَالنَّهْيُ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِHudhaifa reported:We were one day in the company of 'Umar that he said: Who amongst you has preserved in his mind most perfectly the hadith of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) in regard to the turmoil as he told about it? I said: I6 narratorsTirmidhi · 2258فِتْنَةُ الرَّجُلِ فِي أَهْلِهِ وَمَالِهِ وَوَلَدِهِ وَجَارِهِ يُكَفِّرُهَا الصَّلَاةُ وَالصَّوْمُ وَالصَّدَقَةُ وَالْأَمْرُ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَالنَّهْيُ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِAbu Wa'il narrated from Hudhaifah that 'Umar said:"Which of you remembers what the Messenger of Allah(s.a.w) said about the Fitnah?" So Hudhaifah said: "I do." Hudhaifah said: "A man's Fitnah is in his family, his wealth8 narratorsIbn Majah · 3955فِتْنَةُ الرَّجُلِ فِي أَهْلِهِ وَوَلَدِهِ وَجَارِهِ , تُكَفِّرُهَا الصَّلَاةُ وَالصِّيَامُ وَالصَّدَقَةُ , وَالْأَمْرُ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ , وَالنَّهْيُ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِIt was narrated that Hudhaifah said:“We were sitting with ‘Umar and he said: ‘Which of you has remembered a Hadith from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) concerning Fitnah?’” Hudhaifah said: “I said: ‘I have.’ He said: ‘You are5 narratorsMuslim · 369تُعْرَضُ الْفِتَنُ عَلَى الْقُلُوبِ كَالْحَصِيرِ عُودًا عُودًا ، فَأَيُّ قَلْبٍ أُشْرِبَهَا نُكِتَ فِيهِ نُكْتَةٌ سَوْدَاءُ ، وَأَيُّ قَلْبٍ أَنْكَرَهَا نُكِتَ فِيهِ نُكْتَةٌ بَيْضَاءُ ، حَتَّى تَصِيرَ عَلَى قَلْبَيْنِ عIt is narrated on the authority of Hudhaifa:We were sitting in the company of Umar and he said: Who amongst you has heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) talking about the turmoil? Some people said: It is we who heard it. Upo5 narrators
Conduct during trials
Bukhari · 7081سَتَكُونُ فِتَنٌ الْقَاعِدُ فِيهَا خَيْرٌ مِنَ الْقَائِمِ ، وَالْقَائِمُ فِيهَا خَيْرٌ مِنَ الْمَاشِي ، وَالْمَاشِي فِيهَا خَيْرٌ مِنَ السَّاعِي ، مَنْ تَشَرَّفَ لَهَا تَسْتَشْرِفْهُ ، فَمَنْ وَجَدَ مِنْهَا مَلْجَأً أَوْAllah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "There will be afflictions (in the near future) during which a sitting person will be better than a standing one, and the standing one will be better than the walking one, and the walking one 10 narrators·parallel chainMuslim · 7247سَتَكُونُ فِتَنٌ الْقَاعِدُ فِيهَا خَيْرٌ مِنَ الْقَائِمِ ، وَالْقَائِمُ فِيهَا خَيْرٌ مِنَ الْمَاشِي ، وَالْمَاشِي فِيهَا خَيْرٌ مِنَ السَّاعِي ، مَنْ تَشَرَّفَ لَهَا تَسْتَشْرِفُهُ ، وَمَنْ وَجَدَ فِيهَا مَلْجَأً فَلْيAbu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:There will be soon a period of turmoil in which the one who sits will be better than one who stands and the one who stands will be better than one who walks and the on10 narratorsAbu Dawud · 4259إِنَّ بَيْنَ يَدَيِ السَّاعَةِ فِتَنًا كَقِطَعِ اللَّيْلِ الْمُظْلِمِ يُصْبِحُ الرَّجُلُ فِيهَا مُؤْمِنًا وَيُمْسِي كَافِرًا ، وَيُمْسِي مُؤْمِنًا وَيُصْبِحُ كَافِرًا ، الْقَاعِدُ فِيهَا خَيْرٌ مِنَ الْقَائِمِ ، وَالْمَاNarrated Abu Musa al-Ashari: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: Before the Last Hour there will be commotions 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 b6 narratorsTirmidhi · 2204فِي الْفِتْنَةِ كَسِّرُوا فِيهَا قِسِيَّكُمْ ، وَقَطِّعُوا فِيهَا أَوْتَارَكُمْ ، وَالْزَمُوا فِيهَا أَجْوَافَ بُيُوتِكُمْ ، وَكُونُوا كَابْنِ آدَمَAbu Musa narrated that the Prophet(s.a.w) said, about the Fitnah:"Break your bows during it, cut their strings and stick to the depths of your homes, and be like Adam's son7 narratorsBukhari · 7088يُوشِكُ أَنْ يَكُونَ خَيْرَ مَالِ الْمُسْلِمِ غَنَمٌ يَتْبَعُ بِهَا شَعَفَ الْجِبَالِ ، وَمَوَاقِعَ الْقَطْرِ يَفِرُّ بِدِينِهِ مِنَ الْفِتَنِAllah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "There will come a time when the best property of a Muslim will be sheep which he will take to the tops of mountains and the places of rainfall so as to flee with his religion from the afflict5 narratorsIbn Majah · 3968إِيَّاكُمْ وَالْفِتَنَ , فَإِنَّ اللِّسَانَ فِيهَا مِثْلُ وَقْعِ السَّيْفِIt was narrated from Ibn ‘Umar that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:“Beware of tribulations, for at that time the tongue will be like the blow of a sword.”5 narrators
The appearance of trials and harj
Bukhari · 7061يَتَقَارَبُ الزَّمَانُ ، وَيَنْقُصُ الْعَمَلُ ، وَيُلْقَى الشُّحُّ ، وَتَظْهَرُ الْفِتَنُ ، وَيَكْثُرُ الْهَرْجُ ، قَالُوا : يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ، أَيُّمَ هُوَ ؟ ، قَالَ : الْقَتْلُ الْقَتْلُThe Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Time will pass rapidly, good deeds will decrease, miserliness will be thrown (in the hearts of the people) afflictions will appear and there will be much 'Al-Harj." They said, "O Allah's Apostle! W13 narrators·parallel chainTirmidhi · 2200إِنَّ مِنْ وَرَائِكُمْ أَيَّامًا يُرْفَعُ فِيهَا الْعِلْمُ ، وَيَكْثُرُ فِيهَا الْهَرْجُAbu Musa narrated that the Messenger of Allah(s.a.w) said:"Indeed after you there will be days in which knowledge shall be raised up and Al-Harj shall abound." They said: "O Messenger of Allah(s.a.w)! What is Al-Harj?" H5 narrators
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