Escaping and remaining aloof

Narrated Hudhayfah:

The tradition mentioned above (No. 4232) has also been transmitted through a different chain of narrators by Nasr ibn Asim al-Laythi who said: We came to al-Yashkuri with a group of the people of Banu Layth.

He asked: Who are these people? We replied: Banu Layth. We have come to you to ask you about the tradition of Hudhayfah. He then mentioned the tradition and said: I asked: Messenger of Allah, will there be evil after this good?

He replied: There will be trial (fitnah) and evil. I asked: Messenger of Allah, will there be good after this evil? He replied: Learn the Book of Allah, Hudhayfah, and adhere to its contents. He said it three times.

I asked: Messenger of Allah, will there be good after this evil? He replied: An illusory truce and a community with specks in its eye. I asked: Messenger of Allah, what do you mean by an illusory community?

He replied: The hearts of the people will not return to their former condition. I asked: Messenger of Allah, will there be evil after this good? He replied: There will be wrong belief which will blind and deafen men to the truth in which there will be summoners at the gates of Hell. If you, Hudhayfah, die adhering to a stump, it will be better for you than following any of them.

حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مَسْلَمَةَ الْقَعْنَبِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا سُلَيْمَانُ، - يَعْنِي ابْنَ الْمُغِيرَةِ - عَنْ حُمَيْدٍ، عَنْ نَصْرِ بْنِ عَاصِمٍ اللَّيْثِيِّ، قَالَ أَتَيْنَا الْيَشْكُرِيَّ فِي رَهْطٍ مِنْ بَنِي لَيْثٍ فَقَالَ مَنِ الْقَوْمُ فَقُلْنَا بَنُو لَيْثٍ أَتَيْنَاكَ نَسْأَلُكَ عَنْ حَدِيثِ حُذَيْفَةَ فَذَكَرَ الْحَدِيثَ قَالَ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ هَلْ بَعْدَ هَذَا الْخَيْرِ شَرٌّ قَالَ ‏"‏ فِتْنَةٌ وَشَرٌّ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ هَلْ بَعْدَ هَذَا الشَّرِّ خَيْرٌ قَالَ ‏"‏ يَا حُذَيْفَةُ تَعَلَّمْ كِتَابَ اللَّهِ وَاتَّبِعْ مَا فِيهِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ ثَلاَثَ مِرَارٍ ‏.‏ قَالَ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ هَلْ بَعْدَ هَذَا الشَّرِّ خَيْرٌ قَالَ ‏"‏ هُدْنَةٌ عَلَى دَخَنٍ وَجَمَاعَةٌ عَلَى أَقْذَاءٍ فِيهَا أَوْ فِيهِمْ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ الْهُدْنَةُ عَلَى الدَّخَنِ مَا هِيَ قَالَ ‏"‏ لاَ تَرْجِعُ قُلُوبُ أَقْوَامٍ عَلَى الَّذِي كَانَتْ عَلَيْهِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَبَعْدَ هَذَا الْخَيْرِ شَرٌّ قَالَ ‏"‏ فِتْنَةٌ عَمْيَاءُ صَمَّاءُ عَلَيْهَا دُعَاةٌ عَلَى أَبْوَابِ النَّارِ فَإِنْ تَمُتْ يَا حُذَيْفَةُ وَأَنْتَ عَاضٌّ عَلَى جِذْلٍ خَيْرٌ لَكَ مِنْ أَنْ تَتَّبِعَ أَحَدًا مِنْهُمْ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

The tradition mentioned above has also been transmitted by Hudhaifah through a different chain of narrators from the Prophet (ﷺ). This version says:

He said: If you do not find a caliph in those days, then flee away until you die, even if you die holding on (to a stump of a tree). I asked: What will come next ? He replied: If a man wants the mare to bring forth a foal, it will not deliver until the Last Hour comes.

حَدَّثَنَا مُسَدَّدٌ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْوَارِثِ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو التَّيَّاحِ، عَنْ صَخْرِ بْنِ بَدْرٍ الْعِجْلِيِّ، عَنْ سُبَيْعِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ، بِهَذَا الْحَدِيثِ عَنْ حُذَيْفَةَ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏"‏ فَإِنْ لَمْ تَجِدْ يَوْمَئِذٍ خَلِيفَةً فَاهْرَبْ حَتَّى تَمُوتَ فَإِنْ تَمُتْ وَأَنْتَ عَاضٌّ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ وَقَالَ فِي آخِرِهِ قَالَ قُلْتُ فَمَا يَكُونُ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ قَالَ ‏"‏ لَوْ أَنَّ رَجُلاً نَتَجَ فَرَسًا لَمْ تُنْتَجْ حَتَّى تَقُومَ السَّاعَةُ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

And

Abu Sa'id Al-Khudri (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:

Someone asked Messenger of Allah (ﷺ): "Who is the best man?" He (ﷺ) answered, "A believer who strives in the Cause of Allah with his life and his wealth." The man asked: "Who is the next?" He said, "One who retires into a narrow valley and worships his Rubb."

Another narration is: Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "One who fears Allah and safeguards people against his own mischief."

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

وعن أبي سعيد الخدرى رضي الله عنه قال‏:‏ قال رجل‏:‏ أى الناس أفضل يا رسول الله‏؟‏ قال‏:‏ ‏"‏مؤمن مجاهد بنفسه وماله فى سبيل الله‏"‏ قال‏:‏ ثم من‏؟‏ قال‏:‏ ‏"‏ رجل معتزل فى شعب من الشعاب يعبد ربه‏"‏
وفى رواية‏:‏ ‏"‏يتقي الله، ويدع الناس من شره‏"‏ ‏(‏‏(‏متفق عليه‏)‏‏)‏‏.‏

And

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:

Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "The best of people is a man who is holding his horse's rein in the way of Allah (in Jihad) and is galloping towards the place wherever he hears a call for war or detects a note of danger; he goes on proceeding, seeking martyrdom or death wherever it is expected. And a man who retires with some sheep in a mountainside or a valley. He performs Salat regularly and pays the Zakat, continues worshipping his Rubb, till death overtakes him. He does not interfere in the affairs of the people except for betterment."

[Muslim].

وعنه عن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم أنه قال‏:‏ “من خير معاش الناس رجل ممسك عنان فرسه فى سبيل الله، يطير على متنه، كلما سمع هيعه أو فزعة، طار عليه يبتغى القتل، أو الموت مظانه، أو رجل فى غنيمة فى رأس شعفة من هذه الشعف، أو بطن واد من هذه الأودية يقيم الصلاة، ويؤتى الزكاة، ويعبد ربه حتى يأتيه اليقين، ليس من الناس إلا فى خير” ‏(‏‏(‏رواه مسلم‏)‏‏)‏‏.‏