Hadith 119: A star disappeared in the time of the Messenger of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, and so the Messenger of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said, “Look at this star…
Hadith 118: Jibril used to dictate (revelation) to the Messenger of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam and the Messenger of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam used to dictate to ‘Ali.
January 31, 2019Hadith 120: Asbagh ibn Nabatah read the following verse to ‘Ali, “And [mention] when your Lord took from the children of Adam -…..
January 31, 2019BACK⇒ Return to Table of contents
Hadith 119
انقض كوكب على عهد رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، فقال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: انظروا إلى هذا الكوكب، فمن انقض في داره فهو الخليفة من بعدي. فنظروا فإذا هو قد انقض في منزل علي! فأنزل الله تعالى:
[وَالنَّجْمِ إِذَا هَوَىٰ مَا ضَلَّ صَاحِبُكُمْ وَمَا غَوَىٰ وَمَا يَنطِقُ عَنِ الْهَوَىٰ إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا وَحْيٌ يُوحَىٰ [النجم: 4-1
A star disappeared in the time of the Messenger of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, and so the Messenger of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said, “Look at this star; whosoever’s house it disappears by, he is the Khalifah after me.” They looked and found that it disappeared by the house of ‘Ali! Allah revealed, “By the star when it descends, your companion [Muhammad] has not strayed, nor has he erred, nor does he speak from [his own] inclination. It is not but a revelation revealed.’”[1]
This hadith is narrated from Anas and Ibn ‘Abbas radiya Llahu ‘anhuma.
The Hadith of Anas
Ibn al Maghazili and others narrate this version of the hadith — from Sulaiman ibn Ahmed al Maliki — Abu Quda’ah Rabi’ah ibn Muhammad al Taʾi narrated to us — Thawban Dhu al Nun narrated to us — Malik ibn Ghassan al Nahshali narrated to us — Thabit narrated to us — from Anas…[2]
Malik ibn Ghassan is unidentified.
Thawban Dhu al Nun is da’if (weak).
Abu Quda’ah Rabi’ah ibn Muhammad al Taʾi is matruk (suspected of forgery).
Sulaiman ibn Ahmed is al Malti al Misri. Al Daraqutni and al Khatib deemed him a kadhdhab (liar).
Al Dhahabi and Ibn Hajar both said that this report is batil (false).[3] Ibn al Jawzi mentioned this hadith in his work on fabrications.[4]
The Hadith of Ibn ‘Abbas
This version of the hadith has the following two chains of transmission:
- Ibn ‘Asakir and others narrate this version of the hadith.[5] Ibn ‘Asakir said, “This hadith is munkar (unacceptable); all the narrators between Abu ‘Umar and Hushaym are majhul (unknown) and unidentified.”
Hushaym is a mudallis[6] (obfuscates when he narrates) and he is narrating using the word ‘an (from).
- Ibn al Jawzi narrates this version of the hadith — from Muhammad ibn Marwan — from al Kalbi — from Abu Salih — from Ibn ‘Abbas.[7]
Ibn al Jawzi writes:
There is no doubt that this hadith is mawdu’ (fabricated). How silly is the person who fabricated it! And how far-fetched is what he said! The chain of transmission contains darkness: Abu Salih Badham is a kadhdhab (liar). Similar is the case with al Kalbi and Muhammad ibn Marwan al Suddi. The person suspected of fabricating this hadith is al Kalbi… The strange thing that the fabricator overlooked is: How can he make up something that does not make sense to the mind; the star landed in a house such that it could be seen! From the fabricator’s stupidity is that he falsely attributed this hadith to Ibn ‘Abbas; Ibn ‘Abbas was only two years old at the time of the Mi’raj (Ascension). How could he have possibly witnessed that and narrated it?[8]
The following people followed Ibn al Jawzi in ruling the hadith a fabrication: al Dhahabi, Ibn Hajar, al Suyuti, Ibn ‘Iraq, and al Shawkani.[9]
Another indication that the hadith is a lie is the fact that if a star landed by the house of ‘Ali, all of Makkah and its surrounding areas would have been destroyed.
In short, the hadith is mawdu’ (fabricated) and not authentic, as mentioned by the huffaz (hadith masters).
[1] Surah al Najm: 1-4.
[2] Ibn al Maghazili: Manaqib ‘Ali, hadith no. 313.
[3] Al Dhahabi: Mizan al I’tidal, 2/45; Ibn Hajar: Lisan al Mizan, 2/449.
[4] Ibn al Jawzi: Kitab al Mawdu’at, 1/373.
[5] Ibn ‘Asakir: Tarikh Dimashq, 42/392.
[6] For an explanation of this term, Click Here. [translator’s note]
[7] Ibn al Jawzi: Kitab al Mawdu’at, 1/372.
[8] Ibid., 1/373.
[9] Al Dhahabi: Mizan al I’tidal, 2/45; Ibn Hajar: Lisan al Mizan, 2/449; al Suyuti: al Laʾali al Masnu’ah, 1/326; Ibn ‘Iraq: Tanzih al Shari’ah, 1/356; al Shawkani: al Fawaʾid al Majmu’ah, hadith no. 321.