Hadith about the conquest of India

Praise
be to Allah.

Firstly: 

The hadiths that speak of the conquest of India are as
follows: 

-1-

It was narrated that Thawbaan, the freed slave of the
Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), said: The
Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “There
are two groups of my ummah whom Allah will protect from the Fire: a group
who will conquer India, and a group who will be with ‘Eesaa ibn Maryam
(peace be upon him).” 

Narrated by an-Nasaa’i (no. 3175) and Imam Ahmad in al-Musnad
(37/81), Mu’sasat ar-Risaalah edn. Classed as hasan by the commentators on
al-Musnad. Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in as-Silsilah as-Saheehah
(no. 1934) 

-2-

It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with
him) said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)
promised us that we would conquer India, so if I am martyred I will be among
the best of the martyrs, and if I return then I am Abu Hurayrah the freed
(protected from Hellfire). 

This hadith was narrated via three isnaads from Abu Hurayrah. 

The first isnaad is from Jibr ibn ‘Ubaydah, from Abu Hurayrah 

It was narrated by Imam Ahmad in al-Musnad (12/28) and
others. This is a da‘eef (weak) isnaad because of Jibr ibn ‘Ubaydah. No one
narrated from him except one narrator whose name was Sayyaar ibn al-Hakam,
and no one regarded him as thiqah (trustworthy). Rather he was mentioned
only in passing by Ibn Hibbaan in ath-Thiqaat. Hence Imam adh-Dhahabi
said: It is not known who he was, and the report is odd. End quote. 

See: Tahdheeb at-Tahdheeb (2/59). 

The second isnaad is al-Bara’ ibn ‘Abdullah al-Ghanawi, from
al-Hasan al-Basri, from Abu Hurayrah, who said: 

My close friend, the truthful one, the Messenger of Allah
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) told me: “Among this ummah there
will be an expedition to Sindh and India.” If I live to see it and am
martyred, all well and good, and if I – and he said some word – return, I am
Abu Hurayrah the freed, I will be ransomed from the Fire. 

Narrated by an-Nasaa’i in as-Sunan (no. 3173) and by
Ahmad in al-Musnad (14/419). But it is also a da‘eef isnaad, because
of al-Bara’ ibn ‘Abdullah al-Ghanawi concerning whom the critics were
unanimously agreed that his hadith is layyin (a kind of weak hadith), as it
says in Tahdheeb at-Tahdheeb (1/427). Moreover, there is an
interruption in the isnaad between al-Hasan al-Basri and Abu Hurayrah (may
Allah be pleased with him). 

The third isnaad is Haashim ibn Sa‘eed, from Kinaanah ibn
Nabeeh, from Abu Hurayrah. 

This was narrated by Ibn Abi ‘Aasim in al-Jihaad (no.
247), but it is also a da‘eef isnaad because of Haashim ibn Sa‘eed,
concerning whom Ibn Ma‘een said: He is nothing. Abu Haatim said: His hadith
is da‘eef. See: Tahdheeb at-Tahdheeb (11/17). 

The fourth isnaad is from Safwaan ibn ‘Amr, from one of his
shaykhs, from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: The
Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said – and he
mentioned India – then he said: “An army of yours will invade India and
Allah will grant its conquest to them, until they bring their kings in
chains, and Allah will forgive them their sins. Then they will return and
when they return, they will find the son of Maryam in ash-Shaam (Syria).”
Abu Hurayrah said: If I live to see that campaign, I will sell everything I
possess and join the campaign. Then if Allah grants us victory and we
return, then I will be Abu Hurayrah the freed (protected from Hellfire). And
when we return to Syria we will find there ‘Eesa ibn Maryam. Then I shall
make sure that I draw close to him and tell him that I accompanied you, O
Messenger of Allah. The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be
upon him) smiled and said: “Unlikely, unlikely.” [very difficult?]  

Narrated by Na‘eem ibn Hammaad in al-Fitan (p. 409).
Its isnaad includes a narrator who was ambiguous about his narration from
Abu Hurayrah. Its isnaad also includes Baqiyyah ibn al-Waleed who is
mudallis and narrated by saying ‘an (“from”). 

-3-

The third hadith is: 

“Some people of my ummah will invade India and Allah will
enable them to conquer it, until they bring the kings of India in chains,
and Allah will forgive them their sins. Then they will return to ash-Shaam
(Syria) and they will find ‘Eesa ibn Maryam in Syria.” 

Narrated by Na‘eem ibn Hammaad in al-Fitan (p. 399).
He said: al-Waleed told us, from Safwaan ibn ‘Amr, from someone who told
him, from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). 

This isnaad is obviously da‘eef, because al-Waleed ibn Muslim
narrated it by saying ‘an (“from”). It also appears to be mursal, because
there is no indication that the one who told Safwaan ibn ‘Amr heard it from
the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) or that he was a
Sahaabi. 

So to sum up: the hadith of Thawbaan is the one that is
saheeh concerning the conquest of India. As for the hadith of Abu Hurayrah,
most of its isnaads are da‘eef (weak). And Allah knows best. 

Secondly: 

What appears to be the case from the apparent meaning of the
hadith of Thawbaan and the hadith of Abu Hurayrah – if it is saheeh – is
that the conquest of India referred to will occur at the end of time, and at
a time close to the descent of ‘Eesa ibn Maryam (peace be upon him), not at
a time that was close to the era of Mu‘aawiyah ibn Abi Sufyaan (may Allah be
pleased with him). 

Al-Haafiz Ibn Katheer (may Allah be pleased with him) said: 

The Muslims invaded India at the time of Mu‘aawiyah, in 44
AH, and there occurred things which will be explained below. It was also
invaded by the great ruler Mahmoud ibn Sabuktagin, the ruler of Ghaznah who
conquered India around 400 AH. He invaded the land, where he killed, took
prisoners, and captured booty. He entered Somnath where he broke the
greatest idol that they used to worship, and he captured its swords and
necklaces. Then he returned, safe and victorious. End quote. 

Al-Bidaayah wa’n-Nihaayah
(6/223) 

Hence al-‘Allaamah Hammood at-Tuwaijri (may Allah have mercy
on him) said: 

What is mentioned in the hadith of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah
have mercy on him), which was narrated by Na‘eem ibn Hammaad, about the
conquest of India has not happened up till now, but it will happen when
‘Eesaa ibn Maryam (peace be upon him) descends, if the hadith that says that
is saheeh. And Allah knows best. End quote. 

Ithaaf al-Jamaa‘ah
(1/366) 

And Allah knows best.