Abu Rayyah Rejects the Hadith, “The Nile, Sayhan, Jayhan and the Euphrates are from the Rivers of Jannah”
Abu Rayyah Rejects the Hadith, “In Jannah There is a Tree, A Rider Will Ride in its Shade…”
December 2, 2015Abu Rayyah Rejects the Hadith, “Allah Has a Rooster Whose Neck is Below the `Arsh”
December 2, 2015BACK⇒ Return to Table of contents
Abu Rayyah Rejects the Hadith, “The Nile, Sayhan, Jayhan and the Euphrates are from the Rivers of Jannat”
On page 94, Abu Rayyah says:
روى احمد و مسلم عن ابى هريرة ان رسول الله قال: النيل و سيحان و جيحان و الفرات من انهار الجنة
وهذا القول نفسه رواه كعب الاحبار اذ قال: اربعة انهار من الجنة وضعها الله عز و جل فى الدنيا فالنيل نهر العسل فى الجنة والفرات نهر الخمر و سيحان نهر ماء فى الجنة و جيحان نهر اللبن فى الجنة
Ahmed and Muslim report from Abu Hurairah that the Messenger salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said, ‘The Nile, Seyhan, Ceyhan, and the Euphrates are from the Rivers of Jannat.”
Ka’b al Ahbar made the exact same statement. He said, “There are four rivers from Jannat which Allah placed upon the earth. Nile is the river of honey in Jannat, Euphrates is the river of wine in Jannat, Seyhan is the river of water in Jannat, and Ceyhan is the river of milk in Jannat.”
ان القول بان هذه الانهار تنبع من الجنة اسطورة قديمة ليست اسرائيلية فحسب و انما يرجع الى ما وراء ذلك باحقاب طويلة…و فى الاسلام ايضا ورد حديث رواه ابو هريرة ان رسول الله (ص) قال: النيل و سيحان و جيحان و الفرات من انهار الجنة و فى حديث اخر عن ابن عباس مرفوعا:- انزل الله تعالى من الجنة الى الارض خمسة انهار: سيحون و جيحون و دجلة والفرات والنيل انزلها الله من عين واحدة من عيون الجنة من اسفل درجة من درجتها على جناحى جبرئيل و استودعها الجبال و اجراها فى الارض و جعل فيها منافع للناس- وفى حديث اخر نهران مؤمنان و نهران كافران اما المؤمنان فالنيل والفرات واما الكافران فدجلة و نهر بلخ وقد فسر ايمانهما بانهما يفيضان على الارض فيسقيان الحرث بلا مؤنة ولا كلبة و فسر كفرهما بانهما لا يسقيان و لا ينفع بهما الا بمؤنة و كلفة
The belief that these rivers are from Jannat is an old tale, it is not only an Isra’ili narration. It has its roots in the earlier generations… In Islam also, a hadith is narrated by Abu Hurairah, in which the Messenger salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said, “The Nile, Seyhan, Ceyhan, and the Euphrates are from the Rivers of Jannat.” Another hadith is attributed to the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam by Ibn ‘Abbas, “Allah sent five rivers from Jannat to the earth; Seyhan, Ceyhan, Tigris, Euphrates, and the Nile. Allah sent them from one of the springs of Jannat, from one of the lowest levels upon the wings of Jibril. He kept them in the mountains, allowed them to flow on the earth and placed benefits in them for the people.” Another hadith states, “There are two believing rivers and two disbelieving rivers. The believers are the Nile and Euphrates and the disbelievers are the Tigris and the river of Balkh.” Their belief has been explained to mean that they flow upon the earth and water plantations without any price or difficulty and the disbelief of the others has been explained to mean that they do not water (plantations) and they do not benefit except after some difficulty and struggle.
و هكذا يتسلل الى ديننا مثل هذه الخرافات و الاساطير التى تفضحنا بين الامم و يضحك حتى اطفال المدارس منها وللاسف فانهم يرفعون اخبارها الى النبى (ص) و يثبتونها فى كتبهم الصحيحة و يروجونها بين الناس بنشرها ثم يدافعون عنها واذا بصرناهم بالحقائق و فتحنا عيون العمى والاذان الصم والقلوب الغلف و نزهنا مقام النبى (ص) عن هذه الاساطير رمونا بالشتائم و قذفونا بالسباب و قالوا: اننا نطعن فى صحابى جليل غفر الله لهم و شفاهم من داء الجهل والغفلة والحماقة
It is in this manner that nonsensical statements and tales of this sort have found their way into our din. They embarrass us in front of other nations. Even school children have a good laugh at these narrations. How regrettable is the fact that they attribute these tales to the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam? They preserve them in their most authentic books and spread them among the masses by publishing them. Then they go all out in defence of it. When we show them the truth, open the eyes that have become blind, ears that have become deaf, and hearts that have become covered, and we defend the status of the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam by clearing him of these tales, then they swear us and accuse us of being vulgar. They say that we are criticising a great Sahabi. May Allah forgive them and cure them from the sicknesses of ignorance, negligence, and stupidity.
Our comment: I will quote these ahadith from the infallible Imams. In this way it will become clear to him and his likes that if there is any din in which absurdities and tales have entered, then it is their din which has been corrupted by these ahadith which are ‘authentically established’ from their Imams.
‘Isa ibn ‘Abdullah al Hashimi — his father — his grandfather — his forefathers — ‘Ali — that the Messenger salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said:
اربعة انهار من الجنة الفرات و النيل و سيحان و جيحان فالفرات الماء فى الدنيا والاخرة و النيل العسل و سيحان الخمر و جيحان اللبن
Four rivers are from Jannat; Euphrates, the Nile, Seyhan and Ceyhan. The Euphrates is the water of this world as well as the hereafter, the Nile is honey, Seyhan is wine and Ceyhan is milk.[1]
Al Majlisi quotes Amir al Mu’minin:
الاطلاع فى بئر زمزم يذهب الداء فاشربوا من ماءها مما يلى الركن الذى فيه الحجر الاسود فان تحت الحجر الاسود اربعة انهار من الجنة: الفرات و النيل و سيحان و جيحان وهما نهران
Looking into the well of Zam-Zam cures illnesses. Drink its water from the portion which is close to the side in which the Hajar Aswad is. There are four rivers from Jannat under the Hajar Aswad; Euphrates, the Nile, Seyhan and Ceyhan. They are two rivers.[2]
Abu Basir reports from Imam Jafar rahimahu Llah:
نهران مؤمنان و نهران كافران و نهران كافران نهر بلخ و دجلة والمؤمنان نيل مصر والفرات فحنكوا اولادكم بماء الفرات
Two rivers are believers and two are disbelievers. The disbelievers are the river of Balkh and Tigris and the believers are the Nile of Egypt and the Euphrates. Therefore, let the water of the Euphrates be the first water liquid that your children drink.[3]
NEXT⇒ Abu Rayyah Rejects the Hadith, “In Jannat There is a Tree, A Rider Will Ride in its Shade…”
[1] Bihar al Anwar, 8/130, 10/104, 40/38, 57/101, 59/363, 60/35-36, 65/125, 134, 135, 99/243, 100/227; Rawdat al Wa’izin, 2/406; al Saduq: al Khisal, pg. 250, 291, Bab Arba’ Anhar min al Jannat.
[2] Bihar al Anwar, 99/243, 60/41.
[3] Bihar al Anwar, 60/42, 10/103-104, 100/230, 104/115.
BACK⇒ Return to Table of contents
Abu Rayyah Rejects the Hadith, “The Nile, Sayhan, Jayhan and the Euphrates are from the Rivers of Jannat”
On page 94, Abu Rayyah says:
روى احمد و مسلم عن ابى هريرة ان رسول الله قال: النيل و سيحان و جيحان و الفرات من انهار الجنة
وهذا القول نفسه رواه كعب الاحبار اذ قال: اربعة انهار من الجنة وضعها الله عز و جل فى الدنيا فالنيل نهر العسل فى الجنة والفرات نهر الخمر و سيحان نهر ماء فى الجنة و جيحان نهر اللبن فى الجنة
Ahmed and Muslim report from Abu Hurairah that the Messenger salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said, ‘The Nile, Seyhan, Ceyhan, and the Euphrates are from the Rivers of Jannat.”
Ka’b al Ahbar made the exact same statement. He said, “There are four rivers from Jannat which Allah placed upon the earth. Nile is the river of honey in Jannat, Euphrates is the river of wine in Jannat, Seyhan is the river of water in Jannat, and Ceyhan is the river of milk in Jannat.”
ان القول بان هذه الانهار تنبع من الجنة اسطورة قديمة ليست اسرائيلية فحسب و انما يرجع الى ما وراء ذلك باحقاب طويلة…و فى الاسلام ايضا ورد حديث رواه ابو هريرة ان رسول الله (ص) قال: النيل و سيحان و جيحان و الفرات من انهار الجنة و فى حديث اخر عن ابن عباس مرفوعا:- انزل الله تعالى من الجنة الى الارض خمسة انهار: سيحون و جيحون و دجلة والفرات والنيل انزلها الله من عين واحدة من عيون الجنة من اسفل درجة من درجتها على جناحى جبرئيل و استودعها الجبال و اجراها فى الارض و جعل فيها منافع للناس- وفى حديث اخر نهران مؤمنان و نهران كافران اما المؤمنان فالنيل والفرات واما الكافران فدجلة و نهر بلخ وقد فسر ايمانهما بانهما يفيضان على الارض فيسقيان الحرث بلا مؤنة ولا كلبة و فسر كفرهما بانهما لا يسقيان و لا ينفع بهما الا بمؤنة و كلفة
The belief that these rivers are from Jannat is an old tale, it is not only an Isra’ili narration. It has its roots in the earlier generations… In Islam also, a hadith is narrated by Abu Hurairah, in which the Messenger salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said, “The Nile, Seyhan, Ceyhan, and the Euphrates are from the Rivers of Jannat.” Another hadith is attributed to the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam by Ibn ‘Abbas, “Allah sent five rivers from Jannat to the earth; Seyhan, Ceyhan, Tigris, Euphrates, and the Nile. Allah sent them from one of the springs of Jannat, from one of the lowest levels upon the wings of Jibril. He kept them in the mountains, allowed them to flow on the earth and placed benefits in them for the people.” Another hadith states, “There are two believing rivers and two disbelieving rivers. The believers are the Nile and Euphrates and the disbelievers are the Tigris and the river of Balkh.” Their belief has been explained to mean that they flow upon the earth and water plantations without any price or difficulty and the disbelief of the others has been explained to mean that they do not water (plantations) and they do not benefit except after some difficulty and struggle.
و هكذا يتسلل الى ديننا مثل هذه الخرافات و الاساطير التى تفضحنا بين الامم و يضحك حتى اطفال المدارس منها وللاسف فانهم يرفعون اخبارها الى النبى (ص) و يثبتونها فى كتبهم الصحيحة و يروجونها بين الناس بنشرها ثم يدافعون عنها واذا بصرناهم بالحقائق و فتحنا عيون العمى والاذان الصم والقلوب الغلف و نزهنا مقام النبى (ص) عن هذه الاساطير رمونا بالشتائم و قذفونا بالسباب و قالوا: اننا نطعن فى صحابى جليل غفر الله لهم و شفاهم من داء الجهل والغفلة والحماقة
It is in this manner that nonsensical statements and tales of this sort have found their way into our din. They embarrass us in front of other nations. Even school children have a good laugh at these narrations. How regrettable is the fact that they attribute these tales to the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam? They preserve them in their most authentic books and spread them among the masses by publishing them. Then they go all out in defence of it. When we show them the truth, open the eyes that have become blind, ears that have become deaf, and hearts that have become covered, and we defend the status of the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam by clearing him of these tales, then they swear us and accuse us of being vulgar. They say that we are criticising a great Sahabi. May Allah forgive them and cure them from the sicknesses of ignorance, negligence, and stupidity.
Our comment: I will quote these ahadith from the infallible Imams. In this way it will become clear to him and his likes that if there is any din in which absurdities and tales have entered, then it is their din which has been corrupted by these ahadith which are ‘authentically established’ from their Imams.
‘Isa ibn ‘Abdullah al Hashimi — his father — his grandfather — his forefathers — ‘Ali — that the Messenger salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said:
اربعة انهار من الجنة الفرات و النيل و سيحان و جيحان فالفرات الماء فى الدنيا والاخرة و النيل العسل و سيحان الخمر و جيحان اللبن
Four rivers are from Jannat; Euphrates, the Nile, Seyhan and Ceyhan. The Euphrates is the water of this world as well as the hereafter, the Nile is honey, Seyhan is wine and Ceyhan is milk.[1]
Al Majlisi quotes Amir al Mu’minin:
الاطلاع فى بئر زمزم يذهب الداء فاشربوا من ماءها مما يلى الركن الذى فيه الحجر الاسود فان تحت الحجر الاسود اربعة انهار من الجنة: الفرات و النيل و سيحان و جيحان وهما نهران
Looking into the well of Zam-Zam cures illnesses. Drink its water from the portion which is close to the side in which the Hajar Aswad is. There are four rivers from Jannat under the Hajar Aswad; Euphrates, the Nile, Seyhan and Ceyhan. They are two rivers.[2]
Abu Basir reports from Imam Jafar rahimahu Llah:
نهران مؤمنان و نهران كافران و نهران كافران نهر بلخ و دجلة والمؤمنان نيل مصر والفرات فحنكوا اولادكم بماء الفرات
Two rivers are believers and two are disbelievers. The disbelievers are the river of Balkh and Tigris and the believers are the Nile of Egypt and the Euphrates. Therefore, let the water of the Euphrates be the first water liquid that your children drink.[3]
NEXT⇒ Abu Rayyah Rejects the Hadith, “In Jannat There is a Tree, A Rider Will Ride in its Shade…”
[1] Bihar al Anwar, 8/130, 10/104, 40/38, 57/101, 59/363, 60/35-36, 65/125, 134, 135, 99/243, 100/227; Rawdat al Wa’izin, 2/406; al Saduq: al Khisal, pg. 250, 291, Bab Arba’ Anhar min al Jannat.
[2] Bihar al Anwar, 99/243, 60/41.
[3] Bihar al Anwar, 60/42, 10/103-104, 100/230, 104/115.