IMAM ABU AL-FIDA' ISMA'IL IBN KATH~R 205Shurayk informed us, Nu(aym b. Hammad related to us, quoting 'Abd Allah b.
al-Mub-ilk, Hashraj b. Nubata informed us, from Sa'id b. Jumhan, from Safina,
freed-man of the Messenger of God (SAAS), who said, 'Abn Bakr brought a
stone and placed it down, then Wmar did the same, then Wthman did the same.
The Messenger of God (SAAS) commented, LThese will succeed to power after
myself."'
He (al-Bayhaqi) then related this from a hadith of Yahya b. 'Abd al-Hamid
al-Himmani, from Hasbraj, from Sacid, from Safina, who said, "When the
Messenger of God (SAAS) built a mosque he put down a stone, saying, 'Let
Aba Bakr place a stone next to mine; let Wmar place his next to that of AbLi
Bakr, and let Wthmzn place his next to that of Wmar.' The Messenger of God
(SAAS) then said, "These shall be the Caliphs after me."
This hadith through this Line of transmission is gharib, "unique".
What is well known is what Imam Ahmad related, from Aba al-NaQr, from
Hashraj b. Nabata al-'Absi, and from Bahz and Zayd b. al-Habbiib, and 'Abd
al-Samad, and Hammad b. Salama, both authorities quoting Sa'id b. Jamhan
from Safina, who said, "I heard the Messenger of God (SAAS) say, 'The
Caliphate period will last for 30 years. Then thereafter will come the kingdom
period.' Safina then commented, 'Count! The Caliphate of Abii Bakr lasted 2
years, that of Wmar 10 years, that of Wthman 12 years, and that of CAli 6
years."'
This wording is that of Ahmad.
Aba Daad, al-Tirmidhi and al-Nasa'i related it through various lines from
Sa'id b. Jamhan. Al-Tirmidhi stated, "This hadith is hasan, 'good'. We know of
it only in this form and with the alternate wording, 'The Caliphate after me will
be for 30 years, and then will come a mordacious kingdom era."' He then related
the remainder of the tradition.
I would comment that when first built the mosque of the Prophet (SAAS) had
no minbar from which to address the congregation. He would speak while lean-
ing against a palm tree trunk in the wall next to the qrbla near where be prayed.
Eventually be began to use a minbar, as we will explain in its proper place. As
he moved over towards it to make his address from it and passed by that tree
trunk, it moaned like a love-lorne camel because it had always heard his
speeches delivered near itself. And so the Prophet (SAAS) returned to it and
hugged it until it settled down, just like a baby, and became quiet. Details of this
will be given hereafter through various lines, from Sahl b. Sa'd al-Sacidi, Jabir,
'Abd Allah b. Wmar, 'Abd All& b. 'Abb~s, Anas b. Mzlik and Umm Salama,
God be pleased with them.
What more appropriate than the comment made by al-Hasan al-Basri after
relating this story, from Anas b. Malik, "0 Muslims! A piece of wood so pining
for the Messenger of God (SAAS)! Do not men hoping to meet him have even
more right to yearn for him?"