70,000 Enter Paradise Without Reckoning: Trust in Allah and Additional Numbers

QUESTION

What is the status of the hadith about 70,000 entering Paradise without reckoning, their qualities, and the additional numbers?

BRIEF ANSWER

The hadith about 70,000 people from the Prophet’s ﷺ community entering Paradise without reckoning is sahih, recorded by Imam Muslim, no. 218.

The report mentioning an additional 70,000 with every thousand, together with three ḥathayāt, is recorded by al-Tirmidhī, no. 2437. He graded it hasan gharib. This additional report indicates that their number exceeds 70,000, but the overall total is not specified.

NARRATORS

1. ʿImrān ibn Ḥuṣayn رضي الله عنه — Muslim 218b

2. Abū Umāmah al-Bāhilī رضي الله عنه — al-Tirmidhī 2437 and Ibn Mājah 4286

3. Ibn ʿAbbās رضي الله عنهما — al-Bukhārī 6472.

SOURCES AND SCHOLARS

1. Imam Muslim — records the principal wording from ʿImrān ibn Ḥuṣayn in Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Kitāb al-Īmān, no. 218 (218b).

2. Imam al-Bukhārī — records a related report from Ibn ʿAbbās in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Kitāb al-Riqāq, no. 6472; its wording differs from ʿImrān’s report.

3. Imam al-Tirmidhī — records the additional numbers from Abū Umāmah in Jāmiʿ al-Tirmidhī, no. 2437, and grades the report hasan gharib.

4. Imam al-Nawawī — comments on the report in al-Minhāj Sharḥ Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, 3/447–449 in the digital edition consulted.

5. Al-Mubārakfūrī — discusses the additional numbers and ḥathayāt in Tuḥfat al-Aḥwadhī, 7/109–110.

SCHOLARLY COMMENTS

1. Imam al-Tirmidhī, Jāmiʿ al-Tirmidhī, no. 2437

   He states “هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ غَرِيبٌ” (this hadith is hasan gharib). This grading concerns Abū Umāmah’s additional report; it is not attributed to al-Bukhārī or Muslim.

   Buka teks hadis ↗

2. Imam al-Nawawī, al-Minhāj Sharḥ Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, 3/447–449

   He presents several interpretations and prefers al-Khaṭṭābī’s explanation concerning these people’s complete entrusting of their affairs to Allah. He also explains that the Prophet’s ﷺ use of treatment demonstrates its permissibility.

   This elevated virtue does not make every form of treatment forbidden.

   Buka teks hadis ↗

3. Al-Mubārakfūrī, Tuḥfat al-Aḥwadhī, 7/109–110

   He prefers understanding 70,000 as an actual number in this context. For ḥathyah/ḥathwah, he gives a linguistic example of a person giving with both palms at once, without weighing or measuring.

   This is an illustration of human linguistic usage, not a determination of how Allah acts.

   Buka teks hadis ↗

EXPLANATION

1. The principal wording displayed is Muslim’s report from ʿImrān ibn Ḥuṣayn, no. 218b. Al-Bukhārī’s report, no. 6472, is from Ibn ʿAbbās and does not mention cauterisation in that wording.

   The two wordings and Companion narrators must be distinguished.

2. Lā yastarqun means “do not ask for ruqyah”, which differs from “do not perform ruqyah”. The restriction “with shirk-based ruqyah” is absent from this text; any discussion of that interpretation must be identified as commentary.

   Scholars offer several explanations for the virtue of leaving requests for ruqyah; one interpretation must not be presented as their unanimous view. The Prophet ﷺ permits ruqyah free of shirk (Muslim, no. 2200).

   Buka teks hadis ↗

3. Taṭayyur means believing in evil omens and is not limited to omens involving birds. Kay refers to cauterisation.

   The hadith praises complete trust in Allah; it cannot be used to prohibit every means or treatment. Reliance upon Allah in the heart must be distinguished from using permissible means.

4. “With every thousand there are 70,000” and “three ḥathayāt” occur in Abū Umāmah’s report, al-Tirmidhī no. 2437, graded hasan gharib by al-Tirmidhī. Ibn Mājah no. 4286 also records it with differences in wording.

   The displayed text follows al-Tirmidhī without combining wording from other collections.

5. The correct term is ḥathayāt (حَثَيَات), rather than “hasiyat”. Al-Mubārakfūrī’s example of two palms describes human use of the word.

   We accept the wording ascribed to Allah as it occurs in the text, without likening Him to His creation or specifying its manner. The stated numbers are retained; the overall total including the ḥathayāt is not specified.

CONCLUSION AND LESSONS

1. Strengthen trust in Allah through reliance upon Him in the heart and the use of permissible means.
2. Avoid evil omens and ruqyah containing shirk.
3. Distinguish the virtue of leaving requests for ruqyah from the permissibility of ruqyah and treatment.
4. Hope for Allah’s abundant favour without inventing a final number absent from the text.