Expedition to India (Ghazwat al-Hind)
Partly
In brief
Ghazwat al-Hind means an expedition to al-Hind, the Indian subcontinent. The Prophet ﷺ promised a great reward for those who take part in it.
The strongest text is the hadith of Thawban, which al-Albani graded sahih: two groups of this ummah are protected from the Fire, one that fights in al-Hind and one that will be with Isa ibn Maryam. The narrations of Abu Hurayrah on the same subject have weak chains. The sahih text gives no time. Some scholars say it was fulfilled by the early campaigns into Sindh (Muhammad ibn al-Qasim, 92 AH) and later ones. Others link it to the time of Isa (AS), since the two groups are mentioned together.
Many of the detailed stories people share, such as 'the kings of India brought in chains' or named countries and armies, come from Nu'aym's Kitab al-Fitan, which is ungraded and weak. Nothing in the hadith names any country or community of today, and it can never be used to call for violence against anyone.
Read the narration with its grade, and be wary of anyone who uses it to stir hatred between neighbours.
Where it sits in the sequence
The narrations do not put these in order, and many of them overlap. Sahih al-Bukhari 7121 lists several together.
Strongest narrations
Read all in the archive →Tags are automatic and unreviewed.
أَخْبَرَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحِيمِ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَسَدُ بْنُ مُوسَى، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا بَقِيَّةُ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو بَكْرٍ الزُّبَيْدِيُّ، عَنْ أَخِيهِ، مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْوَلِيدِ عَنْ لُقْمَانَ بْنِ عَامِرٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الأَعْلَى بْنِ عَدِيٍّ الْبَهْرَانِيِّ، عَنْ ثَوْبَانَ، مَوْلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " عِصَابَتَانِ مِنْ أُمَّتِي أَحْرَزَهُمَا اللَّهُ مِنَ النَّارِ عِصَابَةٌ تَغْزُو الْهِنْدَ وَعِصَابَةٌ تَكُونُ مَعَ عِيسَى ابْنِ مَرْيَمَ عَلَيْهِمَا السَّلاَمُ " .
It was narrated that Thawban, the freed slave of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), said:"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'There are two groups of my Ummah whom Allah will free from the Fire: The group that invades India, and the group that will be with 'Isa bin Maryam, peace be upon him
Weak and ungraded reports on this sign
12
Shown for study, not as established. Includes Kitab al-Fitan of Nu'aym ibn Hammad, which is ungraded and weak overall.
Weak report. Shown for study, not as established.
أَخْبَرَنِي أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عُثْمَانَ بْنِ حَكِيمٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا زَكَرِيَّا بْنُ عَدِيٍّ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عَمْرٍو، عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ أَبِي أُنَيْسَةَ، عَنْ سَيَّارٍ، ح قَالَ وَأَنْبَأَنَا هُشَيْمٌ، عَنْ سَيَّارٍ، عَنْ جَبْرِ بْنِ عَبِيدَةَ، - وَقَالَ عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ عَنْ جُبَيْرٍ، - عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ وَعَدَنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم غَزْوَةَ الْهِنْدِ فَإِنْ أَدْرَكْتُهَا أُنْفِقْ فِيهَا نَفْسِي وَمَالِي فَإِنْ أُقْتَلْ كُنْتُ مِنْ أَفْضَلِ الشُّهَدَاءِ وَإِنْ أَرْجِعْ فَأَنَا أَبُو هُرَيْرَةَ الْمُحَرَّرُ .
It was narrated that Abu Hurairah said:"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) promised us (a) battle expedition (in) India. If I live to see that, I will expend myself and my wealth in it. If I am killed, I will be one of the best of the martyrs, and if I come back, I will be Abu Hurairah Al-Muharrar." [1] [1] Al-Muharrar: The one freed (from the Fire)
Weak report. Shown for study, not as established.
حَدَّثَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ بْنِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا يَزِيدُ، قَالَ أَنْبَأَنَا هُشَيْمٌ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا سَيَّارٌ أَبُو الْحَكَمِ، عَنْ جَبْرِ بْنِ عَبِيدَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ وَعَدَنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم غَزْوَةَ الْهِنْدِ فَإِنْ أَدْرَكْتُهَا أُنْفِقْ فِيهَا نَفْسِي وَمَالِي وَإِنْ قُتِلْتُ كُنْتُ أَفْضَلَ الشُّهَدَاءِ وَإِنْ رَجَعْتُ فَأَنَا أَبُو هُرَيْرَةَ الْمُحَرَّرُ .
It was narrated that Abu Hurairah said:"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) promised that we would invade India. If I live to see that I will sacrifice myself and my wealth. If I am killed, I will be one of the best of the martyrs, and if I come back, I will be Abu Hurairah Al-Muharrar
Not graded under this archive's policy. The verdicts recorded are listed.
حدثنا أبو بكر محمد بن أحمد بن بالويه، ثنا عبد الله بن أحمد بن حنبل، ثنا أبي، ثنا هشيم، عن سيار، عن جبر بن عبيدة، عن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه، قال: «وعدنا رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم غزوة الهند، فإن استشهدت كنت من خير الشهداء، وإن رجعت فأنا أبو هريرة المحرر»
No translation yet. Arabic only.
AI draft, not reviewed by an editor. Read the Arabic for the meaning.
Not graded under this archive's policy. The verdicts recorded are listed.
حدثنا هشيم، عن سيار ، عن جبر بن عبيدة، عن أبي هريرة، قال: " وعدنا رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم غزوة الهند، فإن استشهدت كنت من خير الشهداء، وإن رجعت، فأنا أبو هريرة المحرر "
No translation yet. Arabic only.
AI draft, not reviewed by an editor. Read the Arabic for the meaning.
Places named
What scholars have said
Scholars cite it in part, or differ
Imam Ibn Kathird. 774 AH (701-774 AH)
Views the prophecy as having begun and been fulfilled historically through the early Umayyad expeditions to Sindh (Muawiyah's era, then Muhammad ibn al-Qasim in 92 AH) and the later campaigns of Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni.
Al-Bidayah wan-Nihayah, vol. 6
Allamah Abu al-Hasan Al-Sindid. 1138 AH (~1065-1138 AH)
Notes that pairing the expedition with Isa ibn Maryam suggests either that the reward is shared by both early conquerors and end-times participants, or that an ultimate campaign will occur alongside Isa's descent.
Hashiyat al-Sindi 'ala Sunan an-Nasa'i
Shaykh Muhammad Nasiruddin Al-Albanid. 1420 AH (1333-1420 AH)
Verifies that the narration of Thawban is authentic (Sahih) with all trustworthy transmitters, while the detailed apocalyptic narrations mentioning kings brought in chains to Jerusalem from Kitab al-Fitan are unestablished and weak.
Silsilat al-Ahadith as-Sahihah, no. 1934
Present-day data
These numbers show the world today beside the narration. They do not decide whether the sign has appeared; that is shown only through named scholars, in the Scholars' views tab.
'Two groups of my ummah Allah has protected from the Fire: a group that will campaign in al-Hind, and a group that will be with 'Isa son of Maryam' (Sunan an-Nasa'i 3175). Muslim armies first reached Sindh in the first century of Islam. Scholars differ on whether the narration refers to those campaigns or to one still to come; the record below is history only.
Narrations behind this panel: Sunan an-Nasa'i 3175 · Sunan an-Nasa'i 3173 · Sunan an-Nasa'i 3174
What the commentators said it means
- The fuller report naming its army's return to find 'Isa ﷺ in Sham comes through Nu'aym ibn Hammad's Kitab al-Fitan, which is weak overall and is not established.
15 AH · c. 636 CENaval raid on ThaneKonkan coast, western IndiaA fleet sent from Bahrain and Oman under 'Uthman ibn Abi al-'As's brother raided the coast.A raid; 'Umar disapproved of the sea risk
Al-Baladhuri records it as the first Muslim expedition to the coast of al-Hind.
- Recorded by
- al-Baladhuri, Futuh al-Buldan
- Sources
- Wikipedia: Futuh al-Buldan
92-95 AH · 711-714 CEMuhammad ibn al-Qasim takes SindhDebal, Aror and Multan (today Pakistan)An Umayyad army sent by al-Hajjaj took Debal, defeated Raja Dahir and reached Multan.Sindh became an Umayyad province
The first lasting Muslim rule in the subcontinent.
- Recorded by
- al-Baladhuri, Futuh al-Buldan; the Chach Nama
391-418 AH · 1000-1027 CECampaigns of Mahmud of GhazniPunjab and northern IndiaAbout seventeen expeditions from Ghazni into Punjab, Mathura, Kannauj and Somnath.Punjab annexed to the Ghaznavid state
Recorded by his secretary al-'Utbi; later historians judge the campaigns by their conduct, not only their reach.
- Recorded by
- al-'Utbi, al-Tarikh al-Yamini
- Sources
- Wikipedia: Mahmud of Ghazni
602 AH · 1206 CEDelhi Sultanate foundedDelhiQutb al-Din Aybak, a general of Muhammad of Ghor, ruled from Delhi after his master's death.Muslim rule across northern India for centuries
Followed by the Mughals from 1526 to 1857.
- Recorded by
- Minhaj al-Siraj, Tabaqat-i Nasiri
- Sources
- Wikipedia: Delhi Sultanate
Read with care
- The narration names no present state or people. Using it to call for war between today's countries is a political use, not scholarship, and this site does not make it (rule 4).
Draft: figures and wording await a researcher's check and the scholar board.