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A lengthy Hadith on the importance of enjoining good & forbidding evil

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I am looking for the correct translation and the reference to the following narration please. Rasulullah (Sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam) said:

“What will be your condition when your women will become disobedient, your young men will commit great sins, and you will give up Jihad?”

The companions asked: “O Rasulullah, will it happen? He (Sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam) said, “Yes, by One in whose Hand is my life, a more serious thing than that will happen.” The companions asked, “What is that serious thing?” He (Sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam) said: “What will be your condition when you will not enjoin good and forbid evil?” The companions asked: “O Rasulullah, will it happen? He said: “Yes, by One in whose Hand is my life, a more serious thing than that will happen.” The companions asked: “What is that serious thing?” He said (Sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam): “What will be your condition when you will take the good deeds as evil, and evil deeds as good?” The companions asked: “Ya Rasulullah, will it happen? He (Sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam) said: “Yes, by One in whose Hand is my life, a more serious thing than that will happen.” The companions asked, “What is that serious thing?” He (Sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam) said: “What will then be your condition when you will order evil, and prohibit from doing good deeds?”

JazakAllah khayran.

Answer

The translation you have provided is as Imam Ghazali (rahimahullah) cites this Hadith.

This is a combination of several versions reported by various Sahabah (radiyallahu’anhum) viz;

1. Sayyiduna Abu Umamah (radiyallahu’anhu)

(Ibn Abid Dunya in Kitabul Amr bil Ma’ruf, hadith: 31 with a weak chain according to ‘Allamah ‘Iraqi; Takhrijul Ihya, vol.7 pg.9)

2. Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (radiyallahu’anhu)

(Abu Ya’la, hadith: 6420 & Tabarani in Al Awsat, hadith: 9325 with weak chains. See Majma’uz Zawaid, vol.7 pg.281 & Sharhul Ihya, vol.7 pg.9)

3. Sayyiduna Ibn Mas’ud (radiyallahu’anhu)

(Ibn Abid Dunya in Kitabul Amr bil Ma’ruf, hadith:79)

4. Sayyiduna Anas (radiyallahu’anhu)

(Abu ‘Uthman As-Sabuni; see Sharhul Ihya, vol.7 pg.9)

Note: Despite their weakness, the combination of the above chains make the narration suitable to quote.

And Allah Ta’ala Knows best,

Answered by: Moulana Muhammad Abasoomar

Checked by: Moulana Haroon Abasoomar

This answer was collected from HadithAnswers.com. The answers were either answered or checked by Moulana Haroon Abasoomar (rahimahullah) who was a Shaykhul Hadith in South Africa, or by his son, Moulana Muhammad Abasoomer (hafizahullah), who is a Hadith specialist. 

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