You are the best nation produced for mankind.” He said: The best people for mankind. You will bring them in chains around their necks until they enter Islam.

This hadith is attributed to Abu Hurayrah-

Although it has been authenticated from the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, with other wordings that clarify its meaning, and they will be mentioned in this topic

this hadith is almost mutawatir on the tongues of missionaries, atheists, and other enemies of Islam. This is because they cast this doubt on people who do not have an Islamic reference, in order to turn them away from the religion of Allah.

A person who has even a little knowledge of Islam cannot understand the hadith in the manner promoted by the enemies of the religion,

for neither the texts nor the historical evidence and facts agree with this meaning!

This meaning that they intended contradicts clear and definitive texts among Muslims, including :

the statement of God Almighty: “ There is no compulsion in religion. The right course has become distinct from the wrong. So whoever disbelieves in Taghut and believes in God has grasped the most trustworthy handhold with no break in it. And God is Hearing and Knowing.” (256 Al-Baqarah)

and the statement of God Almighty: “ And if your Lord had willed, those on earth would have believed, all of them together. Then would you compel the people in order that they become believers?” (99) And it was not “It is not permissible for a soul to believe except by permission of Allah. And He places defilement upon those who do not use reason.” (Yunus: 100)

And also His Almighty saying: “ And say, ‘The truth is from your Lord. So whoever wills - let him believe; and whoever wills - let him disbelieve.’” (Surat Al-Kahf: 29). It is not possible for a Muslim who understands and is knowledgeable about his religion to understand this hadith according to the intention of the crooked people . The Prophet did not apply it, nor did the Companions and the conquering followers understand it, because this crooked understanding is not found in the actions of the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, nor his Companions, nor the Muslim conquerors and caliphs. That someone could be forced to enter Islam, and the greatest evidence of that is the Christians of Egypt, many of whom did not enter Islam after the conquest. They have remained to this day in their religion, and no one has forced them to do so. He left it... Although the Muslims were strong and in control, which enabled them to force everyone to enter Islam, they did not do so because their religion did not command them to do so. Interpretation of the hadith : This hadith refers to some prisoners from the armies fighting Islam who were brought as prisoners with chains around their necks, and they hated captivity. But if Islam was presented to them and they were convinced by it and converted to Islam, this captivity and these hateful chains became a reason for them to enter Paradise.

The evidence for this interpretation is what Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani narrated in Fath al-Bari - when explaining this hadith, he said, may God have mercy on him:

Ibn al-Jawzi said that it means that they were taken captive and chained, and when they knew the truth of Islam, they entered willingly and entered Paradise, so the compulsion to be taken captive and chained was the first reason.

The confirmation of this meaning is clarified by the other narration of the hadith which was authenticated from the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace,

on the authority of Abu al-Tufayl Amir al-Kinani, Explanation of the hadith about the chains around their neckswho said: The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, laughed and then said: Will you not ask me why I laughed? We said: O Messenger of God, why did I laugh? He said: I saw people from my nation being led to Paradise in chains , how hateful that is to them! We said: Who are they? He said: A people from the Persians who were taken captive by the Muhajireen and they brought them into Islam. Narrated by Al-Haythami in Majma’ Al-Zawa’id and mentioned by Sheikh Al-Albani in As-Silsilah As-Saheehah.

Perhaps now we have understood the meaning of this noble hadith and understood the intention of Abu Hurairah. The hadith made clear that even captivity, chains, and shackles at the hands of the Muslim nation in wars were good for those who chose to enter Islam and this chaining was a reason for their entry into Paradise