Hadith 44: We used to speak (about the fact) that the Messenger of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam promised ‘Ali seventy promises that he did not promise anyone else except for him.
Glossary
December 14, 2018Hadith 45: (Anas radiya Llahu ‘anhu says,) “I entered the presence of ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib radiya Llahu ‘anhu with the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, he was visiting him while he was sick…
January 28, 2019BACK⇒ Return to Table of contents
Hadith 44
كنا نتحدث أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم عهد إلى علي سبعين عهدا لم يعهده إلى غيره.
We used to speak (about the fact) that the Messenger of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam promised ‘Ali seventy promises that he did not promise anyone else except for him.
Ibn Abi ‘Asim and others narrate — from Sahl ibn ‘Abdawayh al Sindi — ‘Amr ibn Abi Qais narrated to us — from Mutarrif, fom al Minhal — from Arbidah al Tamimi — from Ibn ‘Abbas.[1]
This hadith is munkar (unacceptable) and mawdu’ (fabricated).
Al Dhahabi states under the biography of Arbidah al Tamimi that the hadith is munkar (unacceptable).[2]
Arbidah was regarded as a thiqah (reliable) by al ‘Ijli and Ibn Hibban.
Ibn al Barqi says he is majhul (unknown).
Abu al ‘Arab al Siqilli al Qayrawani lists him in Kitab al Du’afaʾ.
Ibn Hajar adopted a middle-approach and said he is a saduq (sincere).
Therefore, there is a difference of opinion regarding his status.
Regarding ‘Amr ibn Abi Qais al Razi al Azraq, he is from Kufah and he enjoys an average status (as a narrator). Abu Dawood once said there are mistakes in his hadith.[3]
When it is evident that there are unacceptable elements in his hadith, it is to be rejected. If not, then he is considered maqbul (accepted).
Regarding al Sindi ibn ‘Abdawayh (it is said that his name is Sahl al Dhuhali), Abu al Walid al Tayalisi says, “I have not seen someone more knowledgeable in hadith than him and Yahya ibn al Durays.”[4]
Abu Hatim says he is a sheikh (venerable). He also said, “I saw him with his hair and beard dyed. I did not write (hadith) from him.”
Ibn Hibban mentioned him in Kitab al Thiqat and said that he narrates strange reports.[5]
The fact that Abu Hatim did not narrate from him means the he considered him da’if (weak). Just because he referred to him as ‘sheikh (venerable)’ does not contradict this; the hadith critics would (sometimes) employ this term when referring to a narrator who has a small number of narrations. In other words, he is not famous for narrating, although he has narrations. It is a term that neither ascertains tawthiq (verifies the narrator’s integrity) nor jarh (impugning statement). It is not as al Albani says; that the meaning (of the term sheikh) according to Abu Hatim and Ibn Hibban is that he is hassan (fair) in hadith. If he truly was hassan (fair) in hadith, why would Ibn Hibban leave narrating from him?
As for al Tayalisi’s statement above, this is not a form of tawthiq (statement verifying the narrator’s integrity); just because he (i.e. Ibn ‘Abdawayh) is knowledgeable in hadith, it does not necessarily mean that he is a dabit (accurately transmits). How many narrators do you find that have memorised hadith yet they are still considered matruk (suspected of forgery)?
In any case, the defect of the hadith is on account of either al Sindi, or ‘Amr ibn Abi Qais, or Arbidah.
Al Albani added (elsewhere in his book) that Arbidah is suspected of lying.[6]
The following narrations further prove the above hadith is batil (false) and munkar (unacceptable):
From Abu Juhayfah:
I said to ‘Ali, “Do you possess a book?”
He said, “No, except for the Book of Allah or the insight Allah has bestowed upon His slave into His book (i.e. the Qurʾan), or what is in this notebook.”
I said, “What is in this sahifah (booklet)?”
He said, “Information about blood money (that a murderer must pay to the relatives of the victim) i.e. the ages of the camels that are required to be given as blood money. It (also) contained the amounts of money that are to be given for the releasing of captives, and (it also contained) the law that no Muslim should be killed (in qisas) for the killing of a kafir.”[7]
Imam Muslim narrates from Ibrahim al Taymi, from his father who said:
‘Ali ibn Abi Talib addressed us and said, “He who thinks that we (the members of the Prophet’s family) read anything else besides the Book of Allah and this Sahifah (notebook) (and he said that the Sahifah was tied to the scabbard of the sword) is telling a lie.”[8]
Imam Muslim narrates from Abu al Tufayl:
‘Ali was asked whether Allah’s Messenger salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam had showed special favour (by disclosing to him) something (which he kept secret from others). Thereupon he said: ‘Allah’s Messenger salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam singled us not for (disclosing to us) anything (secret) which he did not make public, (but those few things) which lay in the sheath of my sword. He drew out the written document contained in it and on it was written: ‘Allah curses him who sacrifices (an animal) for anyone else besides Allah; and Allah curses him who steals the signposts (that demarcate the boundary lines) of the land; and Allah curses him who curses his father; and Allah curses him who accommodates an innovator.”[9]
Imam al Nasaʾi narrates:
Al Ashtar asked ‘Ali, “What the people have been hearing from you has become widespread. If the Messenger of Allah told you anything, then tell us.”
He said, “The Messenger of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam did not tell me anything that he did not tell the people, except that in the sheath of my sword there is a sheet, in which it says, ‘The lives of the believers are equal in value, and they hasten to support the asylum granted by the least of them. But no believer may be killed neither in return for a disbeliever, nor one with a covenant while his covenant is in effect.’”[10]
All of these reports demonstrate the error in the first narration and that it is an unacceptable (munkar) narration.
[1] Ibn Abi ‘Asim: Kitab al Sunnah, 2/1186.
[2] Al Dhahabi: Mizan al I’tidal, 1/170.
[3] Ibn Hajar: Tahdhib al Tahdhib, 8/82.
[4] Ibn Abi Hatim: Kitab al Jarh wa al Ta’dil, 4/319; Ibn Hajar: Lisan al Mizan, 3/116.
[5] Ibn Hibban: Kitab al Thiqat, 8/304.
[6] Al Albani: Silsilat Ahadith al Da’ifah, 13/628.
[7] Imam al Bukhari: Sahih al Bukhari, 1/111 (and other places).
[8] Imam Muslim: Sahih Muslim, 2/1370.
[9] Ibid., 3/1978.
[10] Imam al Nasaʾi: Sunan al Nasaʾi, 8/4746.
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Hadith 44
كنا نتحدث أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم عهد إلى علي سبعين عهدا لم يعهده إلى غيره.
We used to speak (about the fact) that the Messenger of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam promised ‘Ali seventy promises that he did not promise anyone else except for him.
Ibn Abi ‘Asim and others narrate — from Sahl ibn ‘Abdawayh al Sindi — ‘Amr ibn Abi Qais narrated to us — from Mutarrif, fom al Minhal — from Arbidah al Tamimi — from Ibn ‘Abbas.[1]
This hadith is munkar (unacceptable) and mawdu’ (fabricated).
Al Dhahabi states under the biography of Arbidah al Tamimi that the hadith is munkar (unacceptable).[2]
Arbidah was regarded as a thiqah (reliable) by al ‘Ijli and Ibn Hibban.
Ibn al Barqi says he is majhul (unknown).
Abu al ‘Arab al Siqilli al Qayrawani lists him in Kitab al Du’afaʾ.
Ibn Hajar adopted a middle-approach and said he is a saduq (sincere).
Therefore, there is a difference of opinion regarding his status.
Regarding ‘Amr ibn Abi Qais al Razi al Azraq, he is from Kufah and he enjoys an average status (as a narrator). Abu Dawood once said there are mistakes in his hadith.[3]
When it is evident that there are unacceptable elements in his hadith, it is to be rejected. If not, then he is considered maqbul (accepted).
Regarding al Sindi ibn ‘Abdawayh (it is said that his name is Sahl al Dhuhali), Abu al Walid al Tayalisi says, “I have not seen someone more knowledgeable in hadith than him and Yahya ibn al Durays.”[4]
Abu Hatim says he is a sheikh (venerable). He also said, “I saw him with his hair and beard dyed. I did not write (hadith) from him.”
Ibn Hibban mentioned him in Kitab al Thiqat and said that he narrates strange reports.[5]
The fact that Abu Hatim did not narrate from him means the he considered him da’if (weak). Just because he referred to him as ‘sheikh (venerable)’ does not contradict this; the hadith critics would (sometimes) employ this term when referring to a narrator who has a small number of narrations. In other words, he is not famous for narrating, although he has narrations. It is a term that neither ascertains tawthiq (verifies the narrator’s integrity) nor jarh (impugning statement). It is not as al Albani says; that the meaning (of the term sheikh) according to Abu Hatim and Ibn Hibban is that he is hassan (fair) in hadith. If he truly was hassan (fair) in hadith, why would Ibn Hibban leave narrating from him?
As for al Tayalisi’s statement above, this is not a form of tawthiq (statement verifying the narrator’s integrity); just because he (i.e. Ibn ‘Abdawayh) is knowledgeable in hadith, it does not necessarily mean that he is a dabit (accurately transmits). How many narrators do you find that have memorised hadith yet they are still considered matruk (suspected of forgery)?
In any case, the defect of the hadith is on account of either al Sindi, or ‘Amr ibn Abi Qais, or Arbidah.
Al Albani added (elsewhere in his book) that Arbidah is suspected of lying.[6]
The following narrations further prove the above hadith is batil (false) and munkar (unacceptable):
From Abu Juhayfah:
I said to ‘Ali, “Do you possess a book?”
He said, “No, except for the Book of Allah or the insight Allah has bestowed upon His slave into His book (i.e. the Qurʾan), or what is in this notebook.”
I said, “What is in this sahifah (booklet)?”
He said, “Information about blood money (that a murderer must pay to the relatives of the victim) i.e. the ages of the camels that are required to be given as blood money. It (also) contained the amounts of money that are to be given for the releasing of captives, and (it also contained) the law that no Muslim should be killed (in qisas) for the killing of a kafir.”[7]
Imam Muslim narrates from Ibrahim al Taymi, from his father who said:
‘Ali ibn Abi Talib addressed us and said, “He who thinks that we (the members of the Prophet’s family) read anything else besides the Book of Allah and this Sahifah (notebook) (and he said that the Sahifah was tied to the scabbard of the sword) is telling a lie.”[8]
Imam Muslim narrates from Abu al Tufayl:
‘Ali was asked whether Allah’s Messenger salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam had showed special favour (by disclosing to him) something (which he kept secret from others). Thereupon he said: ‘Allah’s Messenger salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam singled us not for (disclosing to us) anything (secret) which he did not make public, (but those few things) which lay in the sheath of my sword. He drew out the written document contained in it and on it was written: ‘Allah curses him who sacrifices (an animal) for anyone else besides Allah; and Allah curses him who steals the signposts (that demarcate the boundary lines) of the land; and Allah curses him who curses his father; and Allah curses him who accommodates an innovator.”[9]
Imam al Nasaʾi narrates:
Al Ashtar asked ‘Ali, “What the people have been hearing from you has become widespread. If the Messenger of Allah told you anything, then tell us.”
He said, “The Messenger of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam did not tell me anything that he did not tell the people, except that in the sheath of my sword there is a sheet, in which it says, ‘The lives of the believers are equal in value, and they hasten to support the asylum granted by the least of them. But no believer may be killed neither in return for a disbeliever, nor one with a covenant while his covenant is in effect.’”[10]
All of these reports demonstrate the error in the first narration and that it is an unacceptable (munkar) narration.
[1] Ibn Abi ‘Asim: Kitab al Sunnah, 2/1186.
[2] Al Dhahabi: Mizan al I’tidal, 1/170.
[3] Ibn Hajar: Tahdhib al Tahdhib, 8/82.
[4] Ibn Abi Hatim: Kitab al Jarh wa al Ta’dil, 4/319; Ibn Hajar: Lisan al Mizan, 3/116.
[5] Ibn Hibban: Kitab al Thiqat, 8/304.
[6] Al Albani: Silsilat Ahadith al Da’ifah, 13/628.
[7] Imam al Bukhari: Sahih al Bukhari, 1/111 (and other places).
[8] Imam Muslim: Sahih Muslim, 2/1370.
[9] Ibid., 3/1978.
[10] Imam al Nasaʾi: Sunan al Nasaʾi, 8/4746.