Rasoolullaah Sallallaahu `Alayhi Wa Sallam said: “There shall emerge 12,000 men from `Aden Abyan who shall aid Allaah and His Rasool (Sallallaahu `Alayhi Wa Sallam), they are the best of people between me and them.” – Musnad Ahmad This short booklet discusses the status of the chain of this Hadeeth and its authenticity.

1. ‫نأ‬
The Hadeeth of `Aden, Abyan.
By: Ubaidullah Ibn Adam Aal-Ebrahim
Darul Ilm Publications
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2. Introduction:
Bismillaahir Rahmaanir Raheem
Alhamdulillaahi rabbil `aalameen, was salaatu was salaamu `alaa ashrafil anbiyaa’i wal mursaleen,
nabiyyinaa muhammadiw wa`alaa aalihi wa sahbihi ajma`een, wa bad:
All Praise is due to Allaah the Lord of the worlds, peace and salutations upon the most noble of prophets
and messengers, our prophet Muhammad (Sallallaahu `Alayhi Wa Sallam), his family and companions.
As for what follows:
With the growing number of Mujaahideen in Yemen, a Hadeeth has come to the forefront and has been
circulating around the internet, it is the Hadeeth which speaks of `Aden Abyan, as a result people have
wanted to know whether the Hadeeth is authentic or not, due to people saying all sorts of things
regarding it, casting doubts on its authenticity, claiming it is being taken out of context etc, Wal `Iyaadhu
Billaahi Ta`aalaa.
So I have endeavored in this short article to clarify the issue, and I ask Allaah to accept this effort of
mine, and to make it a means of blessing for myself, my family and my teachers, and a means of benefit
for the Ummah at large.
Everything that is correct is from Allaah, and any mistakes are from myself and Shaytaan.
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3. The Hadeeth:
، $‫َ !% َ َ$ ُ ا # !ا ِ، َ ِ ا ْ ُ ْ ِر ْ ِ ا ْ َ ن ا ْ َ ْ َ ِ، َ ل: + ِ ْ* وه‬
ًْ َ ُ َ َ ِ ِ ‫َ ْ !ز ق‬
‫ُ0 / ُ، َ ِ ا ْ ِ َ$ ٍ، َ ل: َ ل ر ُ5ل ا4 3!1 ا4 َ2 ْ7 و+26: " َ:#ج‬
ُ ُْ َ !َ َ ِ َ ُ 2َ ِ ُ + َ َ َ ‫! س‬ ‫َث‬
;ِ ْ َ ْ < #ْ = ْ6‫< ْ َ َن أ ْ َ َ ا% َ َ@# أ ْ? ، َ ْ> ُون ا4 ور ُ5َ ُ، ه‬
َ ُ َ ُ 7 +َ َ َ َ #ُ ً َََ ْ َِ ِ
" ِ ِ 0ْ ‫ْ، َ + َ ْ7 َ ْ ه َا ا‬C‫6ْ " َ ل ِ; < ْ َ ٌ: " اذْه‬Aَ ْ َ ‫و‬
َ َ ُ ْ َ # َ َ ُ َ
Imaam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal Rahimahullaah narrates in his Musnad: `Abdur Razzaaq narrated to us, from
Al-Mundhir Ibn An-Nu`maan Al-Aftas who said: I heard Wahb narrating from Ibn `Abbaas (Radhiallaahu
‘Anhumaa) who said: Rasoolullaah Sallallaahu `Alayhi Wa Sallam said: “There shall emerge 12,000 men
from Aden Abyan who shall aid Allaah and His Rasool (Sallallaahu `Alayhi Wa Sallam), they are the
best of people between me and them.” Ma`mar told me: “Go, and ask him (`Abdur Razzaaq) about this
Hadeeth.”
Detailed discussion regarding its Sanad (chain):
1: `Abdur Razzaaq. He is The Imaam, Abu Bakr `Abdur Razzaaq Ibn Humaam Ibn Naafi` Al-Himyaree Al-
Yamaanee As-San`aanee, he passed away in 211 A.H.
He is well known for his Musannaf “Al-Jaami` ul Kabeer” which is better known as “Musannaf `Abdur
Razzaaq”
Imaam Ibn Hibbaan Rahimahullaah mentions him in Ath-Thiqaat, thereby attesting to his
trustworthiness.
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4. Imaam Al-Mizzee Rahimahullaah mentions in At-Tadheebul Kamaal Fee Asmaa’ir Rijaal that Ahmad Ibn
Saalih Al-Misree Rahimahullaah asked Imaam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal Rahimahullaah: “Have you seen anyone
better in hadeeth than `Abdur Razzaaq?” Imaam Ahmad replied: “No.”
He also narrates that Imaam Abu Zur`ah Rahimahullaah said: “`Abdur Razzaaq is one of those people
whose narrations are strong.”
2: Al-Mundhir Ibn An-Nu`maan. He is Al-Mundhir ibn An-Nu`maan Al-Aftas Al-Yamaanee As-San`aanee.
Imaam Ibn Abi Haatim Rahimahullaah reports in Al-Jarhu Wat-Ta`deel that Imaam Yahyaa Ibn Ma`een
Rahimaullaah rated him as Thiqah (trustworthy).
Imaam Ibn Hibbaan Rahimahullaah has mentioned him in Ath-Thiqaat.
3: Wahb. He is Abu `Abdillaah Wahb Ibn Munabbih Ibn Kaamil As-San’aanee Adh-Dhimaaree.
He has been mentioned by Imaam ibn HIbbaan Rahimahullaah in Ath-Thiqaat.
Imaam Abu Haatim Rahimahullaah narrates in Al-Jarhu Wat-Ta`deel that Imaam Abu Zur`ah was asked
concerning Wahb Ibn Munabbih, so he replied: “He is Thiqah.”
Imaam Al-Mizzee Rahimahullaah reports in At-Tahdheebul Kamaal Fee Asmaa’ir Rijaal that Imaam An-
Nasaa’ee Rahimahullaah also rated him as Thiqah.
4: Ibn `Abbaas. He is the great Sahaabi, `Abdullaah Ibn `Abbaas Ibn `Abdul Muttalib Radhiallaahu
`Anhumaa.
The Sahaabah are not even up for discussion in this regard, because all the Sahaabah are trustworthy.
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5. So the Hadeeth is Saheeh (authentic), there are no weaknesses in it, neither from the Matn (text) nor
from the Sanad (chain).
Imaam At-Tabaraanee Rahimahullaah reports the same Hadeeth in his Al-Mu`jam Al-Kabeer, with the
only addition being Is’haaq Ad-Dabariyy, after that it goes through `Abdur Razzaaq etc just like the chain
of Imaam Ahmad Rahimahullaah, and he did not report the ending words of Ma`mar Rahimahullaah.
Explanation of the Hadeeth:
The Hadeeth itself is clear enough to not require an explanation, and it is also clear that it is referring to
12,000 Mujaahideen, who shall aid the Deen (Religion) of Allaah.
Because Yemen is a blessed land which has always been good for Islaam and its people, so much so that
it comes in a narration which Imaam Ahmad Rahimahullaah reports in his Musnad, that Rasoolullaah
`Alayhi Wa Sallam said: “I find the aid of your Lord from the direction of Yemen.”
The Muhadditheen have spoken on this narration, some of them regarding it as weak, while some like
Haafidh Al-`Iraaqee Rahimahullaah accepting it and saying (in Takhreej Ahaadeeth Al-Ihyaa): “Its
narrators are trustworthy.”
Then there is a Ghareeb Hadeeth which Imaam At-Tirmidhi Rahimahullaah reports in his Sunan, and he
says the more correct view is that this is actually Mawqoof (i.e. that it’s his words and not a Hadeeth of
Rasoolullaah Sallallaahu `Alayhi Wa Sallam) on Hadhrat Anas Ibn Maalik Radhiallaahu `Anhu, but it says:
“Al-Azd (a Yemeni tribe) are the lions of Allaah on the earth, the people intend to degrade them,
however Allaah refuses but to elevate them, and there shall come upon the people a time when a man
shall say: O if only my father was an Azdee! O if only my mother was an Azdiyyaah!”
Yemen and its people have been spoken well of by Rasoolullaah Sallallaahu `Alayhi Wa Sallam, such as
“The Yemenis have come, they are the softest hearted people, Eemaan (faith) is in Yemen, Fiqh
(understanding) is in Yemen, and Hikmah (wisdom) is in Yemen” - Saheeh Muslim.
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6. It is also a place that Rasoolullaah Sallallaahu `Alayhi Wa Sallam made Du`aa for: “O Allaah bless us in
our Shaam (the Levant), and in our Yemen.” – Saheeh Al-Bukhaari.
There are a number of other Ahaadeeth also in praise of Yemen, but that is a topic on its own.
So what is clear from this is that we can expect 12,000 Mujaahideen from `Aden Abyan, who will be a
source of strength for the Muslim Ummah, and with the permission of Allaah they will be victorious over
their enemies.
O Allaah! Protect and safeguard the Mujaahideen, and grant them victory over the Kaafireen, and
establish Your Sharee’ah in every corner of the globe Yaa Arhamar Raahimeen.
Wa Aakhiru Da`waanaa Anilhamdu Lillaahi Rabbil `Aalameen.
Written on: Monday 6th Rabee` Al-Awwal 1433 in accordance with the 30th January 2012.
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