The Fourth Narration

The first to change my Sunnah is a man from Banu Umayyah.

It has been narrated by Ibn Abi Shaibah in al Musannaf (35866), Ibn Abi ‘Asim (63), Abu Nuaim in Tarikh Isfahan (1/1320, Ibn ‘Adi in al Kamil (3/164), al Bayhaqi in Dala’il al Nubuwwah (6/466), Ibn ‘Asakir in Tarikh Dimashq (18/160), all of them by way of the narration of Abu al ‘Aliyah — from Abu Dharr radiya Llahu ‘anhu, who said: “I heard the Messenger of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam and mentioned the report…” and in some versions of this narration as mentioned by al Bukhari in al Tarikh al Awsat (158): Abu al ‘Aliyah said, “we were with Abu Dharr in al Sham [Greater Syria],” and in it is an incident regarding Abu Dharr and Yazid ibn Abi Sufyan radiya Llahu ‘anhuma.

This Narration Has Two Defects

1. Abu Dharr did not come to al Sham during the era of ‘Umar radiya Llahu ‘anhu, he only came during the era of ‘Uthman radiya Llahu ‘anhu, and Yazid ibn Muawiyah passed away during the era of ‘Umar radiya Llahu ‘anhu. So how is it possible for Abu al ‘Aliyah to hear a narration from Abu Dharr in al Sham, when Abu Dharr did not come to Sham during the era of ‘Umar radiya Llahu ‘anhu?

Al Bukhari, in al Tarikh al Awsat (158) said:

Muhammad narrated to me – he said – ‘Abdul Wahhab ibn ‘Abdul Majid narrated to me from al Muhajir ibn Makhlad – he said – Abu al ‘Aliyah narrated to me and said — Abu Muslim narrated to me and said: “Abu Dharr was in al Sham, and governing it was Yazid ibn Abi Sufyan, so the people engaged in a battle and brought back booty.” However, what is known is that Abu Dharr was in al Sham during the era of ‘Uthman, and governing it was Muawiyah. Yazid passed away during the era of ‘Umar and it is not known that Abu Dharr journeyed to al Sham during the era of ‘Umar radiya Llahu ‘anhu.

2. Abu al ‘Aliyah, Rafi’ ibn Mihran al Rayahi did not hear from Abu Dharr [directly]. The chain is therefore interrupted and it does not have any other chains to corroborate it.

Al Duri said: “I asked Ibn Ma’in if Abu al ‘Aliyah heard from Abu Dharr, he said, ‘no, instead he narrates via Abu Muslim, from him,’ I asked who this Abu Muslim is and he said, ‘I do not know.’”^{^[1]}
This narration has also appeared via Abu al ‘Aliyah, from Abu Muslim, from Abu Dharr as related by Ibn ‘Asakir in Tarikh Dimashq (65/250), and this Abu Muslim is unknown to Ibn Ma’in as mentioned previously.
Al Bukhari considered this narration defective as mentioned in al Bidayah wa al Nihayah (11/649).
Al Bayhaqi, in al Dala’il (6/468), said: “This chain is interrupted between Abu al ‘Aliyah and Abu Dharr.”
In al Bidayah wa al Nihayah (11/649), Ibn Kathir mentioned: “This is from the weak and interrupted narrations in defamation of Yazid ibn Abi Sufyan.^{^[2]}

This is because it is from the narration of Abul ‘Aliyah from Abu Zarr, and he did not hear it from him, and the link between them, Abu Muslim is unknown.

Supposing the authenticity of this narration, then it is in reference to Yazid ibn Muawiyah since al Ruyani has narrated in his Musnad as mentioned in Siyar A’lam al Nubala’ (1/329) via the narration of Muhajir ibn Makhlad, from Abu al ‘Aliyah, from Abu Dharr radiya Llahu ‘anhu who said:

I heard the Messenger of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam say: “The first to change my Sunnah will be a man from Banu Umayyah called Yazid.”

This is the same chain that has been authenticated by those who authenticate this narration. Therefore, Ibn ‘Adi, in al Kamil (3/164) said: “And in some reports with additional explanation, “he is called Yazid.”^{^[3]}

Al Bayhaqi, in Dala’il al Nubuwwah (6/467), has mentioned: “It seems possible that this person could be Yazid ibn Muawiyah ibn Abi Sufyan.”

NEXT⇒ The Fifth Narration

^{^[1]} Tarikh ibn Ma’in narration of al Duri (4/120)

^{^[2]} See also al Bidayah wa al Nihayah (9/234)

^{^[3]} Al Munawi has stated in Fayd al Qadir (3/94): “Al Bayhaqi has said in his comments on this narration that it refers to Yazid ibn Muawiyah due to the report of Abu Ya’la, al Bayhaqi, Abu Nuaim and Ibn Ma’in: “The affair of my ummah will remain upon justice until the first who will dent it, a man from Banu Umayyah; he is called Yazid”

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