The Best Nation Ever ......(Surah Al-‘Imran 3: 110 part)

Virtues of the Ummah of Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم, the Best Nation Ever

Allah states that the Ummah of Muhammad is the best nation ever,

You are the best of peoples ever raised up for mankind Al-Bukhari recorded that Abu Hurayrah (Radhi Allahu Anhu) commented on this Ayah, "(You, Muslims, are) the best nation of people for the people, you bring them tied in chains on their necks (capture them in war) and they later embrace Islam.'' Similar was said by Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid, `Atiyah Al-`Awfi, `Ikrimah, `Ata' and Ar-Rabi` bin Anas that,

You are the best of peoples ever raised up for mankind; means, the best of peoples for the people.
The meaning of the Ayah is that the Ummah of Muhammad is the most righteous and beneficial nation for mankind. Hence Allah's description of them,

you enjoin Al-Ma`ruf and forbid Al-Munkar and believe in Allah Ahmad, At-Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah, and Al-Hakim recorded that Hakim bin Mu`awiyah bin Haydah narrated that his father said that the Messenger of Allah (Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam) said,

You are the final of seventy nations, you are the best and most honored among them to Allah. This is a well-known Hadith about which At-Tirmidhi said, "Hasan'', and which is also narrated from Mu`adh bin Jabal and Abu Sa`id. The Ummah of Muhammad achieved this virtue because of its Prophet, Muhammad, (Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam), the most regarded of Allah's creation and the most honored Messenger with Allah. Allah sent Muhammad with the perfect and complete Law that was never given to any Prophet or Messenger before him. In Muhammad's Law, few deeds take the place of the many deeds that other nations performed. For instance, Imam Ahmad recorded that `Ali bin Abi Talib said, "The Messenger of Allah (Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam) said,

I was given what no other Prophet before me was given.

We said, `O Messenger of Allah! What is it' He (Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam) said,

I was given victory by fear, I was given the keys of the earth, I was called Ahmad, the earth was made a clean place for me (to pray and perform Tayammum with it) and my Ummah was made the best Ummah.''

The chain of narration for this Hadith is Hasan. There are several Hadiths that we should mention here.

The Two Sahihs recorded that Az-Zuhri said that, Sa`id bin Al-Musayyib said that Abu Hurayrah narrated (Radhi Allahu Anhu) to him, "I heard the Messenger of Allah (Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam) saying,

A group of seventy thousand from my Ummah will enter Paradise, while their faces are radiating, just like the moon when it is full.

Ukkashah bin Mihsan Al-Asadi stood up, saying, `O Messenger of Allah! Supplicate to Allah that I am one of them.' The Messenger of Allah
(Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam) said,

`O Allah! Make him one of them.'

A man from the Ansar also stood and said, `O Messenger of Allah! Supplicate to Allah that I am one of them.' The Messenger (Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam) said,

Ukkashah has beaten you to it.'

Another Hadith that Establishes the Virtues of the Ummah of Muhammad in this Life and the Hereafter.

Imam Ahmad recorded that Jabir said, "I heard the Messenger of Allah (Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam) saying,

I hope that those who follow me will be one-fourth of the residents of Paradise on the Day of Resurrection.'

We said, `Allahu Akbar'. He (Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam) then said,

“I hope that they will be one-third of the people.'

We said, `Allahu Akbar'. He (Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam) then said,

`I hope that you will be one-half.'''

Imam Ahmad recorded the same Hadith with another chain of narration, and this Hadith meets the criteria of Muslim in his Sahih. In the Two Sahihs, it is recorded that `Abdullah bin Mas`ud said, "The Messenger of Allah (Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam) said to us,

Does it please you that you will be one-fourth of the people of Paradise?

We said, `Allahu Akbar!' He (Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam) added,

Does it please you that you will be one-third of the people of Paradise?

We said, `Allahu Akbar!' He (Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam) said,

I hope that you will be half of the people of Paradise.''

Another Hadith

Imam Ahmad recorded that Buraydah said that the Prophet (Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam) said,

The people of Paradise are one hundred and twenty rows, this Ummah takes up eighty of them.

Imam Ahmad also collected this Hadith through another chain of narration. At-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah also collected this Hadith, and At-Tirmidhi said, `This Hadith is Hasan. `Abdur-Razzaq recorded that Abu Hurayrah (Radhi Allahu Anhu) said that, the Prophet (Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam) said,

We (Muslims) are the last to come, but the foremost on the Day of Resurrection, and the first people to enter Paradise, although the former nations were given the Scriptures before us and we after them. Allah gave us the guidance of truth that they have been disputing about. This (Friday) is the Day that they have been disputing about, and all the other people are behind us in this matter: the Jews' (day of congregation is) tomorrow (Saturday) and the Christians' is the day after tomorrow (Sunday).

Al-Bukhari and Muslim collected this Hadith. Muslim recorded Abu Hurayrah (Radhi Allahu Anhu) saying that the Messenger of Allah (Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam) said,

We (Muslims) are the last (to come), but (will be) the foremost on the Day of Resurrection, and will be the first people to enter Paradise...) until the end of the Hadith.

These and other Hadiths conform to the meaning of the Ayah,

You are the best of peoples ever raised up for mankind; you enjoin Al-Ma`ruf (all that Islam has ordained) and forbid Al-Munkar (all that Islam has forbidden), and you believe in Allah.

Therefore, whoever among this Ummah acquires these qualities, will have a share in this praise. Qatadah said, "We were told that `Umar bin Al-Khattab (Radhi Allahu Anhu) recited this Ayah [3:110] during a Hajj that he performed, when he saw that the people were rushing. He then said, `Whoever likes to be among this [praised] Ummah, let him fulfill the condition that Allah set in this Ayah.''' Ibn Jarir recorded this. Those from this Ummah who do not acquire these qualities will be just like the People of the Scriptures whom Allah criticized, when He said,

They did not forbid one another from the Munkar which they committed. .. [5:79].


Source: Tafsir ibn Kathir (Abridged)