The Proximity of the Hour

Mention of the transmission paths of the Hadith of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ): "I and the Hour have been sent like these two."

A narration from Anas ibn Malik (may Allah Exalted be pleased with him):

Imam Ahmad said: Abu al-Mughirah narrated to us, al-Awza'i narrated to us, Isma'il narrated to us,

Ibn 'Ubaydullah, meaning Ibn Abi al-Muhajir al-Dimashqi, who said: Anas ibn Malik came to al-Walid ibn 'Abd al-Malik, who asked him, "What did you hear from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) regarding words in which he mentioned the Hour?" He replied: I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saying:

"You and the Hour are like these two."

Ahmad alone recorded it via this chain of transmission.

Another route from him:

Ahmad said: Hashim narrated to us, from Shu'bah, from Abu al-Tayyah, Qatadah, and Hamzah, who is Ibn 'Amr al-Dabbi, that they heard Anas ibn Malik saying from the Prophet (ﷺ):

"I and the Hour have been sent like this."

And he pointed with his index finger and middle finger. Muslim also recorded it from the Hadith of Shu'bah, from Hamzah al-Dabbi, this one, and Abu al-Tayyah, both of them from Anas with this text.

Another route from him:

Imam Ahmad narrated: from Ya'qub ibn Ibrahim ibn Sa'd, from his father, from Muhammad ibn Ishaq, from Ziyad ibn Abi Ziyad al-Madani, from Anas ibn Malik, that he said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saying:

"I and the Hour have been sent like these two."

And he extended his two fingers, the index and the middle finger.

Ahmad alone recorded it.