His saying, the Exalted: "And do not die except as Muslims."

3912 - Abu Sa'id ibn Yahya ibn Sa'id al-Qattan narrated to us, 'Uthman—meaning Ibn 'Umar—narrated to us, Shu'bah narrated to us, from al-A'mash, from Mujahid, from Ibn 'Abbas who said: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: "O people, fear Allah with the due fear of Him, and do not die except as Muslims; for if a single drop of Zaqqum (the infernal tree) were to be dropped, it would spoil the worldly life for the people of the world, so how about the one who has no food but Zaqqum?"

3913 - My father narrated to us, Abu Hudhayfah narrated to us, Shibl narrated to us, from Qays ibn Sa'd, from Tawus, "O you who have believed, fear Allah with the due fear of Him," which is that He should be obeyed and not disobeyed. "And if you do not—and you will never be able—then do not die except as Muslims," he said: Upon Islam and upon the sanctity of Islam.

His saying, the Exalted: "And hold firmly to the rope of Allah all together."

[The first interpretation]

3914 - al-Hasan ibn 'Arafah narrated to us, Yahya ibn al-Yaman narrated to us, from Hamzah al-Zayyat, from Sa'd al-Ta'i, from the nephew of al-Harith al-A'war, from al-Harith, from 'Ali who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) say: "The Book of Allah is the firm rope of Allah."

The second interpretation:

3915 - My father narrated to us, Abu Salih narrated to me, Mu'awiyah ibn Salih narrated to me, from al-Awza'i, from Yazid al-Raqashi, from Anas ibn Malik who said: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: "The Children of Israel split into seventy-one sects, and my Ummah will surely split into seventy-two sects, all of them in the Fire except one." They asked: "O Messenger of Allah, who is this one?" He said: "The Jama'ah (the community)." He said: Then he clenched his hand and said: "And hold firmly to the rope of Allah all together and do not be divided."

3916 - 'Ali ibn Ibrahim al-Wasiti narrated to us, Yazid ibn Harun narrated to us, from Isma'il, from al-Sha'bi, from Thabit ibn Qutbah who said: I heard 'Abd Allah ibn Mas'ud delivering a sermon and saying: "O people, hold fast to obedience and the Jama'ah, for they are the rope of Allah which He has commanded."