Caution: Translations of Quran and Ḥadīth may lead to possible misapplications and misinterpretations. This site is intended for students of sacred knowledge that are proficient in comprehending classical Arabic and have a strong foundation in Islamic sciences. Also note that religious injunctions rely on several aspects beyond what one may glean through reading individual aḥādīth.
Qurʾān Bukhārī Muslim Nasāʾī Abū Dāwūd Tirmidhī Ibn Mājah Mālik Aḥmad Dārimī Ḥākim Ibn Ḥibbān Ṭabarānī Nasāʾī's Kubrá Bayhaqī al-Luʾluʾ wa-al-Marjān Ibn Rajab's Fifty Riyāḍ al-Ṣāliḥīn Aḥmad's Zuhd Suyūṭī
nasai-kubra:8805 – ʿAmr b. ʿUthmān > al-Walīd > ʿAbdullāh b. al-ʿAlāʾ b. Zabr > Abū ʿUbaydullāh Muslim b. Mishkam > Abū Thaʿlabah al-Khushanī

[Machine] When the Prophet ﷺ would stop at a location, his companions would disperse in the valleys and mountains. He would then stand and say, "Your dispersing in the valleys and mountains is only from Satan." After that, some of them would join together with others when they would stop, to the extent that you would say, "If you were to spread out a fabric over them, it would cover them all," or something similar.  

الكبرى للنسائي:٨٨٠٥ – أَخْبَرَنِي عَمْرُو بْنُ عُثْمَانَ عَنِ الْوَلِيدِ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ الْعَلَاءِ بْنِ زَبْرٍ أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ أَبَا عُبَيْدِ اللهِ مُسْلِمَ بْنَ مِشْكَمٍ يَقُولُ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو ثَعْلَبَةَ الْخُشَنِيُّ قَالَ

كَانَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ إِذَا نَزَلَ مَنْزِلًا فَعَسْكَرَ تَفَرَّقُوا عَنْهُ فِي الشِّعَابِ وَالْأَوْدِيَةِ فَقَامَ فِيهِمْ فَقَالَ إِنَّ تَفَرُّقَكُمْ فِي الشِّعَابِ وَالْأَوْدِيَةِ إِنَّمَا ذَلِكُمْ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ فَكَانُوا إِذَا نَزَلُوا بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ انْضَمَّ بَعْضُهُمْ إِلَى بَعْضٍ حَتَّى إِنَّكَ لَتَقُولُ لَوْ بَسَطْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ كِسَاءً لَعَمَّتْهُمْ أَوْ نَحْوُ ذَلِكَ  

See similar narrations below:

Collected by Abū Dāwūd, Aḥmad, Ḥākim, Ibn Ḥibbān, Ṭabarānī, Bayhaqī
abudawud:2628 – ʿAmr b. ʿUthmān al-Ḥimṣī And Yazīd b. Qubays from Ahl Jabalah Sāḥil Ḥimṣ Wahadhā Lafẓ Yazīd > al-Walīd b. Muslim > ʿAbdullāh b. al-ʿAlāʾ > Muslim b. Mishkam Abū ʿUbaydullāh > Abū Thaʿlabah al-Khushanī

When the people encamped, (the narrator Amr ibn Uthman al-Himsi) said: When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ encamped, the people scattered in the glens and wadis. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: Your scattering in these glens and wadis is only of the devil. They afterwards kept close together when they encamped to such an extent that it used to be said that if a cloth were spread over them, it would cover them all.  

أبو داود:٢٦٢٨ – حَدَّثَنَا عَمْرُو بْنُ عُثْمَانَ الْحِمْصِيُّ وَيَزِيدُ بْنُ قُبَيْسٍ مِنْ أَهْلِ جَبَلَةَ سَاحِلِ حِمْصٍ وَهَذَا لَفْظُ يَزِيدَ قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا الْوَلِيدُ بْنُ مُسْلِمٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ الْعَلاَءِ أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ مُسْلِمَ بْنَ مِشْكَمٍ أَبَا عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ يَقُولُ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو ثَعْلَبَةَ الْخُشَنِيُّ قَالَ كَانَ النَّاسُ إِذَا نَزَلُوا مَنْزِلاً قَالَ

عَمْرٌو كَانَ النَّاسُ إِذَا نَزَلَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ مَنْزِلاً تَفَرَّقُوا فِي الشِّعَابِ وَالأَوْدِيَةِ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِنَّ تَفَرُّقَكُمْ فِي هَذِهِ الشِّعَابِ وَالأَوْدِيَةِ إِنَّمَا ذَلِكُمْ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ فَلَمْ يَنْزِلْ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ مَنْزِلاً إِلاَّ انْضَمَّ بَعْضُهُمْ إِلَى بَعْضٍ حَتَّى يُقَالُ لَوْ بُسِطَ عَلَيْهِمْ ثَوْبٌ لَعَمَّهُمْ  

ahmad:17736 – ʿAlī b. Baḥr > al-Walīd b. Muslim > ʿAbdullāh / Ibn Zabr > Muslim b. Mishkam > Abū Thaʿlabah al-Khushanī

[Machine] "When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ would descend to a certain place, the people would set up camp and disperse throughout the mountains and valleys. So, he stood before them and said, 'Indeed, your dispersal in the mountains and valleys is only from Shaytan.' After that, whenever they descended, some of them would join others until you would say, 'If I were to spread a garment over them, it would cover them all.'"  

أحمد:١٧٧٣٦ – حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ بَحْرٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا الْوَلِيدُ بْنُ مُسْلِمٍ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللهِ يَعْنِي ابْنَ زَبْرٍ أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ مُسْلِمَ بْنَ مِشْكَمٍ يَقُولُ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو ثَعْلَبَةَ الْخُشَنِيُّ قَالَ

كَانَ النَّاسُ إِذَا نَزَلَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺمَنْزِلًا فَعَسْكَرَ تَفَرَّقُوا عَنْهُ فِي الشِّعَابِ وَالْأَوْدِيَةِ فَقَامَ فِيهِمْ فَقَالَ إِنَّ تَفَرُّقَكُمْ فِي الشِّعَابِ وَالْأَوْدِيَةِ إِنَّمَا ذَلِكُمْ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ قَالَ فَكَانُوا بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ إِذَا نَزَلُوا انْضَمَّ بَعْضُهُمْ إِلَى بَعْضٍ حَتَّى إِنَّكَ لَتَقُولُ لَوْ بَسَطْتُ عَلَيْهِمْ كِسَاءً لَعَمَّهُمْ أَوْ نَحْوَ ذَلِكَ  

hakim:2540 – Muḥammad b. Ṣāliḥ b. Hāniʾ > Muḥammad b. Ismāʿīl b. Mihrān > ʿAmr b. ʿUthmān al-Ḥimṣī > al-Walīd b. Muslim > ʿAbdullāh b. al-ʿAlāʾ b. Zabr > Muslim b. Mishkam Abū ʿAbdullāh > Abū Thaʿlabah al-Khushanī

When the people encamped, (the narrator Amr ibn Uthman al-Himsi) said: When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ encamped, the people scattered in the glens and wadis. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: Your scattering in these glens and wadis is only of the devil. They afterwards kept close together when they encamped to such an extent that it used to be said that if a cloth were spread over them, it would cover them all. (Using translation from Abū Dāʾūd 2628)  

الحاكم:٢٥٤٠ – حَدَّثَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ صَالِحِ بْنِ هَانِئٍ ثنا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ بْنِ مِهْرَانَ ثنا عَمْرُو بْنُ عُثْمَانَ الْحِمْصِيُّ ثنا الْوَلِيدُ بْنُ مُسْلِمٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ الْعَلَاءِ بْنِ زَبْرٍ أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ مُسْلِمَ بْنَ مِشْكَمٍ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ يَقُولُ ثنا أَبُو ثَعْلَبَةَ الْخُشَنِيُّ قَالَ

كَانَ النَّاسُ إِذَا نَزَلُوا مَنْزِلًا تَفَرَّقُوا فِي الشِّعَابِ وَالْأَوْدِيَةِ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِنَّ تَفَرُّقِكُمْ فِي هَذِهِ الشِّعَابِ وَالْأَوْدِيَةِ إِنَّمَا ذَلِكُمْ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ فَلَمْ يَنْزِلُوا بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ مَنْزِلًا إِلَّا انْضَمَّ بَعْضُهُمْ إِلَى بَعْضٍ حَتَّى يُقَالَ لَوْ بُسِطَ عَلَيْهِمْ ثَوْبٌ لَعَمَّهُمْ  

«هَذَا حَدِيثٌ صَحِيحُ الْإِسْنَادِ وَلَمْ يُخَرِّجَاهُ» صحيح
ibnhibban:2690 – Aḥmad b. ʿAlī b. al-Muthanná > Ismāʿīl b. ʿAbdullāh b. Khālid al-Qurashī > al-Walīd b. Muslim > ʿAbdullāh b. al-ʿAlāʾ b. Zabr > Muslim b. Mishkam Abū ʿUbaydullāh > Abū Thaʿlabah al-Khushanī

When the people encamped, (the narrator Amr ibn Uthman al-Himsi) said: When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ encamped, the people scattered in the glens and wadis. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: Your scattering in these glens and wadis is only of the devil. They afterwards kept close together when they encamped to such an extent that it used to be said that if a cloth were spread over them, it would cover them all. (Using translation from Abū Dāʾūd 2628)  

ابن حبّان:٢٦٩٠ – أَخْبَرَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عَلِيِّ بْنِ الْمُثَنَّى قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ الْقُرَشِيُّ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا الْوَلِيدُ بْنُ مُسْلِمٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ الْعَلَاءِ بْنِ زَبْرٍ أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ مُسْلِمَ بْنَ مِشْكَمٍ أَبَا عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ يَقُولُ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو ثَعْلَبَةَ الْخُشَنِيُّ قَالَ

كَانَ النَّاسُ إِذَا نَزَلُوا مَنْزِلًا تَفَرَّقُوا فِي الشِّعَابِ وَالْأَوْدِيَةِ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ «إِنَّ تَفَرُّقَكُمْ فِي هَذِهِ الشِّعَابِ وَالْأَوْدِيَةِ إِنَّمَا ذَلِكُمْ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ» قَالَ فَلَمْ يَنْزِلُوا بَعْدُ مَنْزِلًا إِلَّا انْضَمَّ بَعْضُهُمْ إِلَى بَعْضٍ حَتَّى لَوْ بُسِطَ عَلَيْهِمْ ثَوْبٌ لَعَمَّهُمْ  

tabarani:18880 – [Chain 1] Ibrāhīm b. Duḥaym from my father [Chain 2] Ibrāhīm b. Muḥammad b. ʿIrq al-Ḥimṣī > ʿAmr b. ʿUthmān > al-Walīd b. Muslim > ʿAbdullāh b. al-ʿAlāʾ b. Zabr > Abū ʿUbaydullāh Muslim b. Mishkam > Abū Thaʿlabah al-Khushanī

[Machine] When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to camp in a place, the people would scatter away from him in the valleys and the mountains. So, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ stood up and said, "This is the work of Satan." After that, when they camped in a place, some of them would join others until you would say, if a cloth were to be spread over them, it would cover them all or something similar to that.  

الطبراني:١٨٨٨٠ – حَدَّثَنَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ دُحَيْمٍ ثنا أَبِي ح وَحَدَّثَنَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِرْقٍ الْحِمْصِيُّ ثنا عَمْرُو بْنُ عُثْمَانَ قَالَا ثنا الْوَلِيدُ بْنُ مُسْلِمٍ ثنا عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ الْعَلَاءِ بْنِ زَبْرٍ أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ أَبَا عُبَيْدِ اللهِ مُسْلِمَ بْنَ مِشْكَمٍ يَقُولُ ثنا أَبُو ثَعْلَبَةَ الْخُشَنِيُّ قَالَ

كَانَ النَّاسُ إِذَا نَزَلَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ مَنْزِلًا فَعَسْكَرَ تَفَرَّقُوا عَنْهُ فِي الشِّعَابِ وَالْأَوْدِيَةِ فَقَامَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ «إِنَّمَا ذَلِكُمُ الشَّيْطَانُ» فَكَانُوا بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ إِذَا نَزَلُوا مَنْزِلًا انْضَمَّ بَعْضُهُمْ إِلَى بَعْضٍ حَتَّى أَنَّكَ لَتَقُولُ لَوْ بُسِطَتْ عَلَيْهِمْ كِسَاءٌ لَعَمَّهُمْ أَوْ نَحْوَ ذَلِكَ  

bayhaqi:18457 – Abū ʿAbdullāh al-Ḥāfiẓ > Muḥammad b. Ṣāliḥ b. Hāniʾ > Muḥammad b. Ismāʿīl b. Mihrān > ʿAmr b. ʿUthmān al-Ḥimṣī > al-Walīd b. Muslim > ʿAbdullāh b. al-ʿAlāʾ b. Zabr > Muslim b. Mishkam Abū ʿUbaydullāh or > Abū ʿAbdullāh > Abū Thaʿlabah al-Khushanī

When the people encamped, (the narrator Amr ibn Uthman al-Himsi) said: When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ encamped, the people scattered in the glens and wadis. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: Your scattering in these glens and wadis is only of the devil. They afterwards kept close together when they encamped to such an extent that it used to be said that if a cloth were spread over them, it would cover them all. (Using translation from Abū Dāʾūd 2628)   

البيهقي:١٨٤٥٧ – أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو عَبْدِ اللهِ الْحَافِظُ حَدَّثَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ صَالِحِ بْنِ هَانِئٍ ثنا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ بْنِ مِهْرَانَ ثنا عَمْرُو بْنُ عُثْمَانَ الْحِمْصِيُّ ثنا الْوَلِيدُ بْنُ مُسْلِمٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ الْعَلَاءِ بْنِ زَبْرٍ أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ مُسْلِمَ بْنَ مِشْكَمٍ أَبَا عُبَيْدِ اللهِ أَوْ قَالَ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللهِ يَقُولُ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو ثَعْلَبَةَ الْخُشَنِيُّ ؓ قَالَ

كَانَ النَّاسُ إِذَا نَزَلَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ مَنْزِلًا تَفَرَّقُوا فِي الشِّعَابِ وَالْأَوْدِيَةِ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ إِنَّ تَفَرُّقَكُمْ فِي هَذِهِ الشِّعَابِ وَالْأَوْدِيَةِ إِنَّمَا ذَلِكُمْ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ فَلَمْ يَنْزِلُوا بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ مَنْزِلًا إِلَّا انْضَمَّ بَعْضُهُمْ إِلَى بَعْضٍ حَتَّى يُقَالَ لَوْ بُسِطَ عَلَيْهِمْ ثَوْبٌ لَعَمَّهُمْ