What is Sahih Muslim 41 about?

This hadith from Sahih Muslim (Book of The Book of Faith), narrated by It is narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira that the Messenger of Allah said to his uncle at the time of his death:, states: "Make a profession of it that there is no god but Allah and I will bear testimony (of your being a Muslim) on the Day of judgment. But he (Abu Talib) refused to do so. Then Allah revealed this verse:…"

Is this hadith authentic?

This hadith is graded Sahih. Sahih hadiths are considered the most authentic grade in hadith classification.

Which collection is this hadith from?

This hadith is from Sahih Muslim, which contains 7,459 hadiths across 57 books. It is hadith number 41 in the Book of The Book of Faith.

I searched for a different number — is this the right hadith?

Hadith numbering varies across editions and translations (USC-MSA, Dar as-Salam, Fath al-Bari, and others). If you followed a link citing a different number but landed here, you may have been redirected to the canonical version in our library. If you were looking for a different hadith entirely, use the search bar to find it by text.

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#40

#41

Sahih Muslim

#42

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Sahih Muslim #41

The Book of Faith

Sahih

The Arabic includes the chain of narration (sanad) and the collector's commentary; the English translation shows the Prophet's words only.

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبَّادٍ، وَابْنُ أَبِي عُمَرَ، قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا مَرْوَانُ، عَنْ يَزِيدَ، - وَهُوَ ابْنُ كَيْسَانَ - عَنْ أَبِي حَازِمٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم لِعَمِّهِ عِنْدَ الْمَوْتِ ‏"‏ قُلْ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ أَشْهَدُ لَكَ بِهَا يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ فَأَبَى فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ ‏{‏ إِنَّكَ لاَ تَهْدِي مَنْ أَحْبَبْتَ‏}‏ الآيَةَ ‏.‏

Make a profession of it that there is no god but Allah and I will bear testimony (of your being a Muslim) on the Day of judgment. But he (Abu Talib) refused to do so. Then Allah revealed this verse: " Verily thou canst not guide to the right path whom thou lovest. And it is Allah Who guideth whom He will and He knoweth best who are the guided" (xxviii. 56).

Narrated by It is narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira that the Messenger of Allah said to his uncle at the time of his death:

Context

This hadith recounts a poignant moment where the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ urges his uncle, Abu Talib, on his deathbed to profess the oneness of Allah. Despite the Prophet's ﷺ insistence, Abu Talib refuses, leading to a revelation that guidance is ultimately in Allah's hands. This highlights the significance of faith and the limits of human influence over others' beliefs.

Modern Application

In today's world, this hadith serves as a reminder of the importance of sincere faith and the role of personal choice in belief. It encourages individuals to focus on their own faith journey while understanding that guidance is ultimately a divine matter.

Topics

This hadith is tagged with Day of Judgment and Prophetic Warning because it emphasizes the importance of faith at the time of death and serves as a warning about the consequences of disbelief.

Day of Judgment Prophetic Warning