Hadith 38: Al ‘Abbas and Shaybah—the custodian of the Ka’bah —were sitting boasting to one another. Al ‘Abbas said to him, “I am nobler than you…
Hadith 37: I was ill and the Messenger of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam passed by me while I was saying, “O Allah, if my term has come, then give me relief, and if it is coming later…
September 14, 2018Hadith 39: Me and this person (i.e. ‘Ali) will come on the Day of Judgement like this. And then he joined his two index fingers together.
September 17, 2018BACK⇒ Return to Table of contents
Hadith 38
قعد العباس وشيبة صاحب البيت يفتخران، فقال له العباس: أنا أشرف منك، أنا عم رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، ووصي أبيه، وساقي الحجيج. فقال شيبة: أنا أشرف منك، أنا أمين الله على بيته وخازنه، أفلا ائتمنك كما ائتمنني؟ فهما على ذلك يتشاجران، حتى أشرف عليهما علي، فقال له العباس: على رسلك يا ابن أخ. فوقف علي فقال له العباس: إن شيبة فاخرني، فزعم أنه أشرف مني. فقال: فما قلت له أنت يا عماه؟ قال: قلت له: أنا عم رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ووصي أبيه، وساقي الحجيج، أنا أشرف منك؟ فقال لشيبة: ماذا قلت له أنت يا شيبة؟ قال: قلت له: أنا أشرف منك، أنا أمين الله على بيته وخازنه، أفلا ائتمنك (زاد العلوي الله عليه) وقالا: كما ائتمنني؟ قال: فقال لهما: اجعلا لي معكما مفخرا. قالا: نعم. قال: فأنا أشرف منكما، أنا أول من آمن بالوعيد من ذكور هذه الأمة، وهاجر، وجاهد. فانطلقوا (زاد العلوي ثلاثتهم) إلى النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم فجثوا بين يديه، فأخبر كل واحد منهم بمفخره. فما أجابهم النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم بشيء، فانصرفوا عنه فنزل (زاد العلوي عليه الوحي) بعد أيام فيهم، فأرسل إليهم ثلاثتهم، حتى أتوه، فقرأ عليهم: أَجَعَلۡتُمۡ سِقَايَةَ ٱلۡحَآجِّ وَعِمَارَةَ ٱلۡمَسۡجِدِ ٱلۡحَرَامِ كَمَنۡ ءَامَنَ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلۡيَوۡمِ ٱلۡأٓخِرِ ]التوبة: 19 [إلى آخر العشر قرأه أبو معمر.
Al ‘Abbas and Shaybah—the custodian of the Ka’bah —were sitting boasting to one another. Al ‘Abbas said to him, “I am nobler than you; I am the uncle of the Messenger of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, and the wasi (executor) of his father, and the one to distributing drinking water among the pilgrims.” So Shaybah said, “I am nobler than you; I am the amin (trustworthy) one of Allah for His house (i.e. the Ka’bah) and its treasurer. So, did he not entrust you as he entrusted me?” In this way they continued quarrelling, until ‘Ali came and looked down upon them. Al ‘Abbas said to him, “Take it easy, O nephew.” ‘Ali stood and al ‘Abbas said to him, “Verily, Shaybah was boasting before me; he claimed to be nobler than me.” ‘Ali said, “So what did you say to him O my beloved uncle?” He said, “I said to him I am the uncle of the Messenger of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, the wasi (executor) of his father, and the one to distributing drinking water among the pilgrims; I am nobler than you.” ‘Ali then said to Shaybah, “What did you say to him (i.e. to al ‘Abbas), O Shaybah?” He said, “I said to him that I am nobler than you; I am the amin (trustworthy) one of Allah for His house (i.e. the Ka’bah) and its treasurer. So, did he not entrust you (al ‘Alawi added the words ‘did Allah not entrust you to His house’) as he entrusted me?” ‘Ali said to them, “Create for me something to (also) boast about.” They said, “Sure.” He said, “I am nobler than both of you; I was the first male of this ummah to believe in the wa’id (the Day of the Threat i.e. Judgement Day), to make hijrah (emigrate), and fight in Allah’s path.” They all proceeded (al ‘Alawi added the words ‘all three of them proceeded’) to Nabi salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. They kneeled in front of him and then each person proceeded and began boasting about their particular feats. Nabi salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam did not answer any of them. They all left his presence and it descended (al ‘Alawi added the words ‘wahi (revelation) upon him’) after some days regarding them. All three of them were sent for, until (eventually) they came to him. Nabi salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam read for them the verse, “Have you made the providing of water for the pilgrim and the maintenance of al Masjid al Haram equal to [the deeds of] one who believes in Allah and the Last Day.” Abu Ma’mar read it until the end of verse 20.
This hadith is narrated by Anas and Muhammad ibn Ka’b al Qurazi radiya Llahu ‘anhuma.
The Hadith of Anas
Ibn ‘Asakir, Ibn Shahin, and Abu Nuaim (from Ibn Shahin) narrate from Abu Ma’mar ibn ‘Abdul Samad, from Anas.
This chain of transmission is da’if jiddan (very weak).
Abu Ma’mar is ‘Abbad ibn ‘Abdul Samad. Al Bukhari says he is munkar al hadith (narrates unacceptable narrations).[1]
Abu Hatim says “He is very weak in hadith and he is munkar al hadith (narrates unacceptable narrations). I do not know him to have one sahih (authentic) hadith.”[2]
Others have also regarded him as da’if (weak).
The Hadith of Muhammad ibn Ka’b al Qurazi
Al Tabari narrates — Yunus narrated to me — Ibn Wahb informed us — I was informed from Abu Sakhr — I heard Muhammad ibn Ka’b al Qurazi,[3] and then he mentioned a shortened version of the hadith.
This hadith is mursal.[4]
The chain of transmission also contains a majhul (unknown) narrator (i.e. the person who informed Ibn Wahb is unknown).
Al Albani regarded the hadith as da’if (weak).[5]
Similarly, the hadith appears from al Suddi and others. It is not marfu’ (a hadith attributed to Nabi salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam), therefore, there is no need to analyse the different chains of transmission.
Imam Muslim and others narrate:
عن النعمان بن بشير، قال: كنت عند منبر رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، فقال رجل: ما أبالي أن لا أعمل عملا بعد الإسلام، إلا أن أسقي الحاج. وقال آخر: ما أبالي أن لا أعمل عملا بعد الإسلام إلا أن أعمر المسجد الحرام. وقال آخر: الجهاد في سبيل الله أفضل مما قلتم. فزجرهم عمر، وقال: لا ترفعوا أصواتكم عند منبر رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم وهو يوم الجمعة. ولكن إذا صليت الجمعة، دخلت فاستفتيته فيما اختلفتم فيه. فأنزل الله:
أَجَعَلۡتُمۡ سِقَايَةَ ٱلۡحَآجِّ وَعِمَارَةَ ٱلۡمَسۡجِدِ ٱلۡحَرَامِ كَمَنۡ ءَامَنَ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلۡيَوۡمِ ٱلۡأٓخِرِ
الآية إلى آخرها.
As I was (sitting) near the pulpit of the Messenger of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, a man said, “I do not care if, after embracing Islam, I do not do any good deed (except) distributing drinking water among the pilgrims.”
Another said, “I do not care if, after embracing Islam, I do not do any good deed beyond maintenance service to the Sacred Mosque.”
Another said, “Jihad in the way of Allah is better than what you have said.”
‘Umar reprimanded them and said, “Do not raise your voices near the pulpit of the Messenger of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam on Friday.”
When prayer was over, I entered (the home of the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) and asked his verdict about the matter in which they had differed. (It was upon this that) Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala revealed, “Have you made the providing of water for the pilgrim and the maintenance of al Masjid al Haram equal to [the deeds of] one who believes in Allah and the Last Day,” until the end of the verse.
However, this hadith does not mention the names of those who are arguing.
[1] Imam al Bukhari: al Tarikh al Kabir, 6/41.
[2] Abu Hatim al Razi: al Jarh wa al Ta’dil, 6/82.
[3] Al Tabari: Tafsir al Tabari, 11/380.
[4] See p. for an explanation of the term mursal. [translator’s note]
[5] Al Albani: Silsilat Ahadith al Da’ifah, hadith no. 4926.