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معك يا علي يوم القيامة عصا من عصا الجنة، تذود بها الناس عن حوضي
You will possess, O ‘Ali, a staff from the staffs of Jannat on the Day of Judgment; you will drive people away from my Hawd (pond) with it.
This hadith is narrated by Abu Sa’id, ‘Ali, Jabir, Anas ibn Malik, Abu Hurairah, and Hassan ibn ‘Ali radiya Llahu ‘anhum.
Al ‘Uqayli and others narrate — from Salam ibn Sulaiman al Madaini — Shu’bah narrated to us — from Zaid al ‘Ami — from Abu al Siddiq al Naji — from Abu Sa’id al Khudri who said, ‘The Messenger of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said…”[1]
This chain of transmission is da’if (weak).
Al ‘Uqayli says this hadith has no basis, neither from Shu’bah, nor any other thiqah (reliable narrator).
Al Haythami says, “Al Tabarani narrates this hadith and it contains the narrators Salam ibn Sulaiman al Madaini and Zaid al ‘Ami. They are both da’if (weak). However, they have been regarded as reliable narrators. The other narrators in the chain of transmission are all thiqat (reliable).”[2]
Ibn al Jawzi writes:
This hadith is not authentic from the Messenger of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. Yahya ibn Ma’in says Zaid al ‘Ami is laysa bi shay (worthless). Abu Zur’ah says it is not permissible to use his hadith as a valid form of proof. Regarding the narrator Salam (some say his name is ibn Sulaiman, or ibn Salm, or ibn Salim), Yahya ibn Ma’in (also) says he is laysa bi shay (worthless) and that his hadith are not to be recorded (and used for the purpose of bolstering or corroboration). Al Nasa’i and al Daraqutni say that he is matruk al hadith (suspected of forgery). Ibn Hibban says that he narrates mawdu’at (fabrications) from thiqat (reliable narrators) and that it is as if he does so intentionally.[3]
Al Dhahabi says this hadith has no basis.[4]
Al Tabarani narrates — Muhammad ibn Nasr ibn Humaid narrated to us — Muhammad ibn Qudamah al Jawhari narrated to us — al Ahwas ibn Jawwab narrated to us — Abu Maryam narrated to us — from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Ata — Abu Harb ibn Abi al Aswad al Du’ali narrated to me — ‘Abdullah ibn Ijarah ibn Qais narrated to me, “I heard Amir al Muminin, ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib say on the minbar (pulpit), ‘Indeed, I am driving the kuffar (disbelievers) and the munafiqin (hypocrites) away from the Hawd (pond) of the Messenger of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam with these two small hands of mine, just as shepherds who provide water for their cattle chase away stray camels from their water reservoirs.’”[5]
Al Khatib mentions the biography of Muhammad ibn Nasr ibn Humaid without any referencing any jarh (impugning statement) or ta’dil (statement affirming the reliability of a narrator).[6]
Muhammad ibn Qudamah al Jawhari is da’if (weak).
Abu Maryam and ‘Abdullah ibn Ijarah cannot be traced.
Al Qati’i narrates this hadith with a chain of transmission that contains the narrator ‘Ali ibn ‘Abis.[7] He is da’if (weak).
His teacher (in that chain of transmission) cannot be traced.
Similarly, the teacher of Abu Harb ‘Abdullah ibn Fulan cannot be traced. Perhaps, he is the same ‘Abdullah ibn Ijarah ibn Qais mentioned previously. In that case, he (still) cannot be traced.
Al ‘Uqayli narrates —from Khalaf ibn Mubarak — Sharik narrated to us — from Abu Ishaq — from al Harith — from ‘Ali who said, “I heard the Messenger of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam say, ‘I was granted five qualities regarding ‘Ali that my Lord did not grant to anyone before me. The first quality is that he will discharge my (religious) obligations and he will conceal my ‘awrah. As for the second quality, he will drive (people) away from my Hawd (pond)…’”[8]
Al ‘Uqayli says that Khalaf ibn Mubarak is from Kufah. His hadith do not enjoy any valid mutaba’at[9] (parallel narrations) and he is majhul bi al naql (unknown). He also says that his hadith from Abu Ishaq and Sharik has no basis and that the hadith is narrated with a chain of transmission that is layyin (lenient).
The chain of transmission also contains the narrator al Harith al A’war. He is matruk (suspected of forgery).
Abu Ishaq is a mudallis (obfuscated when he narrates) and a mukhtalit (commits serious errors).
Sharik has some weakness.
Al Dhahabi writes, “In this chain of transmission is Khalaf ibn al Mubarak, perhaps he is the person who fabricated this hadith.”[10]
Al Suyuti also mentions this hadith (in the same manner as al ‘Uqayli).[11]
The narration of Ibn ‘Asakir has already been mentioned where he reports from Suwaid ibn Sa’id — Hafs ibn Maysarah narrated to us — from Hizam ibn ‘Uthman — from Ibn Jabir.[12] I think it should rather be “from Jabir” and not “from Ibn Jabir”.
As mentioned previously, the hadith is munkar (unacceptable).
Ibn ‘Adi narrates — ‘Abdul Malik narrated to us — Ahmed ibn Harun al Tunisi narrated to us — Abu ‘Amr Lahiz ibn ‘Abdullah al Taymi al Baghdadi narrated to us — Mu’tamir ibn Sulaiman narrated to us — from Hisham ibn ‘Urwa — from his father who said, “Anas narrated to us…”[13]
As mentioned previously, this hadith is batil (baseless); its chain of transmission and its matn (text) are both munkar (unacceptable).
Al Tabarani narrates — Muhammad ibn Musa narrated to us — Hassan ibn Kathir narrated to us — Salma ibn ‘Aqabah al Hanafi al Yamami narrated to us — ‘Ikrimah ibn ‘Ammar narrated to us — from Yahya ibn Abi Kathir — from Abu Salamah — from Abu Hurairah.[14]
Muhammad ibn Musa is al Istakhri. Perhaps he is the same person ibn Hajar writes about: “Muhammad ibn Musa ibn Ibrahim al Istakhri. He is a majhul (unknown) Sheikh.”[15]
Salma ibn ‘Aqabah cannot be traced.
Hassan ibn Kathir needs to be verified
‘Ikrimah ibn ‘Ammar is mudtarib (unresolvably problematic) in his hadith from Yahya ibn Abi Kathir.
Al Hakim and Ibn ‘Asakir narrate — from al Hussain ibn al Hassan al Ashqar — Sa’id ibn Khuthaym al Hilali narrated to us — from al Walid ibn Yasar al Hamdani — from ‘Ali ibn Abi Talhah — from al Hassan ibn ‘Ali.[16]
Al Hakim says this hadith has a sahih (authentic) chain of transmission and Imam al Bukhari and Imam Muslim did not include it in their respective collections.
Al Dhahabi differed. He writes, “Rather, this hadith is wah (feeble) and munkar (unacceptable). It contains more than one da’if (weak) narrator.”[17]
Al Ashqar enjoys a tabi’ (parallel narration) — from Ismail ibn Musa. Both Abu Ya’la and al Tabarani narrated this hadith.[20] The chain of transmission has already been analyzed. Regarding Ismail ibn Musa, there is no problem with him (la basa bih).
Al Tabarani narrates — from ‘Abbad ibn Ya’qub al Asadi — ‘Ali ibn ‘Abis narrated to us — from Badr ibn al Khalil Abu al Khalil — from Abu Kabir (or Abu Kathir—as mentioned by Ibn ‘Asakir).[21]
‘Abbad ibn Ya’qub is a saduq (sincere) that possesses munkarat (unacceptable narrations).
‘Ali ibn ‘Abis is da’if (weak).
Badr ibn al Khalil Abu al Khalil and Abu Kathir could not be traced.
In short, the hadith is da’if (weak) because most of its chains of transmission are wahiyah (feeble) and saqitah (wholly unreliable).
[1] Al ‘Uqayli: al Du’afa al Kabir, 2/161.
[2] Nur al Din al Haythami: Majma’ al Zawaid, 9/135.
[3] Ibn al Jawzi: al ‘Ilal al Mutanahiyah, 1/249.
[4] Al Dhahabi: Mizan al I’tidal, 2/178.
[5] Al Tabarani: al Mujam al Kabir, hadith no. 5153.
[6] Al Khatib: Tarikh Baghdad, 3/319.
[7] Al Qati’i: Zawaid Fadail al Sahabah, hadith no. 1157.
[8] Al ‘Uqayli: al Du’afa al Kabir, 2/22.
[9] For an explanation of this term. please see p. [translator’s note]
[10] Al Dhahabi: Talkhis al ‘Ilal al Mutanahiyah, hadith no. 83.
[11] Al Suyuti: al Ziyadat ‘ala al Mawdu’at, 1/266.
[12] Ibn ‘Asakir: Tarikh Dimashq, 42/140.
[13] Ibn ‘Adi: al Kamil fi al Du’afa, 7/141.
[14] Al Tabarani: al Mujam al Awsat, hadith no. 7675.
[15] Ibn Hajar: Lisan al Mizan, 5/401.
[16] Al Hakim: Mustadrak al Hakim, hadith no. 4669; ibn ‘Asakir: Tarikh Dimashq, 59/27.
[17] Al Dhahabi: Mukhtasar Talkhis al Mustadrak, 3/1488.
[18] Mahfuz (preserved) narrations refer to those hadiths which are preferred over shadh (anomalous) hadiths. [translator’s note]
[19] Ibn ‘Adi: al Kamil, 3/410.
[20] Abu Ya’la: Musnad Abi Ya’la, hadith 6771; al Tabarani: al Mujam al Kabir, hadith no. 2758.
[21] Al Tabarani: al Mujam al Kabir, hadith no. 2727; ibn ‘Asakir: Tarikh Dimashq, 59/28.