Arabic Text
عن ابن عباس رضي الله عنهما قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم:
«عُرِضَتْ عَلَيَّ الأممُ؛ فرأيْتُ النبيَّ ومعه الرُّهيط، والنبيَّ ومعه الرجلُ والرجلانِ، والنبيَّ وليس معه أحدٌ. إذ رُفع لي سوادٌ عظيم فظننت أنهم أمتي، فقيل لي: هذا موسى وقومه، ولكن انظر إلى الأفق، فنظرت فإذا سوادٌ عظيم، فقيل لي: انظر إلى الأفق الآخر، فإذا سوادٌ عظيم، فقيل لي: هذه أمتك، ومعهم سبعون ألفًا يدخلون الجنة بغير حساب ولا عذاب».
ثم نهض فدخل منزله، فخاض الناس في أولئك الذين يدخلون الجنة بغير حساب ولا عذاب، فقال بعضهم: فلعلهم الذين صحبوا رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، وقال بعضهم: فلعلهم الذين ولدوا في الإسلام فلم يشركوا بالله شيئًا. فخرج عليهم رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فقال:
«ما الذي تخوضون فيه؟» فأخبروه، فقال:
«هم الذين لا يرقون، ولا يسترقون، ولا يتطيرون، وعلى ربهم يتوكلون».
فقام عكاشة بن محصن فقال: ادع الله أن يجعلني منهم، فقال: «أنت منهم». ثم قام رجل آخر فقال: ادع الله أن يجعلني منهم، فقال: «سبقك بها عكاشة». متفق عليه.
Translation
Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them both, reported that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
“Nations were shown to me. I saw a prophet with a small band, a prophet with a man or two, and a prophet with no one with him. Then a great mass was raised before me, and I thought that they were my nation. It was said to me: This is Moses and his people. But look toward the horizon. So I looked and saw a great mass. Then it was said to me: Look to the other horizon. So I looked and saw a great mass. It was said to me: This is your nation, and with them are seventy thousand who will enter Paradise without reckoning or punishment.”
Then he stood up and entered his dwelling, and the people began speaking about those who enter Paradise without reckoning or punishment. Some of them said: Perhaps they are the ones who accompanied the Messenger of Allah. Others said: Perhaps they are those who were born in Islam and never associated anything with Allah. Then the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, came out and said:
“What are you discussing?” They informed him, and he said:
“They are those who do not ask others to perform ruqyah for them, do not believe in bad omens, and place their trust in their Lord.”
Then ʿUkashah ibn Mihsan stood and said: “Supplicate Allah that He make me among them.” He said: “You are among them.” Then another man stood and said: “Supplicate Allah that He make me among them.” He said: “You have been preceded by ʿUkashah.”
1. Connection to the Chapter
This hadith belongs under اليقين والتوكل because it is one of the clearest descriptions of the kind of heart that reaches high certainty and true reliance on Allah. The seventy thousand are not praised for status, lineage, or outward fame, but for an inward state: they do not depend on omens, do not cling to people for their healing needs, and rest their hearts on Allah alone.
The hadith also fits the chapter because it shows what yaqin and tawakkul look like when they mature into real conduct. Such people are not ruled by fear, superstition, or dependence on creation. Their hearts are anchored in Allah, and that anchoring is what makes them fit for Paradise without reckoning.
2. Key Words Meaning
عُرِضَتْ — was shown or presented; this was a divine unveiling of realities.
الرُّهيط — a small group, a tiny band; few followers compared to the message brought.
سواد عظيم — a great mass or vast crowd; a large visible gathering of people.
بغير حساب ولا عذاب — without reckoning or punishment; a special mercy and honor from Allah.
لا يرقون — according to the wording here, not seeking ruqyah from others; scholars have discussed this wording, and the intended sense is not to reject lawful ruqyah, but to show a lofty level of self-reliance upon Allah.
لا يسترقون — do not ask others to perform ruqyah for them; they do not lean on people for this need.
لا يتطيرون — do not believe in bad omens; they are not ruled by superstition.
وعلى ربهم يتوكلون — they place their trust in their Lord; this is the root of the whole description.
سبقك بها عكاشة — ʿUkashah has preceded you in it; a gentle closing that ends further requests.
3. Hadith Lessons
The first lesson is that the truth is not measured by numbers. Many prophets came with only a few followers, and some with none at all, yet they remained true. This removes the heart from measuring success by crowds and popularity. The believer learns that nearness to Allah may belong to a small, hidden group.
The second lesson is that the seventy thousand are distinguished by inward freedom. They are not ruled by omens, not bound by dependence on people, and not weakened by superstition. This means that certainty in Allah creates a heart that is clean, direct, and unenslaved.
The third lesson is that relying on Allah is not a slogan; it is a way of life. The heart that truly trusts Allah does not collapse when means are few. It uses the means without worshipping them, and it seeks healing, help, and relief without making its soul needy before creation.
The fourth lesson is that not every lawful thing is the highest thing. Asking others for ruqyah is not inherently forbidden, but the seventy thousand are described by a level of trust so complete that they do not need to depend on people. That is a mark of spiritual strength, not a burden on the rest of the الأمة.
The fifth lesson is in ʿUkashah’s moment. He asked directly and was answered directly. Then the second man was gently turned away with wisdom. That shows the Prophet’s mercy and his ability to close a door without humiliating anyone. It also teaches that honor belongs to Allah alone to grant.
4. Special Reflections
This hadith speaks powerfully to a modern age full of anxiety, compulsive reassurance, and superstition in new forms. People may not fear birds or omens the old way, but they often live by signs, patterns, messages, and emotional readings that quietly govern their decisions. The hadith calls the believer back to solid trust.
It also corrects a subtle weakness in spiritual life: the habit of overdependence. Many people lean too quickly on other people for emotional, social, or spiritual steadiness. Islam does not forbid help, but it does call the heart to rise above neediness so that trust remains with Allah.
The strongest line in the hadith is وعلى ربهم يتوكلون. It gathers the whole description. Not asking for ruqyah, not fearing omens, and not depending on causes in a broken way are all manifestations of the same reality: the heart has settled upon its Lord. That kind of reliance is not emptiness; it is fullness.
5. Three Questions to Close With
- Do I let omens, emotions, or signs govern me, or do I place my heart on Allah?
- Where do I lean on creation more than I lean on my Lord?
- If my trust in Allah were tested by fear, uncertainty, or lack, would it still stand firm?