In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.

Question to Imaam Muhammad Ibn Saaleh Al-Uthaymeen [may Allaah have mercy upon him]: May Allaah reward you. We are seeking an answer for this question regarding how to reconcile the hadiths: “There will not ceased to be a group amongst my Ummah upon the truth – manifest; neither harmed by those who betray (or forsake) them nor by those who oppose them until ‘Allaah’s Command comes to pass’ and the hadith “The hour (i.e. day of Judgement) will not be established except upon the most evil people”.

Response: All praise be to Allaah, Lord of the worlds, and may Allaah’s peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, and all his family and companions. Neither is it possible for the Qur’an to contradict itself nor is it possible for the authentic Sunnah that was reported from Allaah’s Messenger [peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him] to contradict itself, nor is it possible for the authentic Sunnah to contradict the Qur’aan vice versa. Neither is it possible for the Qur’an and the Sunnah to contradict (what the true reality is and should be) nor is it possible for the Qur’aan and authentic Sunnah to contradict sound (uncorrupted) intellect (reasoning), because the Qur’an is the speech of Allaah, and Allaah [The Exalted] said:[ أَفَلَا يَتَدَبَّرُونَ ٱلۡقُرۡءَانَ‌ۚ وَلَوۡ كَانَ مِنۡ عِندِ غَيۡرِ ٱللَّهِ لَوَجَدُواْ فِيهِ ٱخۡتِلَـٰفً۬ا ڪَثِيرً۬ا – Do they not then consider the Quran carefully? Had it been from other than Allah, they would surely have found therein much contradictions]. [Surah An-Nisaa. Aayah 82]

This is because Allaah’s speech is (absolute) truth and truth can never contradict itself. Also, the same applies to the authentic Prophetic Sunnah, it is (absolute) truth and can never contradict itself. So, based on this principle, we proceed to answer the question. The Messenger’s statement, “There will not cease to be a group amongst my Ummah upon the truth- manifest; neither harmed by those who betray (or forsake) them nor those who oppose them until “Allaah’s Command come to pass”, and in another report, “Until the hour (i.e. Day of Judgement) is established”: The intent behind the phrase Amrullaah (Allaah’s Command) in this hadith is when the believers and pious friends of Allaah pass away- when the day of Judgement is very close. (As for the hadith), “The hour will not be established except upon the most evil people”, this means that when the believers and the pious die, only the most evil people will remain, and upon them the Hour will be established.

[Noor Alad-Darb. Number 272]