Hadith 103

(The book) ‘Yaqeen Fi Imarate Amir Al Momineen-asws’, from the book ‘Al Manaqib’ of Ahmad Bin Mardawayh, from Ismail Bin Ali Al Wasity, from Al Haysam Bin Adayy Al Taie, from Hammad Bin Isa, from Ali Bin Hashim, from his father and Ibn Uzina, from Aban Bin Taghlib, from Muslim who said, ‘I heard Abu Zarr-ra and Al-Miqdad Bin Al-Aswad-ra and Salman Al-Farsi-ra saying, ‘We-ra were seated in the presence of Rasool-Allah-saww, there was no one else with him-saww apart from us-ra, when a group of three from the Emigrants of the participants of Badr, came. Rasool-Allah-saww said: ‘My-saww community will separate after me-saww into three sects – a sect of the people of truth, not resembling with the falsehood. Their example is like an example of the gold. Every time it is burnt in the fire, it increases in goodness, and their Imam-asws is this, one of the three, and he-asws is the one-asws Allah-azwj has Commanded with in His-azwj Book, and a Mercy. And a sect of the people of falsehood, not resembling with truth. An example of them is like an example of the iron. Every time it is burnt in the fire it increases in wickedness and stench. Their imam is one of the three; and a sect of the people of straying, wavering, neither towards these ones nor towards those; [4: 143]. Their imam is one of the three’. He-ra said, ‘I-ra asked him-saww about the people of the truth and their Imam-asws. He-saww said: ‘Ali-asws Bin Abu Talib-asws is Imam-asws of the pious’, and he-saww withheld from the (other) two. I-ra struggled that he-saww does so (name them), but he-saww did not do so’’. [68]