How Is the Hadith “No One Alive Would Remain After a Hundred Years” Understood Despite Abu al-Tufayl Living Longer?

Answered by Mawlana Ilyas Patel

Question

How is the Prophet’s (Allah bless him and give him peace) statement that no one alive at that time would remain after one hundred years reconciled with reports that Abu al-Tufayl lived beyond that period, even though the statement was made after the Tabuk expedition (9 AH)?

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate

I pray you are in good faith and health. Thank you for your question.

In fact, it is worth noting that the demise of the last companion in 110 AH confirms the truth of the hadith in which the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said during the last days of his life, “Do you realize [the significance] of this night?

For verily, after one hundred years from tonight, no one [currently living] on the surface of earth will be alive. Read the link below for details.

Complete Hadith

Abdullah bin Umar (Allah be pleased with him): Once the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) led us in the Isha’ prayer during the last days of his life, and after finishing it (the prayer) (with Taslim), he said: “Do you realize (the importance of) this night?” Nobody present on the surface of the earth tonight will be living after the completion of one hundred years from this night.” [Bukhari]

Currently Present Will Not Remain Alive

None of those who are on the surface of the earth will remain” means: no one who is currently present at that time will remain alive then.

This interpretation is established by the author through the narration of Shuʿayb from al-Zuhri, as will come later in the Book of Prayer, along with the rest of the discussion on it.

Ibn Battal said: The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace)only intended that this period would bring an end to the generation they were in, so he admonished them about the shortness of their lifespans and informed them that their lifespans were not like those of the earlier nations, so that they would strive harder in worship.

Imam Nawawi said: What is meant is that everyone who was on the earth that night would not live for more than one hundred years after that night, regardless of whether their age before that was short or not. This does not negate the lives of anyone born after that night who lives beyond one hundred years.

Understanding of Prophetic Hadiths

Prophetic statements must be understood in their intended contexts, and one should always ask scholars for a detailed explanation. [Ibn Hajr al-Asqalani, Fath al-Bari]

And Allah knows best.

[Mawlana] Ilyas Patel
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

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Mawlana Ilyas Patel has received traditional education in various countries. He started his schooling in the UK and completed his hifz of the Quran in India. After that, he joined an Islamic seminary in the UK, where he studied secular and Aalimiyya sciences. Later, he traveled to Karachi, Pakistan, and other Middle Eastern countries to further his education. Mawlana has served as an Imam in the Republic of Ireland for several years and taught the Quran and other Islamic sciences to both children and adults. He also worked as a teacher and librarian at a local Islamic seminary in the UK for 12 years. Presently, he lives in the UK with his wife and is interested in books and gardening.

قَوْلُهُ: (لَا يَبْقَى مِمَّنْ هُوَ عَلَى ظَهْرِ الْأَرْضِ) أَيِ الْآنَ مَوْجُودًا أَحَدٌ إِذْ ذَاكَ، وَقَدْ ثَبَتَ هَذَا التَّقْدِيرُ عِنْدَ الْمُصَنِّفِ مِنْ رِوَايَةِ شُعَيْبٍ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ كَمَا سَيَأْتِي فِي الصَّلَاةِ مَعَ بَقِيَّةِ الْكَلَامِ عَلَيْهِ، قَالَ ابْنُ بَطَّالٍ: إِنَّمَا أَرَادَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَنَّ هَذِهِ الْمُدَّةَ تَخْتَرِمُ الْجِيلَ الَّذِي هُمْ فِيهِ، فَوَعَظَهُمْ بِقِصَرِ أَعْمَارِهِمْ، وَأَعْلَمَهُمْ أَنَّ أَعْمَارَهُمْ لَيْسَتْ كَأَعْمَارِ مَنْ تَقَدَّمَ مِنَ الْأُمَمِ لِيَجْتَهِدُوا فِي الْعِبَادَةِ. وَقَالَ النَّوَوِيُّ: الْمُرَادُ أَنَّ كُلَّ مَنْ كَانَ تِلْكَ اللَّيْلَةِ عَلَى الْأَرْضِ لَا يَعِيشُ بَعْدَ هَذِهِ اللَّيْلَةِ أَكْثَرَ مِنْ مِائَةِ سَنَةٍ، سَوَاءً قَلَّ عُمْرُهُ قَبْلَ ذَلِكَ أَمْ لَا، وَلَيْسَ فِيهِ نَفْيُ حَيَاةِ أَحَدٍ يُولَدُ بَعْدَ تِلْكَ اللَّيْلَةِ مِائَةَ سَنَةٍ. وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ.

الكتاب: فتح الباري بشرح البخاري
المؤلف: أحمد بن علي بن حجر العسقلاني (٧٧٣ – ٨٥٢ هـ)
رقم كتبه وأبوابه وأحاديثه: محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي [ت ١٣٨٨ هـ]