Hadith 15: Abu Bakr and ‘Umar proposed to Fatimah. The Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said, “She is (still) young.” Later, ‘Ali proposed to her and he salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam married her to him.
Hadith 14: Nabi salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam and I set out until we reached the Ka’bah. The Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said to me, “Sit.” He climbed on my shoulders…
September 10, 2018Hadith 16: Once, I was ill and so the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam visited me. He entered my presence while I was reclining…
September 10, 2018BACK⇒ Return to Table of contents
Hadith 15
خطب أبو بكر وعمر فاطمة، فقال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: إنها صغيرة. فخطبها علي، فزوجها منه.
Abu Bakr and ‘Umar proposed to Fatimah. The Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said, “She is (still) young.” Later, ‘Ali proposed to her and he salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam married her to him.
This hadith is reported by Buraydah, ‘Ilbaʾ ibn Ahmar, Hujr ibn ‘Anbas and Anas ibn Malik radiya Llahu ‘anhum.
The Hadith of Buraydah
Imam al Nasaʾi and others narrate from al Hussain ibn Waqid — from ‘Abdullah ibn Buraydah — from his father.[1]
The hadith has been authenticated by al Hakim, al Dhahabi, al Albani and al Arnaʾut. However, it has been said that ‘Abdullah ibn Buraydah did not hear (hadith) from his father.[2]
Ibn Shahin narrates the hadith with an unreliable chain.[3] It contains the narrator Muhammad ibn Humaid al Razi who is matruk (suspected of forgery). In fact, a group of hadith masters considered him a liar.
The Hadith of ‘Ilbaʾ ibn Ahmar
Ibn Sa’d narrates this hadith.[4] The narrators are all reliable, except that the hadith is mursal.
The Hadith of Hujr ibn ‘Anbas
Ibn Sa’d and others narrate this version.[5]
The narrators are all Thiqah (reliable); however, the narration is Mursal. Ḥujr is from the senior Tabi’in. He was alive during the lifetime of the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam but embraced Islam only after his passing and did not meet him.
Ibn al Jawzi erred when ruling this narration to be a fabrication in his Al Mawdu’at [6],wherein he placed the fault in the narration upon Musa ibn Qays al Hadrami who was titled ‘Usfur al Jannah (Bird of Paradise) commenting upon him saying, “He, Allah willing, is from the donkeys of Jahannam.”
This is due to the severity of Ibn al Jawzi in scrutinizing narrations, and this exaggeration is not praiseworthy. Al Hadrami, who is mentioned here, is Saduq (truthful) and not of those who fabricate. Regarding the al Hadrami mentioned here Imam Ahmed said, “I do not know of him but good.” Ibn Ma’in said, “Thiqah (reliable).” Abu Hatim said, “La Ba’s bihi (There is no problem with him.” Abu Nuaim said, “Musa al Fara’ narrated to us, and he was of those who sanctioned. Ibn Shahin mentioned him in his al Thiqat. Ibn Numair said, “He was Thiqah, people would narrate from him.”[7]
Al Albani mentioned this hadith in his Silsilah al Da’ifah, # 6392, and declared it to be Da’if.
The Hadith of Anas ibn Malik
Ibn Hibban and Ibn al Maghazili narrate from al Hassan ibn Hammad — from Yahya ibn Ya’la al Aslami — from Sa’id ibn Abi ‘Arubah — from Qatadah — from Anas ibn Malik with lengthy wording.[8]
This chain of transmission is batil (baseless). Yahya ibn Ya’la al Aslami is da’if (weak). Sa’id ibn Abi ‘Arubah is mukhtalit (commits serious errors). Qatadah and al Hassan both obfuscate when they transmit.
Al Haythami says, “Imam al Tabarani narrates this hadith with a chain of transmission that contains the narrator Yahya ibn Ya’la al Aslami. He is da’if (weak).”[9]
In short, the hadith with the first wording has been authenticated by al Hakim, al Dhahabi, al Albani and al Arnaʾut. As mentioned previously, there is some doubt regarding the contiguity of this hadith. It has been said that ‘Abdullah ibn Buraydah did not hear (hadith) from his father.
All the other wordings of the hadith are not authentic. The possibility of the hadith being Hassan (fair) comes about on account of the first version; it is not definitively munqati’ (broken). The two others versions are both mursal.
[1] Imam al Nasaʾi: al Sunan al Sughra, hadith no. 3221, al Sunan al Kubra, hadith no. 5310, 8454 and Khasaʾis ‘Ali, hadith no. 123.
[2] Ibn Hajar: Tahdhib al Tahdhib, 5/138.
[3] Ibn Shahin: Fadaʾil Fatimah, hadith no. 37.
[4] Ibn Sa’d: al Tabaqat al Kubra, 8/19.
[5] Ibn Sa’d: al Tabaqat al Kubra, 8/19, 20.
[6] Ibn al Jawzi: Al-Mawdu’at, 1/382.
[7] Tahdhib al Tahdhib, 10/327.
[8] Ibn Hibban: Sahih Ibn Hibban, hadith no. 6944; ibn al Maghazili: Manaqib ‘Ali, hadith no. 399.
[9] Nur al Din al Haythami: Majma’ al Zawaʾid, 9/206.