Hadith of the ten promised paradise
Encyclopedia
The prophet Muhammad
, in a Hadith
accepted by Sunni
Muslim
s, specified ten of his companions
who were promised paradise. Those companions named in this Hadith are referred to by Sunnis as The Ten Promised Paradise . The authenticity of this Hadith is rejected by Shia Muslims.
, the Islamic conception of paradise
.
Based on the narration, Sunnis have listed ten people whom they believe were promised paradise while living. The list is written in the order in which the Islamic prophet Muhammad said them. The first four of them are known by Sunnis as the Righteously Guided Caliphs
.
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| align="center" size="10%" style="background-color: #A2C3EF;"| Birth B.H.
| align="center" size="10%" style="background-color: #A2C3EF;"| Death A.H.
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| > أبو بكر
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عمر بن الخطّاب
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عثمان بن عفّان
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علي بن أﺑﻲ طالب
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طلحة بن عبيد الله
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الزبير بن العوّام
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عبد الرحمن بن عوف
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سعد بن أبي وقّاص
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أبو عبيدة بن الجراح
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سعيد بن زيد
The Sunni canon of Hadith, called the Six major Hadith collections
, includes: Sahih al-Bukhari
, Sahih Muslim
, Sunan Abu Dawood, Al-Sunan al-Sughra
, Sunan al-Tirmidhi
and Sunan ibn Majah. Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim are considered the most reliable of these collections.
Sunnis say that prophet Muhammad's companions were sorted into twelve groups and of these the ten promised paradise were ranked first.
, Ali, and the Ahl al-Bayt
. They also note that Ali is put together with nine other Sahaba who never supported him in his conflicts: Talha and Zubair were generals in the armies against him in the Battle of the Camel
and Umar and Abu Bakr were in opposition to Ali during the succession to prophet Muhammad. In contrast, companions like Ammar ibn Yasir
, Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr
and Malik al-Ashtar, who staunchly defended Ali, are not included in the list.
Shia mention that the Hadith was not even included in neither Sahih Bukhari nor Sahih Muslim, implying that not even the top Sunni scholars could consider it completely authentic.
The idea of promised heaven itself is vague in nature as Muhammad himself always maintained that he was a human being himself and whatever he narrated was related to him by Allah. As such Muhammad is recorded as weeping and asking forgiveness from the Almighty in the middle of the night. So attributing him to ordain heaven for his followers is unthinkable, when he himself understood that he would be judged on his merits. As such if ever a list as the Heavenly Ordained would exist, then it surely would have been incorporated in the Holy Quran. But its absence is noteworthy.
Shias often raise the differences in narration of certain hadith found in Sunni collections as a legitimate reason to disavow their authenticity. Sunnis have argued that slight differences in the narration of a hadith do not dismantle its credibility. Most Hadith have more than one version which tend to be more trustworthy, as the ones with only a single narration are usually found only transmitted through a single isnad. Also, when one considers the fact that these ten were not always on the same side, in some cases fought each other, went to war against each other and killed each other, it becomes logically difficult to resolve.
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
, in a Hadith
Hadith
The term Hadīth is used to denote a saying or an act or tacit approval or criticism ascribed either validly or invalidly to the Islamic prophet Muhammad....
accepted by Sunni
Sunni Islam
Sunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam. Sunni Muslims are referred to in Arabic as ʾAhl ūs-Sunnah wa āl-Ǧamāʿah or ʾAhl ūs-Sunnah for short; in English, they are known as Sunni Muslims, Sunnis or Sunnites....
Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
s, specified ten of his companions
Sahabah
In Islam, the ' were the companions, disciples, scribes and family of the Islamic prophet...
who were promised paradise. Those companions named in this Hadith are referred to by Sunnis as The Ten Promised Paradise . The authenticity of this Hadith is rejected by Shia Muslims.
Overview
The ten companions are known as Ashrah Al-Mubashirina bil jannah which means the companions that the prophet Muhammad had given information about JannahJannah
Jannah , is the Islamic conception of paradise. The Arabic word Jannah is a shortened version meaning simply "Garden". According to Islamic eschatology, after death, one will reside in the grave until the appointed resurrection on . Muslims believe that the treatment of the individual in the life...
, the Islamic conception of paradise
Paradise
Paradise is a place in which existence is positive, harmonious and timeless. It is conceptually a counter-image of the miseries of human civilization, and in paradise there is only peace, prosperity, and happiness. Paradise is a place of contentment, but it is not necessarily a land of luxury and...
.
Based on the narration, Sunnis have listed ten people whom they believe were promised paradise while living. The list is written in the order in which the Islamic prophet Muhammad said them. The first four of them are known by Sunnis as the Righteously Guided Caliphs
Rashidun
The Rightly Guided Caliphs or The Righteous Caliphs is a term used in Sunni Islam to refer to the first four Caliphs who established the Rashidun Caliphate. The concept of "Rightly Guided Caliphs" originated with the Abbasid Dynasty...
.
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| align="center" style="background-color: #A2C3EF;"| Arabic names
| align="center" size="10%" style="background-color: #A2C3EF;"| Birth B.H.
Islamic calendar
The Hijri calendar , also known as the Muslim calendar or Islamic calendar , is a lunar calendar consisting of 12 lunar months in a year of 354 or 355 days. It is used to date events in many Muslim countries , and used by Muslims everywhere to determine the proper day on which to celebrate Islamic...
| align="center" size="10%" style="background-color: #A2C3EF;"| Death A.H.
Islamic calendar
The Hijri calendar , also known as the Muslim calendar or Islamic calendar , is a lunar calendar consisting of 12 lunar months in a year of 354 or 355 days. It is used to date events in many Muslim countries , and used by Muslims everywhere to determine the proper day on which to celebrate Islamic...
| align="center" size="20%" style="background-color: #A2C3EF;"| Birth C.E.
Common Era
Common Era ,abbreviated as CE, is an alternative designation for the calendar era originally introduced by Dionysius Exiguus in the 6th century, traditionally identified with Anno Domini .Dates before the year 1 CE are indicated by the usage of BCE, short for Before the Common Era Common Era...
| align="center" size="20%" style="background-color: #A2C3EF;"| Death C.E.
Common Era
Common Era ,abbreviated as CE, is an alternative designation for the calendar era originally introduced by Dionysius Exiguus in the 6th century, traditionally identified with Anno Domini .Dates before the year 1 CE are indicated by the usage of BCE, short for Before the Common Era Common Era...
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The Hadith
Muslim view
Muslims put different weight on this Hadith, the majority, the Sunnis, viewing it as very favourable.Sunni view
This Hadith was narrated in three collections by Tirmidhi, Abu Dawood, and Ibn Majah.The Sunni canon of Hadith, called the Six major Hadith collections
Six major Hadith collections
The six major Hadith collections are collections of hadith by Islamic scholars who, approximately 200 years after Muhammad's death and by their own initiative, collected "hadith" attributed to Muhammad...
, includes: Sahih al-Bukhari
Sahih al-Bukhari
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī , as it is commonly referred to, is one of the six canonical hadith collections of Islam. These prophetic traditions, or hadith, were collected by the Persian Muslim scholar Muhammad ibn Ismail al-Bukhari, after being transmitted orally for generations. Muslims view this as one of...
, Sahih Muslim
Sahih Muslim
Sahih Muslim is one of the Six major collections of the hadith in Sunni Islam, oral traditions relating to the words and deeds of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad. It is the second most authentic hadith collection after Sahih Al-Bukhari, and is highly acclaimed by Sunni Muslims...
, Sunan Abu Dawood, Al-Sunan al-Sughra
Al-Sunan al-Sughra
as-Sunan as-Sughra , also known as Sunan an-Nasa'i is one of the Sunni Six Major Hadith collections, and was collected by Al-Nasa'i.-Description:...
, Sunan al-Tirmidhi
Sunan al-Tirmidhi
Jāmi` al-Tirmidhi , popularly and mistakenly Sunan al-Tirmidhi , is one of the Sunni Six major Hadith collections. It was collected by Abu 'Eesa Muhammad ibn 'Eesa al-Tirmidhi.-Title:...
and Sunan ibn Majah. Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim are considered the most reliable of these collections.
Sunnis say that prophet Muhammad's companions were sorted into twelve groups and of these the ten promised paradise were ranked first.
Shia view
Shia Muslims do not believe in the concept and have concluded that the idea is built on Hadith that were fabricated during Umayyad reign, forged for political reasons to elevate the adversaries of the Shia ImamImamah (Shi'a doctrine)
Imāmah is the Shia doctrine of religious, spiritual and political leadership of the Ummah. The Shīa believe that the A'immah are the true Caliphs or rightful successors of Muḥammad, and further that Imams are possessed of divine knowledge and authority as well as being part of the Ahl al-Bayt,...
, Ali, and the Ahl al-Bayt
Ahl al-Bayt
Ahl al-Bayt is an Arabic phrase literally meaning People of the House, or family of the House. The phrase "ahl al-bayt" was used in Arabia before the advent of Islam to refer to one's clan, and would be adopted by the ruling family of a tribe. Within the Islamic tradition, the term refers to the...
. They also note that Ali is put together with nine other Sahaba who never supported him in his conflicts: Talha and Zubair were generals in the armies against him in the Battle of the Camel
Battle of Bassorah
The Battle of Bassorah was a battle that took place at Basra, Iraq in 656 between forces allied to Ali ibn Abi Talib and forces allied to Aisha , who wanted justice on the...
and Umar and Abu Bakr were in opposition to Ali during the succession to prophet Muhammad. In contrast, companions like Ammar ibn Yasir
Ammar ibn Yasir
ʻAmmār ibn Yāsir al-Ansi was one of the companions of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. He was one of the Muhajirun, and referred to as by Shia Muslims as one of the Four Companions....
, Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr
Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr
Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr was the son of Abu Bakr, who was the senior companion of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and first Rashidun Caliph. His mother was Asma bint Umais...
and Malik al-Ashtar, who staunchly defended Ali, are not included in the list.
Shia mention that the Hadith was not even included in neither Sahih Bukhari nor Sahih Muslim, implying that not even the top Sunni scholars could consider it completely authentic.
The idea of promised heaven itself is vague in nature as Muhammad himself always maintained that he was a human being himself and whatever he narrated was related to him by Allah. As such Muhammad is recorded as weeping and asking forgiveness from the Almighty in the middle of the night. So attributing him to ordain heaven for his followers is unthinkable, when he himself understood that he would be judged on his merits. As such if ever a list as the Heavenly Ordained would exist, then it surely would have been incorporated in the Holy Quran. But its absence is noteworthy.
Shias often raise the differences in narration of certain hadith found in Sunni collections as a legitimate reason to disavow their authenticity. Sunnis have argued that slight differences in the narration of a hadith do not dismantle its credibility. Most Hadith have more than one version which tend to be more trustworthy, as the ones with only a single narration are usually found only transmitted through a single isnad. Also, when one considers the fact that these ten were not always on the same side, in some cases fought each other, went to war against each other and killed each other, it becomes logically difficult to resolve.