The Fifth Narration
The Sixth Narration
January 20, 2016The Fourth Narration
January 20, 2016BACK⇒ Return to Table of contents
The Fifth Narration
I have been commanded to kill those who are disloyal, those who are unjust, and those who defect.
This narration has been narrated via numerous chains, from ‘Ali, Abu Ayub al Ansari, ‘Ammar, Ibn Mas’ud, and Abu Sa’id al Khudri — may Allah be pleased with them all — and all the variant chains of this narration are not reliable.[1]
The First Chain
Narrated by Ibn ‘Asakir in Tarikh Dimashq (42/480) by way of Abu al Jarud — from ‘Ali ibn al Hussain — from his father — from his grandfather.
- Abu al Jarud, he is Ziyad ibn al Mundhir al Hamadani al Kufi al A’ma [the Kufan, the blind one], and to him the Jarudiyyah[2] are attributed.
- Abu Hatim considered him exceptionally weak. He said: “Abandoned in narration.”[3]
- Al Bukhari said: “They speak [negatively] of him.”[4]
- Al Nasa’i said: “Abandoned.”
- Ibn Ma’in said: “Confounded liar.”[5]
- Ibn Hibban in al Majruhin (1/306) said: “He fabricates narrations regarding virtues and flaws.”
The Second Chain
Narrated by Ibn ‘Asakir in Tarikh Dimashq (42/470) by way of Jafar al Ahmar — from Yunus ibn al Arqam — from Aban — from Khulayd al ‘Asari who said: “I heard Amir al Mu’minin ‘Ali…” and he mentioned the narration.
- In this chain appears Aban ibn Abi ‘Ayyash, Abu Ismail al Basri.
- Abandoned in narration as expressed by Ahmed, Ibn Ma’in, and al Nasa’i.[6]
- Ibn ‘Adi, in al Kamil (1/381), quotes Shu’bah: “It is more preferable for me to drink the urine of a donkey until my satiation, than to say Aban ibn Abi ‘Ayyash narrated to me.”
The Third Chain
It has been narrated by Ibn ‘Asakir in Tarikh Dimashq (42/469) via ‘Abdul Jabbar al Hamdani — from Anas ibn ‘Amr — from his father — from ‘Ali.
- Ibn Kharrash said: “Anas ibn ‘Amr — from his father — from ‘Ali, unknown.[7]
- ‘Abdul Jabbar al Hamdani, he is ‘Abdul Jabbar ibn ‘Abbas al Shibami al Kufi.
- Al Dhahabi said in Mizan al I’tidal (3/533): “Abu Nu’aym said about him that there was no one in Kufah who was a greater liar than him.”
The Fourth Chain
It has been narrated by Ibn ‘Asakir in Tarikh Dimashq (42/469) via Muhammad ibn Hassan — from ‘Attiyah ibn Sa’d al ‘Aufi — he said — my father narrated to me — he said — ‘Amr ibn ‘Attiyah narrated to me — from his brother, Hassan ibn ‘Attiyah ibn Sa’d — from Ibn ‘Attiyah — he said — my grandfather, Sa’id ibn Junadah, narrated to me, from ‘Ali radiya Llahu ‘anhu.
This is a successive chain of weak narrators, ‘Attiyah al ‘Aufi and those after him are all weak narrators.
Ibn Rajab said in his Sharh ‘ilal al Tirmidhi (2/884): “From those households that were all weak was the household of ‘Attiyah al ‘Aufi and his children.”
The Fifth Chain
It has been narrated by Ibn Abi ‘Asim in al Sunnah (939), al Bazzar (3270) as it appears in Kashf al Astar, and by Ibn ‘Asakir in Tarikh Dimashq (42/469) via the narration of Fitr ibn Khalifah, from Hakim ibn Jubayr, from Ibrahim al Nakha’i, from ‘Alqamah who said that he heard ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib saying on the Day of Nahrawan: “I have been instructed with killing those who defect, and these are the defectors.”
In this chain appears Hakim ibn Jubayr.
- Imam Ahmed said of him: “Weak. Inconsistent in narration.”[8]
- Al Nasa’i said of him: “Weak. A Kufan.”[9]
- Al Daraqutni said of him: “Abandoned.”
- Al Juzajani said of him: “A confounded liar.”[10]
The Sixth Chain
It is narrated by al Bazzar (774), Abu Ya’la in his Musnad (519), and al ‘Uqayli in al Du’afa’ (2/404) via the narration of al Rabi’ ibn Sahl al Fazari, from Sa’id ibn ‘Ubaid, from ‘Ali ibn Rabi’ah al Walibi, from ‘Ali radiya Llahu ‘anhu.
Appearing in this chain is al Rabi’ ibn Sahl ibn Dukayn al Fazari.
- Ibn Ma’in said of him: “He is not [worth] anything.”
- Abu Zur’ah said of him: “Rejected in narration.”[11]
- Al Bukhari said of him: “He is contradicted in his narrations.”[12]
The Seventh Chain
It is narrated by al Tabarani in al Awsat (4326), via the narration of Yahya ibn Salamah ibn Kuhayl — from his father — from Abu Sadiq — from Rabi’ah ibn Najidh — from ‘Ali radiya Llahu ‘anhu a similar narration.
No one has related this from Rabi’ah ibn Najidh besides Salamah, he is the sole narrator from him.
The Eighth Chain
It is narrated by Ibn ‘Asakir in Tarikh Dimashq (42/471), via the narration of Ishaq ibn Ibrahim al Azdi — from Abu Harun al ‘Abdi — from Abu Sa’id al Khudri.
Appearing in this chain is Abu Harun al ‘Abdi, ‘Umarah ibn Juwayn.
- Hammad ibn Zaid considered him a liar.
- Ahmed said: “Not [worth] anything.”
- Al Nasa’i said: “Abandoned in narration.”[13]
- Ibn Hibban in al Majruhin (2/177), said: “He would narrate from Abu Sa’id that which was not of his – Abu Sa’id ’s – narration.”
The Ninth Chain
It has been narrated by Abu Ya’la in his Musnad (1623) via the narration of al Qasim ibn Sulaiman — from his father — from his grandfather — from ‘Ammar.
Al Haythami, in Majma’ al Zawa’id (7/239), said: “Abu Ya’la has narrated it with a weak chain.”
Al ‘Uqayli said: “Al Qasim ibn Sulaiman — from his father — from his grandfather — from ‘Ammar regarding fighting the unjust; his narration is not correct.”[14]
The Tenth Chain
It is narrated by al Tabarani in al Awsat (4327), via the narration of Muslim ibn Kaysan al Mula’i, from Ibrahim, from ‘Alqamah, from Ibn Mas’ud.
This narration is defective due to the appearance of Muslim ibn Kaysan al Mula’i in this chain, and he is weak.[15]
He has been contradicted by Hassan ibn ‘Amr al Fuqaymi, since he has narrated it from Ibrahim, from ‘Alqamah, from ‘Ali radiya Llahu ‘anhu.
Al Daraqutni said in al ‘ilal (1/149): “Some have narrated it with an interrupted chain, and that is the most correct version, from Ibrahim, from ‘Ali with an interrupted chain.”
Al Haythami, in Majma’ al Zawa’id (6/235), said: “Narrated by al Tabarani, and in the chain is someone whom I do not know.”
Muslim ibn Kaysan al Mula’i has been corroborated by Mansur ibn al Mu’tamir as it is mentioned by Ibn ‘Asakir in Tarikh Dimashq (42/470). However it is a defective corroboration since this chain has one Ismail ibn ‘Abbad al Muqri.
- Al Daraqutni said of him: “Aabandoned.”
- Abu Jafar al ‘Uqayli, in al Du’afa’ (1/85), said of him: “His narrations do not conform to what has been narrated by reliable narrators.”
- Ibn Hibban, in al Majruhin (1/123), said of him: “It is not permissible to consider him admissible by any condition.”
The Eleventh Chain
It is narrated by al Hakim in al Mustadrak (4674) via the narration of Muhammad ibn Humaid – he said – Salamah ibn al Fadl narrated to us – he said – Abu Zaid al Ahwal narrated to me from ‘Iqab ibn Tha’labah – he said – Abu Ayub al Ansari radiya Llahu ‘anhu narrated to me during the era of ‘Umar ibn al Khattab radiya Llahu ‘anhu: “The Messenger of Allah instructed ‘Ali radiya Llahu ‘anhu with killing those who are disloyal, and those who are unjust and those who defect.”
The Twelfth Chain
Also narrated by al Hakim in al Mustadrak (4675), via the narration of Muhammad ibn Yunus al Qurashi — from ‘Abdul ‘Aziz ibn al Khattab – he said – ‘Ali ibn Ghurab narrated to me — from Ibn Abi Fatimah — from al Asbagh ibn Nabatah — from Abu Ayub al Ansari radiya Llahu ‘anhu with a similar meaning.
Both these narrations are not correct.
- Al Dhahabi said: ‘It is not correct.’
- Al Hakim has narrated them with two different weak chains to Abu Ayub.
The Thirteenth Chain
Appearing in this chain is Muhammad ibn Humaid al Razi who is weak.
Salamah ibn al Fadl, Abu ‘Abdullah, al Abrash, he is weak. He has many contradictions and solitary narrations. As for that which he narrates from Muhammad ibn Ishaq under the genre of Maghazi only, it is stronger than the rest even though a general status of weak is accorded to his narrations. There was previous mention of him.
As for ‘Iqab ibn Tha’labah, Al Dhahabi has said of him in Mizan al I’tidal (4/127): “Abu Zaid al Ahwal has narrated from him the narration of killing those who are disloyal, the chain is appalling and the text is rejected.”
The Fourteenth Chain
In this chain appears Muhammad ibn Yunus al Qurashi al Kudaymi al Basri, a liar and fabricator.
- Ibn Hibban in al Majruhin (2/313) said about him: “Perhaps he has fabricated over a thousand narrations.”
- Ibn ‘Adi said of him: “He has been accused of fabrication.”
- Asbagh ibn Nubatah is abandoned in narration.
Ibn Abi Fatimah is ‘Ali ibn al Huzawwar
- Al Bukhari said about him: “There is an issue with him.”[16]
- Abu Hatim said of him: “Rejected in narration.”[17]
- Al Nasa’i said: “Abandoned.”[18]
The Fifteenth Chain
It is narrated by Ibn ‘Adi in al Kamil (2/187), al Tabarani in al Mu’jam al Kabir (4/172), and Ibn ‘Asakir in Tarikh Dimashq (42/473) via the narration of Muhammad ibn Kathir, from al Harith ibn Hasirah, from Abu Sadiq, from Mihnaf ibn Sulaim, who said: “We went to Abu Ayub al Ansari and he was feeding a horse of his at Siffin, at that instance we said to him, ‘O Abu Ayub, you fought the polytheists with the Messenger of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, now you have come to fight the believers.’ He said, ‘on behalf of the Messenger salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, as he instructed me to kill three: those who are disloyal, those who are unjust, those who defect. I have fought those who were disloyal and I have also fought with those who were unjust. I will fight — with Allah’s will — the defectors …’”
In this chain appears Muhammad ibn Kathir al Qurashi al Kufi.
- Ahmed said of him: “We tore up [what we had written of] his narration.”
- Al Bukhari said of him: “A Kufan, rejected in narration.”[19]
- Ibn al Madini said of him: “We recorded from him many absurd narrations, I drew lines over [what I had written of] his narration.”[20]
The Sixteenth Chain
It is narrated by al Khatib in his Tarikh (12/186) and Ibn ‘Asakir in Tarikh Dimashq (42/472) via the narration of al Mu’alla ibn ‘Abdur Rahman — he said — Sharik narrated to us from al A’mash — he said — Ibrahim narrated to us from ‘Alqamah and al Aswad — they both said: “We came to Abu Ayub…”
In this chain appears al Mu’alla ibn ‘Abdur Rahman al Wasiti, he fabricates narrations. At the time of his death he clearly stated that he fabricated seventy narrations on the virtues of ‘Ali radiya Llahu ‘anhu.[21]
As for Sharik ibn ‘Abdullah al Qadi, he had a weak memory, especially in what he narrated after assuming the post in the judiciary.
Abu Jafar al ‘Uqayli, in al Du’afa’ (2/51), said: “The chains of narration from ‘Ali radiya Llahu ‘anhu are weak, but the narration from him regarding ‘al Haruriyyah’ is authentic.” He states further that there is nothing reliable narrated of this nature.
Ibn al Jowzi has mentioned in al Mowdu’at (2/12): “This narration is, without a doubt, a fabrication!”
Ibn Taymiyyah states in Minhaj al Sunnah (6/112): “As for the narration regarding killing those who are disloyal, those who are unjust, and those who defect, it is a complete fabrication and lie against the Messenger salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam.”
Al Dhahabi says in Siyar A’lam al Nubala’ (2/410): “This is a dubious narration.” He says in al Mizan (4/127): “The text is rejected.” And in the summary of al Mowdu’at (141) after mentioning this narration: “It has not been narrated of any of the Sahabah radiya Llahu ‘anhum in abundance, regarding their virtues, as of ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib radiya Llahu ‘anhu. However, they are of three kinds: a) Authentic, b) sound and c) weak, dubious; and how many there are like this as well as the baseless fabricated narrations which are in such abundance and some of them lead to heresy; may allah destroy those who invented them. And most of these narrations [of virtues of ‘Ali radiya Llahu ‘anhu] are of this third kind.”
[1] I say: all the chains, combined, still do not lend strength to this narration. Imam ibn ‘Abdul Hadi said in al Sarim al Manki (51): “How many a narration that has numerous chains yet the scholars of this discipline have stated that it is weak, inadmissible as proof, and they are in agreement of its non-acceptence.”
[2] The Jarudiyyah branch of the Zaidi Shia. ‘Abdul Qadir al Baghdadi said in al Farq Bayna al Firaq (39): “To consider them infidel is obligatory since they consider the Sahabah infidels.”
[3] al Jarh wa al Ta’dil (3/371)
[4] al Tarikh al Kabir (3/471)
[5] Tarikh ibn Ma’in (3/456)
[6] al Du’afa’ wa al Matrukin (14)
[7] al Mizan (1/277)
[8] al Du’afa’ al Kabir (1/316)
[9] al Du’afa’ wa al Matrukin (30)
[10] Ahwal al Rijal (biography no.21)
[11] al Du’afa’ by al ‘Uqayli (2/403)
[12] al Tarikh al Kabir (3/278)
[13] al Kamil (5/78)
[14] Mizan al I’tidal(3/371)
[15] See al Tarikh al Kabir (7/271), al Jarh wal Ta’dil (8/193), al Kamil (6/306)
[16] al Tarikh al Kabir (6/292), there will be a further discussion regarding this expression later on by the permission of Allah.
[17] al Jarh wal Ta’dil (6/183)
[18] al Tahdhib (3/743)
[19] al Tarikh al Kabir (1/217)
[20] al Tahdhib (3/683)
[21] al Tahdhib (4/122)