Hadith 85: ‘Ali and I were nur (light) before Allah in a state of total obedience; the nur (light) would make tasbih (i.e. say subhan Allah) and glorify Him fourteen thousand years before Adam was created….

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Hadith 85

كنت أنا وعلي نورا بين يدي الله مطيعا، يسبح الله ذلك النور ويقدسه، قبل أن يخلق آدم بأربعة عشر ألف عام، فلما خلق الله آدم، ركز ذلك النور في صلبه، فلم نزل في شيء واحد، حتى افترقنا في صلب عبد المطلب، فجزء أنا وجزء علي.

‘Ali and I were nur (light) before Allah in a state of total obedience; the nur (light) would make tasbih (i.e. say subhan Allah) and glorify Him fourteen thousand years before Adam was created. When Allah created Adam, He embedded the nur (light) into the backbone of Adam. We remained as one (essence) until we (eventually) separated in the backbone of ‘Abdul Muttalib; I formed one part and ‘Ali the other.

This hadith is narrated from Salman, Ibn ‘Abbas, and Abu Dharr radiya Llahu ‘anhum.

The Hadith of Salman

Ibn ‘Asakir, Ibn al Maghazili and al Qati’i narrate — from Abu Sa’id al ‘Adawi al Hassan ibn ‘Ali ibn Zakariyya — Ahmed ibn al Miqdam al ‘Ijli Abu al Ash’ath narrated to us — al Fudayl ibn ‘Iyad narrated to us — from Thawr ibn Yazid — from Khalid ibn Ma’dan — from Zadhan — from Salman who said, “I heard my beloved, the Messenger of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam saying…”[1]

This hadith is mawdu’ (fabricated). Al Hassan ibn ‘Ali ibn Zakariyya Abu Sa’id al ‘Adawi is a kadhdhab (liar) and a wadda’ (fabricator).

The Hadith of Ibn ‘Abbas

Abu Bakr al Khatib (and Ibn ‘Asakir in a similar manner) narrates this version of the hadith with a chain of transmission that contains the narrator Muhammad ibn Sahl al ‘Attar.[2] He was from those that used to fabricate hadith.

There is another narrator named Abu Dhakwan. He is unknown.

There are two other narrators I could not trace: Harb ibn Bayan and Ahmed ibn ‘Amr.

Ibn Hajar says, “The signs of fabrication are clearly manifest on this hadith.”[3]

The Hadith of Abu Dharr

Ibn al Maghazili narrates this version with a chain of transmission that contains narrators, most of whom are majhul (unknown). They are: ‘Abdullah ibn Muhammad ibn Ahmed ibn ‘Uthman, Muhammad ibn ‘Attab al Harawi, Jabir ibn Sahl ibn ‘Umar ibn Hafs, and his father, Muhammad ibn al Hassan ibn Sulaiman (perhaps he is al Qazwini who is mentioned by Ibn Hajar in Lisan al Mizan[4]—he is not a thiqah (reliable)).

Jafar ibn Ahmed ibn ‘Ali ibn Bayan narrated this hadith — from Muhammad ibn ‘Umar al Taʾi — from his father Sufyan — from Dawood ibn Abi Hind — from al Walid ibn ‘Abdul Rahman — from Numair al Hadari — from Abu Dharr.[5]

This version is mawdu’ (fabricated). Jafar ibn Ahmed al Taʾi fabricated it. He is a kadhdhab (liar) and a wadda’ (fabricator), as mentioned by Ibn al Jawzi.[6]

In short, the hadith is mawdu’ (fabricated) and a lie, as mentioned by a number of huffaz (hadith masters).

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[1] Ibn ‘Asakir: Tarikh Dimashq, 42/67; Ibn al Maghazili: Manaqib ‘Ali, hadith no. 130; al Qati’i: Zawaʾid al Fadaʾil, 2/1130.

[2] Ibn ‘Asakir: Tarikh Dimashq, 42/67.

[3] Ibn ‘Iraq: Tanzih al Shari’ah, 1/397.

[4] Ibn Hajar: Lisan al Mizan, 5/134.

[5] Ibn al Jawzi: Kitab al Mawdu’at, 1/340.

[6] Al Suyuti: al Laʾali al Masnu’ah, 1/294; al Shawkani: al Fawaʾid al Majmu’ah, hadith no. 303; Ibn ‘Iraq: Tanzih al Shari’ah, 1/351.