Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal: Book 5, Hadith 712
It was narrated from Hanash bin al-Mu`tamir that `Ali (رضي الله عنه) was in Yemen and they dug a trap for a lion. One man came and fell into it; he grabbed onto another, who grabbed onto another, who grabbed onto another, until there were four of them. The lion wounded them, and some of them died in the pit and some of them were taken out and then died. They disputed about that until they took up arms (against one another). `Ali (رضي الله عنه) came to them and said: `If I am a person`s mawla (friend and supporter) then `Ali is also his mawla.” And the people added after that: `So take as friends those who take him as a friend and take as enemies those who take him as an enemy.”
حَدَّثَنَا بَهْزٌ، وَعَفَّانُ الْمَعْنَى، قَالَا حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادُ بْنُ سَلَمَةَ، أَخْبَرَنَا سِمَاكٌ، عَنْ حَنَشِ بْنِ الْمُعْتَمِرِ، أَنَّ عَلِيًّا، رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ كَانَ بِالْيَمَنِ فَاحْتَفَرُوا زُبْيَةً لِلْأَسَدِ فَجَاءَ حَتَّى وَقَعَ فِيهَا رَجُلٌ وَتَعَلَّقَ بِآخَرَ وَتَعَلَّقَ الْآخَرُ بِآخَرَ وَتَعَلَّقَ الْآخَرُ بِآخَرَ حَتَّى صَارُوا أَرْبَعَةً فَجَرَحَهُمْ الْأَسَدُ فِيهَا فَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ مَاتَ فِيهَا وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ أُخْرِجَ فَمَاتَ قَالَ فَتَنَازَعُوا فِي ذَلِكَ حَتَّى أَخَذُوا السِّلَاحَ قَالَ فَأَتَاهُمْ عَلِيٌّ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ فَقَالَ وَيْلَكُمْ تَقْتُلُونَ مِائَتَيْ إِنْسَانٍ فِي شَأْنِ أَرْبَعَةِ أَنَاسِيَّ تَعَالَوْا أَقْضِ بَيْنَكُمْ بِقَضَاءٍ فَإِنْ رَضِيتُمْ بِهِ وَإِلَّا فَارْتَفِعُوا إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ فَقَضَى لِلْأَوَّلِ رُبُعَ دِيَةٍ وَلِلثَّانِي ثُلُثَ دِيَةٍ وَلِلثَّالِثِ نِصْفَ دِيَةٍ وَلِلرَّابِعِ الدِّيَةَ كَامِلَةً قَالَ فَرَضِيَ بَعْضُهُمْ وَكَرِهَ بَعْضُهُمْ وَجَعَلَ الدِّيَةَ عَلَى قَبَائِلِ الَّذِينَ ازْدَحَمُوا قَالَ فَارْتَفَعُوا إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ بَهْزٌ قَالَ حَمَّادٌ أَحْسَبُهُ قَالَ كَانَ مُتَّكِئًا فَاحْتَبَى قَالَ سَأَقْضِي بَيْنَكُمْ بِقَضَاءٍ قَالَ فَأُخْبِرَ أَنَّ عَلِيًّا رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَضَى بِكَذَا وَكَذَا قَالَ فَأَمْضَى قَضَاءَهُ قَالَ عَفَّانُ سَأَقْضِي بَيْنَكُمْ.
Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal: Book 5, Hadith 712
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