Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal: Book 5, Hadith 138
It was narrated from `Ali bin Husain, from his father, that His grandfather `Ali bin Abi Talib (رضي الله عنه) said: When the Khawarij rebelled and fought in An-Nahrawan, ‘Ali (رضي الله عنه) stood before his companions and said: These people have shed blood that it is forbidden to shed and have raided the flocks of the people. They are the closest of the enemy to you, but if you go to your enemy, I am afraid that these people may attack what you leave behind. I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: `Some rebels will emerge from my ummah, your prayer will be as nothing compared to their prayer, and your fasting will be as nothing compared to their fasting, and your recitation will be as nothing compared to their recitation. They will recite the Qur`an, thinking that it is in their favour, but it will be against them; it will go no further than their throats. They will pass out of Islam as the arrow passes out of the prey. The sign of that is that among them will be a man who has an upper arm but no forearm, and on it will be something like the nipple of a breast, on which will be some white hairs.` If the army that fights them knew what reward they will have, as spoken on the lips of their Prophet (ﷺ), they would cease striving and rely on that. March forth in the Name of Allah. And he narrated the hadeeth at length.
حَدَّثَنَا يَعْقُوبُ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي، عَنِ ابْنِ إِسْحَاقَ، حَدَّثَنِي حَكِيمُ بْنُ حَكِيمِ بْنِ عَبَّادِ بْنِ حُنَيْفٍ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ مُسْلِمِ بْنِ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ شِهَابٍ، عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ حُسَيْنٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ جَدِّهِ، عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي طَالِبٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ دَخَلَ عَلَيَّ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَعَلَى فَاطِمَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهَا مِنْ اللَّيْلِ فَأَيْقَظَنَا لِلصَّلَاةِ قَالَ ثُمَّ رَجَعَ إِلَى بَيْتِهِ فَصَلَّى هَوِيًّا مِنْ اللَّيْلِ قَالَ فَلَمْ يَسْمَعْ لَنَا حِسًّا قَالَ فَرَجَعَ إِلَيْنَا فَأَيْقَظَنَا وَقَالَ قُومَا فَصَلِّيَا قَالَ فَجَلَسْتُ وَأَنَا أَعْرُكُ عَيْنِي وَأَقُولُ إِنَّا وَاللَّهِ مَا نُصَلِّي إِلَّا مَا كُتِبَ لَنَا إِنَّمَا أَنْفُسُنَا بِيَدِ اللَّهِ فَإِذَا شَاءَ أَنْ يَبْعَثَنَا بَعَثَنَا قَالَ فَوَلَّى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَهُوَ يَقُولُ وَيَضْرِبُ بِيَدِهِ عَلَى فَخِذِهِ مَا نُصَلِّي إِلَّا مَا كُتِبَ لَنَا مَا نُصَلِّي إِلَّا مَا كُتِبَ لَنَا {وَكَانَ الْإِنْسَانُ أَكْثَرَ شَيْءٍ جَدَلًا}.
Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal: Book 5, Hadith 138
The above hadith is from the Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal collection of hadiths. Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal’s Musnad represents one of the largest and most significant early collections of prophetic traditions. This massive compilation is uniquely arranged by the names of the companions (Sahabah), devoting individual chapters to each one to consolidate all the narrations they are known to have transmitted. This approach offers profound insights into the teachings and actions of the Prophet Muhammad from the perspective of those who knew him best. The collection is universally esteemed for its authenticity and historical value, serving as a critical resource for scholars. However, because it aims for breadth, it encompasses a wide range of narrations, including some that experts have identified as having less reliable chains of narration alongside its many strong ones.
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For more Hadith in Book 5: Musnad ‘Ali Ibn Abi Talib