The following is a response to the article translated by SlaveOfAhlubait, which he entitled: Dajjal will be followed by Lovers of Uthman. The article was published on the 8th of June, 2012, and can be found here.
SoA translated the narration as:
When Dajjal would come out, he would be followed by lovers of Uthman, and if they had died before that, they would bring faith in dajjal in their graves.
In response, we say that there are issues with the narration in both the chain and the text.
Firstly, this is not a hadith from the Prophet (salalahu alaihi wa salam), but a statement by Hudhaifa. With this in mind, one cannot accept such a statement as binding upon us. Secondly, we find in an authentic narration that Hudhaifa was not sure whether the assassination of Uthman would lead to good or evil. This very fact contradicts the statement above that has been attributed to him. He said (Fadha’il Al-Sahaba 1/603):
O’ Allah you know that I am free from the blood of `Uthman… The Arabs will know that if they were correct in killing him, they will receive milk (as reward), but if they were wrong then there will be blood (as punishment).
Of course, we all know what happened after the death of `Uthman.
Also it contradicts what is authentic from the Prophet (saw) in Musnad Ahmad 2/344, 5/35:
On that day of Fitnah, `Uthman and his companions will be the truthful ones.
As for the chain, we find two flaws. The first is that it comes from the narration of Al-A’amash who is a known Mudallis, and he did not state that he heard this narration from his Shaykh.
The second flaw in the chain is that Mansour bin Abi Al-Aswad is a major shi’ee narrator according to Yahya bin Ma’een. Not only that, but he is not of a high level of tawtheeq, and the praise from scholars are mediocre praises. The least of which is the statement of Abu Hatim, “His hadith can be written.” He implies that it is only used for supporting narrations. See his biography in Tahtheeb Al-Tahtheeb.
With the above in mind, it is safe to say that the above cannot be attributed to Hudhaifa, especially since we have knowledge that the Prophet (salalahu alaihi wa salam) has praised `Uthman in numerous hadiths. See chapters of his merits in the Saheehain.
I found this on the website ‘in defense of the aal and ashaab” so i post it as i find great difference between the two statements, one posted here and the other one posted there.
This hadith is recorded by the great Hadith master, Ibn Asakir, who mentions it with his sanad.
عن حذيفة قال أول الفتن قتل عثمان بن عفان وآخر الفتن خروج الدجال والذي نفسي بيده لا يموت رجل وفي قلبه مثقال حبة من حب قتل عثمان إلا تبع الدجال إن أدركه وإن لم يدركه آمن به في قبره
Hudhaifah(ra) states: The first fitna is the killing of Uthman(ra) while the final fitna would be the emergence of Dajjal. By Allah, in whose control my life is, a person in whose heart there is a grain of love for the killing of Uthman(ra) such a person would not die without following Dajjal, if Dajjal emerges in his (that person’s) lifetime, otherwise, that person would bring Iman on Dajjal in his grave”.
Faswi in al-Maarifat wa al-Tareekh mentioned a similar report above:
حدثنا ابن نمير حدثنا محمد بن الصلت حدثنا منصور بن أبي الأسود عن الأعمش عن زيد بن وهب عن حذيفة قال: من كان يحب وخرج الدجال تبعه، فأن مات قبل أن يخرج آمن به في قبره.
Hudhaifah(ra) said: Those Who would love(killing of uthman) and when Dajjal would come out, they would follow him. If they had died before his appearance, they will have faith in him(dajjal) in their graves.[al Maarifat wa al Tareekh, 1/364. online link]
I ask the brothers to please clarify which of the two statements is correct or are these two different statements.