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وقف على علي بن أبي طالب سائل وهو راكع في تطوع، فنزع خاتمه، فأعطاه السائل، فأتى رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فأعلمه ذلك فنزلت على النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم هذه الآية: إِنَّمَا وَلِيُّكُمُ ٱللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُۥ وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ ٱلَّذِينَ يُقِيمُونَ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَيُؤۡتُونَ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ وَهُمۡ رَٰكِعُونَ ]المائدة: [55. فقرأها رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، ثم قال: من كنت مولاه فعلي مولاه، اللهم وال من والاه، وعاد من عاداه.
During a voluntary salah, a beggar stood near ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib while he was in ruku’ (state of bowing during salah). ‘Ali removed his ring and handed it to the beggar (i.e. while in salah). Later on, he came to the Messenger of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam and informed him of what he did. Subsequently, the following verse was revealed to the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam: ‘Your ally is none but Allah and [therefore] His Messenger and those who have believed—those who establish prayer and give Zakat, and they bow [in worship].’[1] The Messenger of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam read the verse and said, “Whoevers mawla I am, ‘Ali is his mawla. O Allah! Show love to that person who shows love to him and show enmity to that person who shows enmity to him!”
This hadith is narrated by ‘Ammar ibn Yasir, ‘Ali and Ibn ‘Abbas radiya Llahu ‘anhum.
Al Tabarani narrates — Muhammad ibn ‘Ali al Saʾigh narrated to us — Khalid ibn Yazid al ‘Umari narrated to us — Ishaq ibn ‘Abdullah ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Ali ibn Hussain narrated to us — from al Hassan ibn Zaid — from his father, Zaid ibn al Hassan — from his grandfather who said: ‘I heard ‘Ammar ibn Yasir say…’”[2]
Khalid ibn Yazid al ‘Umari is a kadhdhab (liar).[3]
I do not know who the above-mentioned Ishaq is.
Ibn ‘Asakir and al Hakim narrate — from Muhammad ibn Yahya ibn Durays al ‘Abdi — ‘Isa ibn ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Ubaidullah ibn ‘Umar ibn ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib narrated to us — my father narrated to me — from his father — from his grandfather — from ‘Ali.[4]
‘Isa, his father (‘Abdullah) and his grandfather (‘Ubaidullah) could not be traced.
I think ‘Isa here is ‘Isa ibn ‘Abdullah ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Umar ibn ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib al ‘Alawi. He is suspected of lying. [5] Ibn ‘Asakir also narrates the hadith with this name in another place via ibn al Durays.[6]
Ibn ‘Asakir (also) narrates this hadith (i.e. the original one) with a chain of transmission that contains the narrator Abu al Fadl Muhammad ibn ‘Abdul Rahman ibn ‘Abdullah ibn al Harith al Ramli.[7] Al Dhahabi and ibn Hajar both say that he brings forth batil (false) reports.[8] His teacher, al Qadi Hamlah ibn Mukhammar could not be traced.
Al Shajari (also) narrates this hadith with a chain of transmission that contains the narrator Hussain ibn Mukhariq.[9] Al Daraqutni says he fabricates hadith.
Ibn al Maghazili (also) narrates this hadith — from Abu al Faraj al Khuyuti — ‘Abdul Hamid ibn Musa al ‘Abbad narrated to us — Muhammad ibn Ishaq al Khazzaz narrated to us — ‘Abdullah ibn Bakkar narrated to us — ‘Ubaid ibn Abi al Fadl narrated to us — from Muhammad ibn al Hassan — from his father — from his grandfather — from ‘Ali radiya Llahu ‘anhu.[10]
Mostly everyone above al Khuyuti is unknown.
Al Shajari and Ibn al Maghazili narrate — from ‘Abdul Wahhab ibn Mujahid — from his father — from Ibn ‘Abbas who said: “The following verse was revealed regarding ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, ‘Your ally is none but Allah and [therefore] His Messenger and those who have believed—those who establish prayer and give Zakat, and they bow [in worship].’”[11][12]
‘Abdul Wahhab ibn Mujahid is matruk (suspected of forgery). Sufyan al Thawri deemed him a liar.
Al Shajari narrates this version from — Muhammad ibn Marwan — from Muhammad ibn al Saʾib — from Abu Salih — from Ibn ‘Abbas.[13] He went on to mention a lengthy hadith.
Muhammad ibn Marwan is (Muhammad ibn Marwan) al Suddi al Saghir.
His teacher is al Kalbi. They are both kadhdhabs (liars).
Abu Salih is (Abu Salih) Badham. He is da’if (weak).
Ibn al Maghazili narrates this version with a chain of transmission that contains multiple ‘ilal (defects that affect the authenticity of the hadith).[14] The most severe defect is the fact that Muhammad ibn al Saʾib (al Kalbi who is a liar) appears in the chain of transmission.
Abu Salih (Badham) also appears in the chain of transmission. He is da’if (weak).
Ibn Tawan also appears in the chain of transmission. He (too) is da’if (weak).
Ibn Shawdhab also appears in the chain of transmission. His name has been previously mentioned.
With all of this, there also exist a number of other narrators in the chain of transmission that I could not trace.
Ibn al Maghazili also narrates this version with a chain of transmission that predominantly contains unknown narrators.[15]
Ibn al Maghazili is da’if (weak).
There is a difference of opinion regarding Muttalib ibn Ziyad and al Suddi (Ismail ibn ‘Abdul Rahman).
Ibn al Maghazili also narrates this version with another chain of transmission that is saqit (wholly unreliable).[16] It contains Ibrahim ibn Muhammad ibn Maymun; he is not a thiqah (reliable).
It also contains the narrator ‘Ali ibn ‘Abis. As mentioned previously, he is da’if (weak).
It also contains the narrator Muhammad ibn Jafar ibn Muhammad al ‘Askari. He could not be traced.
It also contains the narrator Ibn Tawan. As mentioned previously, he is da’if (weak).
Ibn Jarir also cited several maqtu’[17] reports; however, they are all inauthentic.
Al Albani ruled this hadith to be munkar (unacceptable). He writes:
Know that this hadith is not strengthened by the chains of transmission that al Suyuti quoted in al Durr al Manthur.[18] Most of the chains are extremely weak and all of them cannot be used as a valid proof since they are mursal[19] (halted narrations) and mu’dal[20].[21]
Ibn Taymiyyah writes:
Some liars fabricated a hadith saying that this verse was revealed regarding ‘Ali when he offered his ring in sadaqah (charity) during salah. The hadith scholars agree, by consensus, that this hadith is a lie. They deemed it a lie for several reasons.[22]
He went on to mention all the reasons, had it not been a lengthy discussion, I would have mentioned it here.
There are reports from the Al al Bayt (Family of the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) that contradict this report, which further attests to its unacceptability. Abu Nuaim, ibn Abi Hatim, Ibn Jarir, and Ibn ‘Asakir narrate — from ‘Abdul Malik ibn Abi Sulaiman who said:
I asked Abu Jafar Muhammad ibn ‘Ali regarding the verse: Your ally is none but Allah and [therefore] His Messenger and those who have believed—those who establish prayer and give Zakat, and they bow [in worship].[23]
He said, “(It refers to) The Companions of Muhammad salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam.”
I said, “They are saying it is referring to ‘Ali.”
He said, “‘Ali is from the Companions.”[24]
The chain of transmission for this hadith is sahih (authentic). Based on this, how could some of the members of the Ahlul Bayt (Household of the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) not know that the verse was revealed regarding ‘Ali radiya Llahu ‘anhu?
Ibn Jarir al Tabari narrates:
Hannad ibn al Sarri narrated to us — Yunus ibn Bukayr narrated to us — Ibn Ishaq narrated to us — my father Ishaq ibn Yasar narrated to me — from ‘Ubadah ibn al Walid ibn ‘Ubadah ibn al Samit who said, “When Banu Qaynuqa’ fought against the Messenger of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, ‘Ubadah ibn al Samit (who was one from Banu ‘Awf ibn al Khazraj) walked to the Messenger of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam and disavowed himself from them to the Messenger of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. He disowned his allies in favour of Allah and His Messenger salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam and said, ‘I am turning towards Allah, His Messenger and the Believers. And I am disavowing myself from the Kuffar (disbelievers) and their friendship.’ Regarding him and his statement, ‘I am turning towards Allah, His Messenger and the Believers. And I am disavowing myself from the Kuffar (disbelievers) and their friendship,’ the verse: ‘Your ally is none but Allah and [therefore] His Messenger and those who have believed—those who establish prayer and give Zakat, and they bow [in worship]’[25] was revealed, until the verse, ‘And whoever is an ally of Allah and His Messenger and those who have believed—indeed, the party of Allah—they will be the predominant.’[26]
Abu Kurayb narrated to us — Ibn Idris narrated to us — I heard by father — from ‘Attiyah ibn Sa’d who said, ‘‘Ubadah ibn al Samit came to the Messenger of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam…’[27]
And then he mentioned a similar hadith.
The first chain of transmission is hassan (fair).
In short, the hadith (of ‘Ali giving his ring in salah) is batil (false). All of its chains of transmission are wahiyah (feeble) and saqitah (wholly unrealible). They revolved around narrators that are liars—or have been accused of lying, abandoned and unknown. Additionally, there is an authentic hadith that contradicts it.
[1] Al Maʾidah: 55.
[2] Al Tabarani: al Mujam al Awsat, 6/6232.
[3] Ibn Hajar: Lisan al Mizan, 2/389.
[4] Ibn ‘Asakir: Tarikh Dimashq, 42/356-357; al Hakim: Ma’rifat ‘Ulum al Hadith, p. 102.
[5] Ibn Hajar: Lisan al Mizan, 4/399.
[6] Ibn ‘Asakir: Tarikh Dimashq, 45/303.
[7] Ibn ‘Asakir: Tarikh Dimashq, 42/357.
[8] Al Dhahabi: Mizan al I’tidal, 3/627; ibn Hajar: Lisan al Mizan, 5/255.
[9] Al Shajari: al Amali, 1/671.
[10] Ibn al Maghazili: Manaqib ‘Ali, hadith no. 355.
[11] Surah al Maʾidah, 55.
[12] Al Shajari: al Amali, 1/679; Ibn al Maghazili: Manaqib ‘Ali, hadith no. 354.
[13] Al Shajari: al Amali, 1/680.
[14] Ibn al Maghazili: Manaqib ‘Ali, hadith no. 357.
[15] Ibn al Maghazili: Manaqib ‘Ali, hadith no. 356.
[16] Ibid., hadith no. 358.
[17] Maqtu’ is a narration attribute to a tabi’i (Successor). [translator’s note]
[18] Al Suyuti: al Durr al Manthur, 2/293.
[19] For an explanation of this term. Click Here
[20] The term mu’dal refers to a hadith that has a chain of transmission wherein at least two consecutive narrators are missing. [translator’s note]
[21] Al Albani: Silsilat Ahadith al Da’ifah, 10/4921.
[22] Ibn Taymiyyah: Minhaj al Sunnah al Nabawiyyah, 2/30.
[23] Al Maʾidah: 55.
[24] Abu Nuaim: Hilyat al Awliyaʾ, 3/185; ibn Abi Hatim: Tafsir Ibn Abi Hatim, 4/1162; ibn Jarir: Tafsir al Tabari, 8/531; ibn ‘Asakir: Tarikh Dimashq, 54/290.
[25] Al Maʾidah: 55.
[26] Al Maʾidah: 56.
[27] Ibn Jarir al Tabari: Tafsir al Tabari, 8/529.