What is Sunan Abu Dawud 4255 about?

This hadith from Sunan Abu Dawud (Book of Trials and Fierce Battles (Kitab Al-Fitan Wa Al-Malahim)), narrated by Narrated Abdullah ibn Mas'ud:, states: "The Prophet (ﷺ) said: The mill of Islam will go round till the year thirty-five, or thirty-six, or thirty-seven; then if they perish, they will have followed the path of those who perished before them…"

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 Sunan Abu Dawud, which contains 5,276 hadiths across 43 books. It is hadith number 4255 in the Book of Trials and Fierce Battles (Kitab Al-Fitan Wa Al-Malahim).

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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#4254

#4255

Sunan Abu Dawud

#4256

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Sunan Abu Dawud #4255

Trials and Fierce Battles (Kitab Al-Fitan Wa Al-Malahim)

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 سُلَيْمَانَ الأَنْبَارِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ، عَنْ سُفْيَانَ، عَنْ مَنْصُورٍ، عَنْ رِبْعِيِّ بْنِ حِرَاشٍ، عَنِ الْبَرَاءِ بْنِ نَاجِيَةَ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مَسْعُودٍ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏"‏ تَدُورُ رَحَى الإِسْلاَمِ لِخَمْسٍ وَثَلاَثِينَ أَوْ سِتٍّ وَثَلاَثِينَ أَوْ سَبْعٍ وَثَلاَثِينَ فَإِنْ يَهْلِكُوا فَسَبِيلُ مَنْ هَلَكَ وَإِنْ يَقُمْ لَهُمْ دِينُهُمْ يَقُمْ لَهُمْ سَبْعِينَ عَامًا ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ قُلْتُ أَمِمَّا بَقِيَ أَوْ مِمَّا مَضَى قَالَ ‏"‏ مِمَّا مَضَى ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ مَنْ قَالَ خِرَاشٍ فَقَدْ أَخْطَأَ ‏.‏

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: The mill of Islam will go round till the year thirty-five, or thirty-six, or thirty-seven; then if they perish, they will have followed the path of those who perished before them, but if their religion is maintained, it will be maintained for seventy years. I asked: Does it mean seventy years which remain or seventy years which are gone by? He replied: It means (seventy years) that are gone by. Abu Dawud said: Those who recorded Khirash, the name of a narrator, are wrong. (The correct name is Hirash)

Narrated by Narrated Abdullah ibn Mas'ud:

Context

In this narration, the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) speaks about the cyclical nature of Islam's endurance, suggesting that it will persist for a specific number of years, after which those who fail to uphold it will follow the path of those who have perished before them. This hadith serves as a warning about the trials and tests that the Muslim community may face over time.

Modern Application

In modern life, this principle can be seen in the importance of maintaining one's faith and practices despite challenges. Individuals are encouraged to remain steadfast and support one another in their spiritual journeys, fostering resilience in the face of adversity.

Topics

This hadith is tagged with Warning and Trials and Tests because it conveys a cautionary message about the potential decline of faith and the importance of perseverance in maintaining one's religious commitments.

Warning Trials and Tests