What is Sunan Abu Dawud 4317 about?

This hadith from Sunan Abu Dawud (Book of Battles (Kitab Al-Malahim)), narrated by Hudhaifa and Abu Mas’ud got together and Hudhaifah said:, states: "I know best what the Dajjal (Antichrist) will have with him. He will have with him a sea of water and a river of fire, and what you see as fire will be water and what you sea as water will be fire. If…"

Is this hadith authentic?

This hadith is graded Da'if. The grade indicates the level of authenticity based on the chain of narration and content analysis.

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 4317 in the Book of Battles (Kitab Al-Malahim).

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Sunan Abu Dawud #4317

Battles (Kitab Al-Malahim)

Da'if

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

حَدَّثَنَا الْحَسَنُ بْنُ عَمْرٍو، حَدَّثَنَا جَرِيرٌ، عَنْ مَنْصُورٍ، عَنْ رِبْعِيِّ بْنِ حِرَاشٍ، قَالَ اجْتَمَعَ حُذَيْفَةُ وَأَبُو مَسْعُودٍ فَقَالَ حُذَيْفَةُ لأَنَا بِمَا مَعَ الدَّجَّالِ أَعْلَمُ مِنْهُ إِنَّ مَعَهُ بَحْرًا مِنْ مَاءٍ وَنَهْرًا مِنْ نَارٍ فَالَّذِي تَرَوْنَ أَنَّهُ نَارٌ مَاءٌ وَالَّذِي تَرَوْنَ أَنَّهُ مَاءٌ نَارٌ فَمَنْ أَدْرَكَ ذَلِكَ مِنْكُمْ فَأَرَادَ الْمَاءَ فَلْيَشْرَبْ مِنَ الَّذِي يَرَى أَنَّهُ نَارٌ فَإِنَّهُ سَيَجِدُهُ مَاءً ‏.‏ قَالَ أَبُو مَسْعُودٍ الْبَدْرِيُّ هَكَذَا سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ ‏.‏

I know best what the Dajjal (Antichrist) will have with him. He will have with him a sea of water and a river of fire, and what you see as fire will be water and what you sea as water will be fire. If any of you who lives up to that time and desires water, he should drink from what he sees as fire, for he will find it water. Abu Mas’ud al-Badri said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say in this way.

Narrated by Hudhaifa and Abu Mas’ud got together and Hudhaifah said:

Context

In this narration, the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) warns about the deceptive nature of the Dajjal (Antichrist) and the confusion that will arise during his time. He describes a scenario where what appears to be fire is actually water, and vice versa. This serves as a cautionary message about discernment and the importance of seeking truth amidst deception.

Modern Application

Today, this hadith can be related to the importance of critical thinking and discernment in the face of misinformation. It encourages individuals to seek knowledge and verify information before accepting it as truth, especially in a world filled with conflicting narratives.

Topics

This hadith is tagged with Day of Judgment and Warning because it addresses the signs of the Last Hour and serves as a warning to be vigilant against deception.

Day of Judgment Warning