Hadith about the conquest of India
Question

                There is a hadith that speaks about the conquest of India and says that whoever participates in this conquest will enter Paradise. I would like to know how sound this hadith is, and the reference, the chain of narrators and the commentary on it in detail. May Allah reward you with good.
Praise be to Allah.
    Firstly: 

    The hadiths that speak of the conquest of India are as 
    follows: 

    -1-

    It was narrated that Thawbaan, the freed slave of the 
    Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), said: The 
    Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “There 
    are two groups of my ummah whom Allah will protect from the Fire: a group 
    who will conquer India, and a group who will be with ‘Eesaa ibn Maryam 
    (peace be upon him).” 

    Narrated by an-Nasaa’i (no. 3175) and Imam Ahmad in al-Musnad 
    (37/81), Mu’sasat ar-Risaalah edn. Classed as hasan by the commentators on
    al-Musnad. Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in as-Silsilah as-Saheehah 
    (no. 1934) 

    -2-

    It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with 
    him) said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) 
    promised us that we would conquer India, so if I am martyred I will be among 
    the best of the martyrs, and if I return then I am Abu Hurayrah the freed 
    (protected from Hellfire). 

    This hadith was narrated via three isnaads from Abu Hurayrah. 

    The first isnaad is from Jibr ibn ‘Ubaydah, from Abu Hurayrah 

    It was narrated by Imam Ahmad in al-Musnad (12/28) and 
    others. This is a da‘eef (weak) isnaad because of Jibr ibn ‘Ubaydah. No one 
    narrated from him except one narrator whose name was Sayyaar ibn al-Hakam, 
    and no one regarded him as thiqah (trustworthy). Rather he was mentioned 
    only in passing by Ibn Hibbaan in ath-Thiqaat. Hence Imam adh-Dhahabi 
    said: It is not known who he was, and the report is odd. End quote. 

    See: Tahdheeb at-Tahdheeb (2/59). 

    The second isnaad is al-Bara’ ibn ‘Abdullah al-Ghanawi, from 
    al-Hasan al-Basri, from Abu Hurayrah, who said: 

    My close friend, the truthful one, the Messenger of Allah 
    (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) told me: “Among this ummah there 
    will be an expedition to Sindh and India.” If I live to see it and am 
    martyred, all well and good, and if I – and he said some word – return, I am 
    Abu Hurayrah the freed, I will be ransomed from the Fire. 

    Narrated by an-Nasaa’i in as-Sunan (no. 3173) and by 
    Ahmad in al-Musnad (14/419). But it is also a da‘eef isnaad, because 
    of al-Bara’ ibn ‘Abdullah al-Ghanawi concerning whom the critics were 
    unanimously agreed that his hadith is layyin (a kind of weak hadith), as it 
    says in Tahdheeb at-Tahdheeb (1/427). Moreover, there is an 
    interruption in the isnaad between al-Hasan al-Basri and Abu Hurayrah (may 
    Allah be pleased with him). 

    The third isnaad is Haashim ibn Sa‘eed, from Kinaanah ibn 
    Nabeeh, from Abu Hurayrah. 

    This was narrated by Ibn Abi ‘Aasim in al-Jihaad (no. 
    247), but it is also a da‘eef isnaad because of Haashim ibn Sa‘eed, 
    concerning whom Ibn Ma‘een said: He is nothing. Abu Haatim said: His hadith 
    is da‘eef. See: Tahdheeb at-Tahdheeb (11/17). 

    The fourth isnaad is from Safwaan ibn ‘Amr, from one of his 
    shaykhs, from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: The 
    Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said – and he 
    mentioned India – then he said: “An army of yours will invade India and 
    Allah will grant its conquest to them, until they bring their kings in 
    chains, and Allah will forgive them their sins. Then they will return and 
    when they return, they will find the son of Maryam in ash-Shaam (Syria).” 
    Abu Hurayrah said: If I live to see that campaign, I will sell everything I 
    possess and join the campaign. Then if Allah grants us victory and we 
    return, then I will be Abu Hurayrah the freed (protected from Hellfire). And 
    when we return to Syria we will find there ‘Eesa ibn Maryam. Then I shall 
    make sure that I draw close to him and tell him that I accompanied you, O 
    Messenger of Allah. The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be 
    upon him) smiled and said: “Unlikely, unlikely.” [very difficult?]  

    Narrated by Na‘eem ibn Hammaad in al-Fitan (p. 409). 
    Its isnaad includes a narrator who was ambiguous about his narration from 
    Abu Hurayrah. Its isnaad also includes Baqiyyah ibn al-Waleed who is 
    mudallis and narrated by saying ‘an (“from”). 

    -3-

    The third hadith is: 

    “Some people of my ummah will invade India and Allah will 
    enable them to conquer it, until they bring the kings of India in chains, 
    and Allah will forgive them their sins. Then they will return to ash-Shaam 
    (Syria) and they will find ‘Eesa ibn Maryam in Syria.” 

    Narrated by Na‘eem ibn Hammaad in al-Fitan (p. 399). 
    He said: al-Waleed told us, from Safwaan ibn ‘Amr, from someone who told 
    him, from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). 

    This isnaad is obviously da‘eef, because al-Waleed ibn Muslim 
    narrated it by saying ‘an (“from”). It also appears to be mursal, because 
    there is no indication that the one who told Safwaan ibn ‘Amr heard it from 
    the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) or that he was a 
    Sahaabi. 

    So to sum up: the hadith of Thawbaan is the one that is 
    saheeh concerning the conquest of India. As for the hadith of Abu Hurayrah, 
    most of its isnaads are da‘eef (weak). And Allah knows best. 

    Secondly: 

    What appears to be the case from the apparent meaning of the 
    hadith of Thawbaan and the hadith of Abu Hurayrah – if it is saheeh – is 
    that the conquest of India referred to will occur at the end of time, and at 
    a time close to the descent of ‘Eesa ibn Maryam (peace be upon him), not at 
    a time that was close to the era of Mu‘aawiyah ibn Abi Sufyaan (may Allah be 
    pleased with him). 

    Al-Haafiz Ibn Katheer (may Allah be pleased with him) said: 

    The Muslims invaded India at the time of Mu‘aawiyah, in 44 
    AH, and there occurred things which will be explained below. It was also 
    invaded by the great ruler Mahmoud ibn Sabuktagin, the ruler of Ghaznah who 
    conquered India around 400 AH. He invaded the land, where he killed, took 
    prisoners, and captured booty. He entered Somnath where he broke the 
    greatest idol that they used to worship, and he captured its swords and 
    necklaces. Then he returned, safe and victorious. End quote. 

    Al-Bidaayah wa’n-Nihaayah 
    (6/223) 

    Hence al-‘Allaamah Hammood at-Tuwaijri (may Allah have mercy 
    on him) said: 

    What is mentioned in the hadith of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah 
    have mercy on him), which was narrated by Na‘eem ibn Hammaad, about the 
    conquest of India has not happened up till now, but it will happen when 
    ‘Eesaa ibn Maryam (peace be upon him) descends, if the hadith that says that 
    is saheeh. And Allah knows best. End quote. 

    Ithaaf al-Jamaa‘ah 
    (1/366) 

    And Allah knows best.