Indeed, I have not asked you to swear because I suspect you, but Jibrīl (Gabriel) came and told me that Allah Almighty is boasting about you before the angels
Authenticعَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ قَالَ: خَرَجَ مُعَاوِيَةُ عَلَى حَلْقَةٍ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ، فَقَالَ: مَا أَجْلَسَكُمْ؟ قَالُوا: جَلَسْنَا نَذْكُرُ اللهَ، قَالَ آللَّهِ مَا أَجْلَسَكُمْ إِلَّا ذَاكَ؟ قَالُوا: وَاللهِ مَا أَجْلَسَنَا إِلَّا ذَاكَ، قَالَ: أَمَا إِنِّي لَمْ أَسْتَحْلِفْكُمْ تُهْمَةً لَكُمْ، وَمَا كَانَ أَحَدٌ بِمَنْزِلَتِي مِنْ رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَقَلَّ عَنْهُ حَدِيثًا مِنِّي: وَإِنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ خَرَجَ عَلَى حَلْقَةٍ مِنْ أَصْحَابِهِ، فَقَالَ: «مَا أَجْلَسَكُمْ؟» قَالُوا: جَلَسْنَا نَذْكُرُ اللهَ وَنَحْمَدُهُ عَلَى مَا هَدَانَا لِلْإِسْلَامِ، وَمَنَّ بِهِ عَلَيْنَا، قَالَ: «آللَّهِ مَا أَجْلَسَكُمْ إِلَّا ذَاكَ؟» قَالُوا: وَاللهِ مَا أَجْلَسَنَا إِلَّا ذَاكَ، قَالَ: «أَمَا إِنِّي لَمْ أَسْتَحْلِفْكُمْ تُهْمَةً لَكُمْ، وَلَكِنَّهُ أَتَانِي جِبْرِيلُ فَأَخْبَرَنِي أَنَّ اللهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ يُبَاهِي بِكُمُ الْمَلَائِكَةَ».
Abu Sa‘īd al-Khudri reported: Mu‘āwiyah came upon a group of people sitting in a circle in the mosque and said: What has made you sit together? They said: We have sat together to remember Allah. He said: I adjure you by Allah, has nothing else made you sit together? They replied: By Allah, nothing else has made us sit together. He said: Indeed, I have not asked you to swear because I suspect you, and there was no one in the position I was in from the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) who narrates fewer Hadīths from him than me. Verily, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) came upon a group of his Companions sitting in a circle and said: "What has made you sit together?" They said: We have sat together to remember Allah and praise Him for having guided us to Islam and for bestowing favor upon us. He said: "I adjure you by Allah, has nothing else made you sit together?" They said: By Allah, nothing else has made us sit together. He said: "Indeed, I have not asked you to swear because I suspect you, but Jibrīl (Gabriel) came and told me that Allah Almighty is boasting about you before the angels."
Explanation
Mu‘āwiyah ibn Abi Sufyān (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) came upon a group of people sitting in a circle in the mosque and asked them about the purpose behind their gathering. They replied: We are remembering Allah. He (may Allah be pleased with him) asked them to swear that they had only gathered and sat for the purpose of remembering Allah, and they swore to him. Then he said to them, I have not asked you to swear because I suspect you or question your truthfulness. He, then, was informed about his status by the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and that no one was closer to him than he was, given the fact that his sister ’Umm Habībah was the Prophet's wife and that he was one of the scribes of the revelation, yet he did not narrate many Hadīths. He narrated to them that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) came out of his home one day and found them sitting in the mosque, remembering Allah and praising Him for guiding them to Islam and for bestowing favor upon them. He (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) asked them and demanded they swear, just as Mu‘āwiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) did with his companions. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) then informed them of the reason behind asking them and requiring them to swear, saying: Gabriel, the angel, (peace be upon him) came to him and informed him that Allah Almighty was boasting about you and taking pride in you before the angels; showing them your merit and the excellence of your deed and praising you in their presence.
Benefits
- The merit of Mu‘āwiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) and his keenness to follow the Prophet's example in conveying knowledge.
- Permissibility of asking someone to swear without accusation to draw attention to the significance of the report.
- The merit of Dhikr (remembrance of Allah) and knowledge sessions, and the fact that Allah loves them and takes pride in them before the angels.
Source · Narrated by Muslim
From the Hadith Encyclopedia (hadeethenc.com).