Hadith 25: The unlettered Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam promised me that no one except a believer would love me, and no one except a munafiq (hypocrite) would dislike me…
Hadith 24: The Messenger of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam called ‘Ali on the Day (of the battle) of al Ta’if, and spoke privately with him…
September 12, 2018Hadith 26: The Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said, “‘Ali’s hijrah was early, his characteristics are charming, his bravery is admirable, and his ancestry is noble…
September 13, 2018BACK⇒ Return to Table of contents
Hadith 25
إنه لعهد النبي الأمي صلى الله عليه وسلم إلي أنه لا يحبك إلا مؤمن ولا يبغضك إلا منافق قال وسمعت علي بن أبي طالب قال: لما نزلت: وَتَعِيَهَآ أُذُنٞ وَٰعِيَةٞ ]الحاقة: 12] قال النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم سألت الله أن يجعلها أذنك يا علي.
The unlettered Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam promised me that no one except a believer would love me, and no one except a munafiq (hypocrite) would dislike me. (The narrator says,) I heard ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib say, “When the verse, ‘and (that) a conscious ear would be conscious of it,’ was revealed, Nabi salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said, ‘O ‘Ali, I asked Allah to make this verse refer to your ear.’”
This hadith is narrated by ‘Ali and Buraydah radiya Llahu ‘anhuma.
The Hadith of ‘Ali
Ibn ‘Asakir and Ibn al Maghazili narrate — from Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Ahmed ibn Muhammad al Mufid — Abu ‘Amr ‘Uthman ibn al Khattab (also known as Abu al Dunya al Ashajj) informed us, “I heard ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib…”[1]
Abu Bakr al Mufid is suspected of lying.[2]
Abu al Dunya al Ashajj is a kadhdhab (liar).[3]
The Hadith of Buraydah
- Ibn ‘Asakir narrates — from Abu Sa’d al Adib — Muhammad ibn Bishr ibn al ‘Abbas informed us — Abu Labid Muhammad ibn Idris informed us — Suwaid ibn Sa’id informed us — al Walid ibn Muslim informed us — from ‘Ali ibn Hawshab al Fizari — he heard Makhul narrating — from Buraydah who said, “The Messenger of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam recited the verse, ‘and (that) a conscious ear would be conscious of it,’ and said, “I asked Allah to make this verse refer to your ear.” ‘Ali said, “I did not forget anything after that.”[4]
Abu Sa’d al Adib, Muhammad ibn Bishr ibn al ‘Abbas, and Abu Labid Muhammad ibn Idris could not be traced.
Suwaid ibn Sa’id al Hadathani is da’if (weak).
Al Walid ibn Muslim is a mudallis (obfuscates when he narrates) and he is narrating with the words ‘an (from).
Al Hadathani is contradicting ‘Ali ibn Sahl, a thiqah (reliable) narrator who transmits this hadith as a mursal narration.
Al Tabari narrates, “‘Ali ibn Sahl narrated to us — al Walid ibn Muslim narrated to us — from ‘Ali ibn Hawshab who said, “I heard Makhul…(a mursal narration).”[5]
Therefore, there are two ‘illahs (hidden impairing defects):
- It is mursal, and
- Al Walid (the mudallis) is narrating with the word ‘an (from). There also exist (other) inconsistencies, as I have explained in the original work.
- Ibn ‘Asakir narrates — from ‘Abdullah ibn al Zubair al Asadi — from Salih ibn Maytham who said, “I heard Buraydah al Aslami…”
‘Abdullah ibn al Zubair al Asadi and Salih ibn Maytham could not be traced.
There exists idtirab (inconsistencies) in this narration, as I have explained in the original work. Sometimes, it is narrated as follows: Bishr ibn Adam — ‘Abdullah ibn al Zubair al Asadi narrated to us — from Salih ibn Maytham.
Other times, it is narrated as: Bishr ibn Ahmed — Muhammad ibn al Zubair al Asadi narrated to us — from Salih ibn Maytham.
Other times, it is narrated as: Bishr ibn Adam — ‘Abdullah, the father of Abu Ahmed al Zubair — narrated to us — Salih ibn Maytham narrated to us.
Other times, it is narrated as: Bishr ibn Adam — ‘Abdullah ibn al Zubair narrated to us — ‘Abdullah ibn Rustum narrated to me.
All of these inconsistencies prove that the hadith is inauthentic.
The hadith also exists without any mention of the verse’s revelation. Al Bazzar narrates:
حدثنا نجيح بن إبراهيم الكوفي، قال: نا ضرار بن صرد، قال: نا محمد بن إسماعيل بن أبي فديك، قال: نا عبد الرحمن بن أبي مليكة، عن إسماعيل بن عبد الله بن جعفر، عن أبيه، أن رسول الله ‘ قال لعلي إن الله تبارك وتعالى أمرني أن أدنيك ولا أقصيك، وأن أعلمك ولا أجفوك.
Najih ibn Ibrahim narrated to us — Dirar ibn Surad informed us — Muhammad ibn Ismail ibn Abi Fudayk informed us — ‘Abdul Rahman ibn Abi Mulaykah informed us — from Ismail ibn ‘Abdullah ibn Jafar — from his father that the Messenger of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said to ‘Ali, “Verily, Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala commanded me to bring you close and not to drive you away. He subhanahu wa ta ‘ala (also) commanded me to teach you and to not treat you harshly.”[6]
Dirar ibn Surad is matruk (suspected of forgery) and accused of lying.
‘Abdul Rahman ibn Abi Mulaykah is da’if (weak). In fact, Imam al Nasa’i says he is matruk.
Al Bazzar transmits a similar narration: ‘Abbad ibn Ya’qub narrated to us — ‘Ali ibn Hashim ibn al Burayd informed us — from Muhammad ibn ‘Ubaidullah ibn Abi Rafi’ — from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abdul Rahman — from Jabir — Muhammad said, “My father and ‘Abdullah (his uncle) narrated to me from their fathers, from Abu Rafi’.”[7]
Muhammad ibn ‘Ubaidullah ibn Abi Rafi’ is matruk.
Abbad ibn Ya’qub is a saduq (sincere); however, he narrates manakir (unacceptable reports).
Ibn ‘Asakir narrates — from Muhammad ibn Yazid — Muhammad ibn Fudayl informed us — ‘Ammarah ibn al Qa’qa’ informed us — from Wuhayb al Makki.[8]
Ibn ‘Asakir says this hadith is munqati’ (broken).
Muhammad ibn Yazid is ibn Muhammad ibn Kathir, Abu Hisham al Rifa’i al Kufi. He is da’if (weak).
Wuhayb al Makki needs to be identified.
Al Shawkani and ibn Taymiyyah are absolutely certain that this hadith is mawdu’ (fabricated).[9] In fact, they deny there is any difference of opinion in this regard.
In short, both chains of transmission are inauthentic. The version of ‘Ali is batil (baseless) and the version of Buraydah is da’if (weak) and mudtarib (unresolvably problematic).
[1] Ibn ‘Asakir: Tarikh Dimashq, 38/349; ibn al Maghazili: Manaqib ‘Ali, hadith no. 363.
[2] Imam al Dhahabi: Mizan al I’tidal, 3/460; Ibn Hajar: Lisan al Mizan, 5/45.
[3] Imam al Dhahabi: Mizan al I’tidal, 3/33.
[4] Ibn ‘Asakir: Tarikh Dimashq, 38/349 Ibn ‘Asakir: Tarikh Dimashq, 41/455.
[5] Al Tabari: Tafsir al Tabari: 23/223.
[6] Al Bazzar: Musnad al Bazzar, hadith no. 2252.
[7] Al Bazzar: Musnad al Bazzar, hadith no. 3878.
[8] Ibn ‘Asakir: Tarikh Dimashq, 42/376.
[9] Ibn Taymiyyah: Minhaj al Sunnah al Nabawiyyah, 7/522; al Shawkani: al Fawa’id al Majmu’ah, hadith no. 280.