The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was asked about the words of Allah, "Allah will bring forth a people whom He loves and who love Him" [Maidah 5:54].He said, "They are a people from Yemen, then from Kindah, then from as-Sakun, then from Tujib."
سئل رسول الله ﷺ عن قوله: {فسوف يأتي الله بقوم يحبهم ويحبونه} قال: هؤلاء قوم من اليمن، ثم من كندة، ثم من السكون، ثم من تجيب.
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Ibn Abu Hatim reported it in his Tafsir (6534), and Tabarani in Awsat, Majma Bahrayn (3312), both through the route of Muawiya bin Hafs, who said, Ismail bin Zakariya, known as Abu Ziyad, told us, from Muhammad bin Qays Asadi, from Muhammad bin Munkadir, from Jabir who said, then he related it. Ibn Abu Hatim did not mention "Muhammad bin Qays Asadi" in the chain.Its chain of transmission is hasan because of Ismail bin Zakariya and his teacher Muhammad bin Qays Asadi, for both of them make the hadith hasan. Haythami said in Majma (16/7), "Tabarani reported it in Awsat, and its chain is hasan." However, Abu Hatim was asked about this hadith and said, "This is a baseless hadith," Ilal al-Hadith (1779). Ibn Kathir said in his Tafsir, "This is a very unusual hadith." Abu Hatim is a leading authority in criticism and validation of narrators, but he did not explain the basis for calling it baseless, and likewise Ibn Kathir did not explain the basis for calling it unusual.The hadith is corroborated by the earlier hadith of Abu Musa Ashari, though with some differences in wording. It is further strengthened by what Ibn Abbas said in explaining this verse, where he identified them as "people from the folk of Yemen, then from Kinda, then from Sakun." Ibn Abu Hatim reported this, saying, Abu Saeed Ashaj told us, Abdullah bin Ajlah told us, from Muhammad bin Amr, from Salim, from Saeed bin Jubayr, from Ibn Abbas, as his own statement.The verse is general in meaning, and it points to the power of Allah, Most High, in that He is able to replace you with people better than you, as stated in Surah Muhammad (38), "And if you turn away, He will replace you with another people, then they will not be like you" [Muhammad 47:38]. It is also stated in [Ibrahim 14:19–20], "Have you not seen that Allah created the heavens and the earth in truth. If He wills, He can do away with you and bring forth a new creation. That is not difficult for Allah" [Ibrahim 14:19–20]. History bears witness to this. This may also occur in the future, where some people apostatize and Allah brings forth other obedient people in their place.As for His statement, "and do not fear the blame of any blamer" [Maidah 5:54], it means that the blame of a blamer does not turn them away from what they are engaged in of obedience to Allah and His Messenger ﷺ.