Sahih Muslim 4950
صحيح مسلم#4950Sahihحَدَّثَنَا سَعِيدُ بْنُ مَنْصُورٍ، وَأَبُو الرَّبِيعِ الْعَتَكِيُّ، وَقُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، قَالُوا حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادٌ، - وَهُوَ ابْنُ زَيْدٍ - عَنْ أَيُّوبَ، عَنْ أَبِي قِلاَبَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي أَسْمَاءَ، عَنْ ثَوْبَانَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " لاَ تَزَالُ طَائِفَةٌ مِنْ أُمَّتِي ظَاهِرِينَ عَلَى الْحَقِّ لاَ يَضُرُّهُمْ مَنْ خَذَلَهُمْ حَتَّى يَأْتِيَ أَمْرُ اللَّهِ وَهُمْ كَذَلِكَ " . وَلَيْسَ فِي حَدِيثِ قُتَيْبَةَ " وَهُمْ كَذَلِكَ " .
It has been narrated on the authority of Thauban that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:A group of people from my Umma will always remain triumphant on the right path and continue to be triumphant (against their opponents). He who deserts them shall not be able to do them any harm. They will remain in this position until Allah's Command is executed (i.e. Qiyamah is established). In Qutaiba's version of the tradition, we do not have the words:" They will remain in this position
Scholarly Authentication
The label above is the grade most of these scholars gave — one dissenting opinion no longer speaks for all of them. If any scholar calls a narration fabricated, that verdict is shown instead, whatever the others say. Each scholar's own wording:
Every narration in Sahih Muslim is accepted as Sahih (authentic) by the established status of the book.
In-book reference: 33:245