SECTION C
FURTHER BRANCHES OF MUSTALAH AND RIJAL AL-HADITH (classification
of hadith and their reporters)
The above-mentioned classification of ahadith plays a vital role in ascertaining the authenticity of a
particular narration. Ibn al- Salah mentions sixty-five terms in his book, of which twenty-three have
been discussed above. Two further types not included by Ibn al-Salah, mu'allaq and mutawatir, have
been dealt with from other sources. The remaining forty-two types follow in brief, which help further
distinguish between different types of narrations.
1.Knowledge of i'tibar ("consideration"), mutaba'ah ("follow-up") and shawahid ("witnesses").
Traditionists are always in search of strengthening support for a hadith which is reported by one
source only; such research is termed i'tibar. If a supporting narration is not found for a particular
hadith, it is declared as fard mutlaq (absolutely singular) or gharib. For example, if a hadith is
reported through the following isnad: Hammad b. Salamah - -- Ayyub --- Ibn Sirin --- Abu
Hurairah --- the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), research would be done to
ascertain whether another trustworthy reporter has narrated it from Ayyub; if so, it will be called
mutaba'ah tammah (full follow-up); if not, a reporter other than Ayyub narrating from Ibn Sirin
would be sought: if so, it will be called mutaba'ah qasirah (incomplete follow-up). Whereas
mutaba'ah applies to the isnad, i.e. other narrations from the same reporters, a narration which
supports the text (meaning) of the original hadith, although it may be through a completely
different isnad, is called a shahid ("witness").85
2.Afrad (singular narrations).
3.The type of character required in an acceptable reporter.
4.The way a hadith is heard, and the different ways of acquiring ahadith.
5.How a hadith is written, and punctuation marks used.
6.The way a hadith is reported.
7.The manners required in traditionists.
8.The manners required in students of Hadith.
9.Knowledge of a higher or lower isnad (i.e. one with less or more reporters respectively).
10.Knowledge of difficult words.
11.Knowledge of abrogated ahadith.
12.Knowledge of altered words in a text or isnad.
13.Knowledge of contradictory ahadith.
14.Knowledge of additions made to an isnad (i.e. by an inserting the name of an additional reporter).
15.Knowledge of a well-concealed type of mursal hadith.
16.Knowledge of the Companions.
17.Knowledge of the Successors.
18.Knowledge of elders reporting from younger reporters.
19.Knowledge of reporters similar in age reporting from each other.
20.Knowledge of brothers and sisters among reporters.
21.Knowledge of fathers reporting from their sons.
22.Knowledge of sons reporting from their fathers.
23.Knowledge of cases where e.g. two reporters report from the same authority, one in his early life
and the other in his old age; in such cases the dates of death of the two reporters will be of
significance.
24.Knowledge of such authorities from whom only one person reported.
25.Knowledge of such reporters who are known by a number of names and titles.
26. Knowledge of unique names amongst the Companions in particular and the reporters in general.
27.Knowledge of names and by-names (kunyah).
28.Knowledge of by-names for reporters known by their names only.
29.Knowledge of nicknames (alqab) of the traditionists.
30.Knowledge of mu'talif and mukhtalif (names written similarly but pronounced differently), e.g.
Kuraiz and Kariz.
31.Knowledge of muttafiq and muftariq (similar names but different identities), e.g. "Hanafi": there
are two reporters who are called by this name; one because of his tribe Banu Hanifah; the other
because of his attribution to a particular Madhhab (school of thought in jurisprudence).
32.Names covering both the previous types.
33.Names looking similar but they differ because of the difference in their father's names, e.g. Yazid
b. al-Aswad and al-Aswad b. Yazid.
34.Names attributed to other than their fathers, e.g. Isma'il b. Umayyah; in this case Umayyah is the
mother's name.
35.Knowledge of such titles which have a meaning different from what they seem to be, e.g. Abu
Mas'ud al-Badri, not because he witnessed the battle of Badr but because he came to live there;
Mu'awiyah b. 'Abdul Karim al- Dall ("the one going astray"), not because of his beliefs but
because he lost his way while travelling to Makkah; and 'Abdullah b. Muhammad al-Da'if ("the
weak"), not because of his reliability in Hadith, but due to a weak physique.
36.Knowledge of ambiguous reporters by finding out their names.
37.Knowledge of the dates of birth and death of reporters.
38.Knowledge of trustworthy and weak reporters.
39.Knowledge of trustworthy reporters who became confused in their old age.
40.Knowledge of contemporaries in a certain period.
41.Knowledge of free slaves (mawali) amongst the reporters.
42.Knowledge of the homelands and home towns of reporters.86
Appendix & Endnotes
APPENDIX
Verdicts on the ahadith mentioned in the Foreword
1.Mutawatir, as declared by many scholars, including Ibn Taimiyyah, al-Suyuti, Najm al-Din alIskandari
(d.981) and al-'Ijlouni (d.1162).About this hadith,al-Daraqutni said, "It is the most authentic one regarding the virtues of any surah."It is related by al-Bukhari,Muslim and others.
2.The following is the sahih hadith of al- Bukhari, Muslim, al-Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah and Ibn 'Asakir:
"Verily, Allah has Ninety-Nine Names which if a person safeguards them, he will enter the
Garden." In some narrations of this hadith found in al-Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah, al-Hakim and others,
the names are listed at the end; however, at least three different listings are given, e.g. one list
being, "He is Allah, besides whom there is no other deity, the Merciful, the Compassionate, ..., the
Forbearing" while another is "Allah, the Unique, the Absolute, ..., the One who has nothing like
unto Him." It is agreed that these latter narrations are da'if, and this is why al-Bukhari and Muslim
did not include them in their Sahihs. Al-Tirmidhi says in his Sunan, "This (version of the) hadith
is gharib; it has been narrated from various routes on the authority of Abu Hurairah, but we do not
know of the mention of the Names in the numerous narrations, except this one." Ibn Taimiyyah
says, "Al-Walid (one of the narrators of the hadith) related the Names from (the saying of) one of
his Syrian teachers ... specific mention of the Names is not from the words of the Prophet (may
Allah bless him and grant him peace), by the agreement of those familiar with Hadith."87 Ibn
Kathir says in his Tafsir, under verse 180 of Surah al- A'raf, that these narrations are mudraj. Ibn
Hajar takes a similar view in his commentary on Sahih al-Bukhari. Various scholars have given
different lists of 99 Names from their study of the Qur'an and Sunnah, including Ja'far al- Sadiq,
Sufyan b. 'Uyainah, Ibn Hazm, al-Qurtubi, Ibn Hajar and Salih b. 'Uthaimin.
3.Ibn Taimiyyah says, "It is not from the words of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him
peace), and there is no known isnad for it, neither sahih nor da'if"; al-Zarkashi (d. 794), Ibn Hajar,
al-Suyuti and others agreed with him. Al-Qari says, "But its meaning is correct, deduced from the
statement of Allah, I have not created the Jinn and Mankind, except to worship Me, i.e. to
recognise/know me, as Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) has explained." These
statements are mentioned by al-'Ijlouni, who adds, "This saying occurs often in the words of the
Sufis, who have relied on it and built upon it some of their principles."88
4.Al-'Ijlouni says, "Al-Saghani (d. 650) said: Maudu'. I say: But its meaning is correct, even if it is
not a hadith." no. 2123. 'Ali al- Qari says, "But its meaning is correct, for al- Dailami has related
from Ibn 'Abbas as marfu': 'that Jibril came to me and said: O Muhammad! Were it not for you,
the Garden would not have been created, and were it not for you, the Fire would not have been
created', and in the narration of Ibn 'Asakir: 'Were it not for you, the world would not have been
created'." Al- Albani also quotes al-Saghani's verdict, and comments on alQari's
words thus,"It is not appropriate to certify the correctness of its meaning without establishing the authenticity of the narration from al-Dailami, which is something I have not found any of the scholars to have addressed.Personally,although I have not come across its isnad,I have no doubt about its weakness; enough of an indication for us is that al-Dailami is alone in reporting it. As for the narration of Ibn 'Asakir, Ibn al-Jauzi also related it in a long marfu' hadith from Salman and said 'It is maudu',and al-Suyuti endorsed this in al-La'ali."89
5.Sahih - related by al-Bukhari and Muslim.
6. Al-'Ijlouni says, "Al-Ghazali mentioned it in Ihya' 'Ulum al-Din with the wording, Allah says, "Neither My heaven nor My earth could contain Me, but the soft, humble heart of my believing slave can contain Me." Al-'Iraqi said in his notes on Al-Ihya', "I do not find a basis (i.e. isnad) for it", and al-Suyuti agreed with him, following al-Zarkashi. Al-'Iraqi then said, "But in the hadith of Abu 'Utbah in al-Tabarani there occurs: ... the vessels of your Lord are the hearts of His righteous slaves, and the most beloved to Him are the softest and most tender ones." Ibn Taimiyyah said, "It is mentioned in the Israelite traditions, but there is no known isnad from the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) for it." Al-Sakhawi said in Al- Maqasid, following his shaykh al Suyuti in Al- La'ali, "There is no known is nad from the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) for it, and its meaning is that his heart can contain belief in Me, love of Me and gnosis of Me. But as for the one who says that Allah incarnates in the hearts of the people, then he is more of an infidel than the Christians,who specified that to Christ alone.It seems that Ibn Taimiy yah's mention of Israelite tradition refers to what Ahmad has related in Al-Zuhd from Wahb
b.Munabbih who said that Allah opened the heavens for Ezekiel until he saw the Throne,so Ezekiel said,
'How Perfect are You! How Mighty are You, O Lord!'So Allah said, 'Truly,the heavens and the earth were too weak to contain Me,but the soft, humble heart of my believing slave contains Me'."He also quoted from al-Zarkashi's writing that one of the scholars said that it is a false hadith, fabricated by a renegade (from the
religion),and that it is most-often quoted by a preacher to the masses,'Ali
b.Wafa, for his own purposes,who says at the time of spiritual rapture and dance,"Go round the House of
your Lord." He further said that al-Tabarani has related from Abu 'Utbah al-Khawlani as marfu', "Truly, Allah has vessels from amongst the people of the earth, and the vessels ofyour
Lord are the hearts of his righteous slaves,and the most beloved of them to Him are the softest and most tender ones"; in its isnad is Baqiyyah
b.al Walid, a mudallis, but he has clearly stated hearing the hadith."90 Al-Albani rates this last hadith mentioned as hasan.91
7.Al-Nawawi said, "It is not established." Ibn Taimiyyah said, "Maudu'." Al-Sam'ani said, "It is not
known as marfu', but it is quoted as a statement of Yahya b. Mu'adh al-Razi." Al- Suyuti endorsed
al-Nawawi's words, and also said, "This hadith is not authentic." Al- Fairozabadi said, "It is not a
Prophetic statement, although most of the people think it is a hadith, but it is not authentic at all.
In fact, it is only related in the Israelite traditions: O Man! Know yourself: you will know your
Lord." Ibn al-Gharas said, after quoting al-Nawawi's verdict, "... but the books of the Sufis, such
as Shaykh Muhi al-Din Ibn 'Arabi and others, are filled with it, being quoted like a hadith." Ibn
'Arabi also said, "This hadith, although it is not proved by way of narration, is proved to us by
way of Kashf ('unveiling', while in a trance)."92
Regarding this methodology, al-Albani says,
"Authenticating ahadith by way of Kashf is a wicked innovation of the Sufis, and depending upon
it leads to the authentication of false, baseless ahadith ... This is because, even at the best of times,
Kashf is like opinion, which may be right or wrong - and that is if no personal desires enter into it!
We ask Allah to save us from it, and from everything with which He is not pleased."93
8.Sahih. Related by Malik in Al-Muwatta', al- Shafi'i in Al-Risalah (p. 110, Eng. trans.) and Muslim
(1:382; Eng. trans. 1:272). This was the first of two questions which the Prophet (may Allah bless
him and grant him peace) put to a slave-girl to test her faith, the second one being, "Who am I?"
She answered, "Above the heaven" and "You are the Messenger of Allah" respectively, to which
he said, "Free her, for she is a believer." Her first answer, which is found in the Qur'an (67:16-17,
the word fi can mean 'above/on', as in 6:11, 20:71 & 27:8), means that Allah is above and separate
from His creation, not mixed in with it, the erroneous belief which leads to worship of creation.
9.Maudu', as stated by al-Saghani and others. Scholars differ as to whether its meaning is correct or
not, in what way, and to what extent.94
It is sometimes used to justify divisive, anti- Islamic
nationalism and patriotism!
10.Sahih. Related by Malik as mursal/mu'allaq/balaghat (depending on choice of terminology), and
related twice as musnad by al Hakim.
The meaning of the hadith is contained in the Qur'an, in the mention of the Book and Wisdom (2:129, 2:151, 2:231, 3:164,4:113,33:34 & 62:2);al-Shafi'i says,"I have heard the most knowledgeable people about the Qur'an say that the Wisdom is the Sunnah" (Al-Risalah, Eng. trans., p. 111).
11.Sahih. Related by al-Tirmidhi, Ahmad, Ibn Abi 'Asim, al-Hakim, al-Tabarani, al-Dailami and al-
Tahawi.95 The phrase Ahl al-Bayt (members of the house) refers: (i) primarily to the Prophet's
wives (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), from the clear context of the relevant verse of
the Qur'an (33:33); (ii) to 'Ali, Fatimah, Hasan & Husain, from the "hadith of the garment" (cf.
Sahih Muslim, Book of the Virtues of the Companions). It is imbalanced and unjust to exclude
either of these categories from the hadith.
12.A sahih hadith related by Abu Dawud, al- Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah & Ahmad, and well-known
amongst the people. The fullest narration is, "Abu Bakr will be in the Garden; 'Umar will be in the
Garden; 'Uthman will be in the Garden; 'Ali will be in the Garden; Talhah will be in the Garden;
al-Zubair will be in the Garden; 'Abd al-Rahman b. 'Auf will be in the Garden; Sa'd b. Abi
Waqqas will be in the Garden; Sa'id b. Zaid will be in the Garden; Abu 'Ubaidah b. al-Jarrah will
be in the Garden."
13.Related by Ishaq b. Rahawaih and al-Baihaqi with a sahih isnad as a statement of 'Umar. It is also
collected by Ibn 'Adi and al-Dailami from Ibn 'Umar as marfu', but in its isnad is 'Isa b. Abdullah,
who is weak. However, it is strengthened by another narration of Ibn 'Adi, and also supported by
the hadith in the Sunan that a man saw in a dream that Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant
him peace) was weighed against Abu Bakr, and was found to be heavier; then Abu Bakr was
weighed against everyone else ...96
14.Related by al-Hakim, al-Tabarani and others. It is also related by al-Tirmidhi with the wording, "I
am the House of Wisdom, and 'Ali is its Door". A lDaraqutni labelled the hadith as mudtarib,both in isnad and text; al-Tirmidhi said it is gharib and munkar; al-Bukhari said that it has no sahih narration; Ibn Ma'in said that it is a baseless lie.Similar dismissals of the hadith are reported from Abu Zur'ah, Abu Hatim and Yahya
b.Sa'd. Al-Hakim declared the original hadith as sahih in isnad, but Ibn al-Jauzi regarded both versions as ',and al-Dhahabi agreed with him.
Several of the later scholars,including Ibn Hajar al-'Asqalani,Ibn Hajar al-Makki and al-Suyuti declared it hasan due to its various routes of narration.Al-'Ijlouni says,"...none of this devalues the consensus of the Adherents to the Sunnah from the Companions,the Successors and those after them, that the best of the Companions overall is Abu Bakr, by 'Um.",and quotes this view from Ibn 'Umar and 'Ali Himself, as recorded in Sahih Al-Bukhari.97 Al-Albani declares the hadith to be maudu'.98
15.A da'if or maudu' hadith, as stated by Ahmad b. Hanbal, Ibn 'Abd al-Barr, al-Bazzar and many
others. Ibn Hazm states that not only is the isnad unsound, but the hadith cannot be true for two
further reasons: (i) the Companions were not infallible, and hence made mistakes, so it would be
wrong to say that following any of them leads to guidance; (ii) the comparison with the stars is
wrong, for not every star guides one through every journey! There is a different, authentic
comparison with the stars given in Sahih Muslim: the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him
peace) said, "The stars are the custodians of the sky, so when the stars depart, there will come to
the sky what is promised for it (i.e. on the Day of Judgment). I am the custodian of my
Companions, so when I depart, there will come to my Companions what is promised for them (i.e.
great trials and tribulations). My Companions are the custodians for my Ummah, so when my
Companions depart, there will come to my Ummah what is promised for it (i.e. schisms, spread of
innovations, etc.)." (4:1961, Eng. trans. IV:1344)
16.No isnad exists for this hadith: al-Subki (d. 756) said, "It is not known to the scholars of Hadith,
and I cannot find an isnad for it, whether sahih, da'if, or maudu'." It, along with the previous one,
is often used to justify the following two extremes: (i) blind following of the views of men, with
no reference to the Qur'an and Sunnah; (ii) conveniently following whichever scholar holds the
easiest view, or that most agreeable to one's desires, again without reference to the fundamental
sources.
17.Numerous narrations of this hadith are found in the collections of Abu Dawud, al-Tirmidhi, Ibn
Majah, al-Hakim, Ahmad and others: they vary in being sahih, hasan, or da'if, but the hadith is established. Among those who have authenticated this hadith are al-Tirmidhi, al- Hakim, alShatibi,
Ibn
Taimiyyah,
Ibn
al-Qayyim,
al-Dhahabi,
Ibn
Kathir,
Ibn
Hajar
and
al-'Iraqi.
Most
narrations
mention
the
splitting-up
of
the
Jews
and
the
Christians
into
seventy-one
or
seventy-two
sects,
all
being
in
the
Fire
except
one,
prior
to
mention
of
the
Muslims
dividing
even
more.
In
some
of
the
narrations,
the
Prophet
(may
Allah
bless
him
and
grant
him
peace)
describes
the
Saved
Sect
variously
as
"the
Jama'ah
(community,
congregation,
main
body)",
"the
largest
body
(al-sawad
al-a'zam)"
and
"that
which
follows
what
I
and
my
Companions
are
upon."
The
hadith
does
not
mean
that
the
majority
of
Muslims
will
be
in
the
Hellfire,
for
most
of
them
("the
masses")
are
not
involved
in
intentional,
divisive
innovation;
further,
mention
of
the
Fire
does
not
necessarily
imply
that
the
seventy-two
sects
will
remain
there
forever,
or
that
those
sects
are
disbelievers.
18.Although the Mahdi is not mentioned explicitly in the collections of al-Bukhari and Muslim,
numerous sahih ahadith, which are mutawatir in meaning, speak of the coming of the Mahdi, a
man named Muhammad b. 'Abdullah and a descendant of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and
grant him peace) through Fatimah, who will be the Leader (Imam, Khalifah) of the Muslims, rule
for seven years and fill the world with justice and equity after it had been filled with tyranny and
oppression. He will also fight the Dajjal along with Jesus son of Mary. The author, in his The
Concept of the Mahdi among the Ahl al-Sunnah, has named 37 scholars who collected ahadith
about the Mahdi with their own isnads and 69 later scholars who wrote in support of the concept,
compared to 8 scholars who rejected the idea. The ahadith prophesying the Dajjal (False Christ), a
one-eyed man who will have miraculous powers and will be followed by the Jews, and the return
of Jesus Christ son of Mary (peace be upon them), who will descend in Damascus and pray
behind the Mahdi, kill the Dajjal at the gate of Lod in Palestine, break the Cross, kill the Pig,
marry and have children and live for forty years before dying a natural death, are mutawatir in
meaning. They have been collected by al-Bukhari and Muslim, as well as other traditionists.
19.Mutawatir in meaning, and collected by al- Bukhari, Muslim and others.
20.Mutawatir in meaning, and collected by al- Bukhari, Muslim and others. Mention of the
inadmissibility of intercession on the Day of Judgment in the Qur'an, e.g. 2:48 2:123, must be
understood in the light of other verses, e.g. 20:109 and sahih ahadith. The reward of seeing Allah
for the believers is referred to in the Qur'an, e.g. 75:22-23 and 83:15. These ahadith and those of
the previous two categories were generally rejected by the classical Mu'tazilah (Rationalists), as
well by those influenced by them today, on one or more of the following bases: (i) they contradict
the Qur'an (in their view); (ii) they contradict Reason (in their view), and (iii) they are ahad, not
mutawatir, and hence not acceptable in matters of belief (a flawed argument). Hence, the scholars
who wrote the 'aqidah (creed) of the Ahl al-Sunnah included these concepts in it, to confirm their
denial of the wrong ideas of the Mu'tazilah. Other authentic ahadith rejected by the Mu'tazilah are
many, and include those describing the Prophet's Mi'raj (ascension to the heavens), which are
again mutawatir in meaning.
21.The hadith with this wording is da'if, but its meaning is contained in the hadith of Ibn Majah and
al-Nasa'i that a man came to the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) and said, "O
Messenger of Allah! I intend to go on a (military) expedition, but I have come to ask your advice."
He said, "Is your mother alive?" He said, "Yes." He said, "Then stay with her, for the Garden is
under her feet." This latter hadith is declared to be sahih by al-Hakim, al-Dhahabi and alMundhiri.99
22.A sahih hadith, collected by al-Bukhari, Muslim and others.
23.This hadith has many chains of narration on the authority of more than a dozen Companions,
including twenty Successors apparently reporting from Anas alone. They are collected by Ibn
Majah, al-Baihaqi, al-Tabarani and others, but all of them are da'if, according to Ahmad b.
Hanbal, Ishaq b. Rahuwaih, Ibn 'Abd al-Barr, al- Bazzar and others, although some scholars
authenticated a few of the chains. Al-Baihaqi said that its text is mashhur while its isnad is da'if,
while al-Hakim and Ibn al-Salah regarded it as a prime example of a mashhur hadith which is not sahih. However, it is regarded by later scholars of Hadith as having enough chains of narration to
be strengthened to the level of hasan or sahih, a view which is stated by al- Mizzi, al-'Iraqi, Ibn
Hajar, al-Suyuti and al- Albani.100
24.This additional statement is found in a few of the (weak) narrations of the previous hadith, and is
declared as maudu' by Ibn Hibban, Ibn al- Jauzi, al-Sakhawi and al-Albani.101
25.Mentioned by al-Manjaniqi in his collection of ahadith of older narrators reporting from younger
ones, on the authority of al-Hasan al- Basri. Al-Khatib al-Baghdadi said that it is maudu' as a
narration from the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), but that it is a statement of
al-Hasan al-Basri.102
26.Related as marfu' by al-Baihaqi with a da'if isnad, according to al-'Iraqi. Ibn Hajar said that it is
actually a saying of Ibrahim b. Abi 'Ablah, a Successor.103
*NB: The scholars of Hadith agree that a da'if or maudu' hadith must not be attributed to the Prophet
(may Allah bless him and grant him peace), e.g. by saying, "The Prophet said: ...", even if the meaning
is considered to be correct or if it is actually the saying of a Muslim scholar, for that would be a way of
lying about the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace).
ENDNOTES
1.Ar. Sunnah: Way, Path, Tradition, Example. See An Introduction to the Sunnah by Suhaib Hasan
(Understanding Islam Series no. 5, published by Al-Quran Society), for Qur'anic proofs of
revelation besides the Qur'an, the importance of the Sunnah, and a brief history of the collections
of Hadith. See also Imam al- Shafi'i's al-Risalah for the authoritative position of the Sunnah (Eng.
trans., pp. 109- 116).
2.related by Imam Muslim in the Introduction to his Sahih - see Sahih Muslim (ed. M.F. 'Abdul
Baqi, 5 vols., Cairo, 1374/1955), 1:15 & Sahih Muslim bi Sharh an-Nawawi (18 vols. in 6, Cairo,
1349), 1:87. The existing English translation of Sahih Muslim, by Abdul Hamid Siddiqi, does not
contain this extremely valuable Introduction.
3.Ibn Abi Hatim al-Razi, Al-Jarh wa l-Ta'dil (8 vols., Hyderabad, 1360-1373), 1:20.
4.Sahih Muslim, 1:15. See Suhaib Hasan, Criticism of Hadith among Muslims with reference to
Sunan Ibn Maja (Ta Ha publishers / Al-Quran Society, London, 1407/1986), pp. 15-17 for
discussion of this statement of Ibn Sirin.
5.Remarks like these are exceptions from the basic Islamic prohibition of backbiting (ghibah)
another Muslim, even if the statement is true. Such exceptions are allowed, even obligatory in
some cases, where general benefit to the Muslim public is at stake, such as knowing which
ahadith are authentic. See e.g. Riyad al- Salihin of al-Nawawi, Chapter on Backbiting, for the
justification for certain types of backbiting from the Qur'an and Sunnah.
6.Muhammad Adib Salih, Lamahat fi Usul al-Hadith (2nd ed., al-Maktab al-Islami, Beirut, 1389), p.
143.
7.Tahir b. Ahmad al-Jaza'iri, Taujih al-Nazar ila Usul al-Nazar (Maktaba 'Ilmiyyah, Madinah,
N.D.), p. 68.
8.Muhammad b. 'Abdullah al-Hakim, Ma'rifah 'Ulum al-Hadith (ed. Mu'azzam Husain, Cairo,
1937), p. 17.
9.ibid.
10.Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti, Tadrib al-Rawi (ed. A.A. Latif, 1st ed., Cairo, 1379/1959), 1:197.
11.Al-Dhahabi, Talkhis al-Mustadrak (printed with Mustadrak al-Hakim, 4 vols., Hyderabad), 3:176.
12.Abu 'l-Fida' 'Imad al-Din Ibn Kathir, Tafsir al-Qur'an al-Azim (4 vols., Cairo, N.D.), 1:80.
13. Yusuf b. 'Abdullah Ibn 'Abdul Barr, Tajrid al- Tamhid lima fi l-Muwatta' min al-Asanid (Cairo, 1350), 1:2.
14.ibid.
15.al-Suyuti, 1:198.
16.For the discussion in detail, see al-Shafi'i, al-Risalah (ed. Ahmad Shakir, Cairo, 1358/1940, pp.
461-470; English translation: M. Khadduri, 2nd ed., Islamic Texts Society, Cambridge, 1987, pp.
279-284, where the mursal hadith has been translated as "interrupted tradition").
17.al-Suyuti, 1:199; Muhammad b. Mustafa al- Ghadamsi, Al-Mursal min al-Hadith (Darif Ltd.,
London, N.D.), p.71.
18.Ibn al-Qayyim, I'lam al-Muwaqqi'in (2nd ed., 4 vols. in 2, Dar al-Fikr, Beirut, 1397/1977), 1:31.
19.Ibn Hazm, Al-Ihkam fi Usul al-Ahkam (Matba'ah al-Sa'adah, Cairo, 1345), 2:135.
20.Al-Hazimi, Shurut al-A'immah al-Khamsah (ed. M.Z. al-Kauthari, Cairo, N.D.), p. 45.
21.According to the different interpretations of this verse, "they" here could refer to those who stay
behind, or those who go forth.
22.al-Hakim, p. 26.
23.ibid.
24.Al-Khatib al-Baghdadi, Al-Kifayah fi 'Ilm al- Riwayah (Hyderabad, 1357), p. 387.
25.ibid., pp. 411-413.
26.Zain al-Din al-'Iraqi, Al-Taqyid wa 'l-Idah Sharh Muqaddimah Ibn al-Salah (al-Maktabah al-
Salafiyyahh, Madinah, 1389/1969), p. 72
27.Ibn Taymiyyah, Minhaj al-Sunnah an-Nabawiyyah fi Naqd Kalam al-Shi'ah wa 'l-Qadariyyah (al-
Maktabah al-Amiriyyah, Bulaq, 1322), 4:117.
28.Al-Dhahabi, Al-Muqizah (Maktab al-Matbu'at al- Islamiyyah, Halab, 1405), p. 40.
29.al-Jaza'iri, p. 33.
30.ibid.
31.Ibn Hajar al-'Asqalani, Sharh Nukhbah al-Fikr (ed. M. 'Aud & M.G. Sabbagh, Damascus,
1410/1990), pp. 8-9.
32.al-Jaza'iri, p. 49; Muhammad b. Isma'il al- Amir al-San'ani, Taudih al-Afkar (2 vols. ed. M.M.
'Abdul Hamid, Cairo, 1366), 2:405.
33.al-San'ani, 2:409.
34.al-Hakim, pp. 96-102.
35.al-San'ani, 2:455.
36.al-'Iraqi, p. 268.
37.al-San'ani, 2:406.
38.al-'Iraqi, p. 96.
39.ibid.
40.Ibn Hajar, Tabaqat al-Mudallisin (Cairo, 1322), p. 7f.
41.al-'Iraqi, p. 98.
42.al-Hakim, pp. 30-34.
43.ibid., p. 119.
44.Ibn Kathir, Ikhtisar 'Ulum al-Hadith (ed. Ahmad Shakir, 2nd imp., Cairo, 1951), p. 57.
45.al-Suyuti, 1:235; M. A. Salih, p. 260.
46.al-San'ani, 2:3.
47.ibid., 2:6.
48.al-Khatib, p. 431.
49.Ibn Kathir, Tafsir, 4:349.
50.Ibn Kathir, Ikhtisar, p. 62.
51.al-Suyuti, 1:248.
52.al-Hakim, p. 39.
53.al-'Iraqi, p. 129f.
54.al-Suyuti, 1:274.
55. Ibn Kathir, Ikhtisar,
p. 72. 56.ibid.
57.Ibn 'Abdul Barr, Al-Tamhid, 3:32, as quoted by Luqman al-Salafi, Ihtimam al-Muhaddithin bi
Naqd al-Hadith, p. 381f.
58.Ibn Kathir, Ikhtisar, p. 88.
59.ibid., p. 87.
60.Shams al-Din Muhammad b. 'Abd al-Rahman al- Sakhawi, Fath al-Mughith Sharh Alfiyyah al-
Hadith li 'l-'Iraqi (Lucknow, N.D.), 1:278.
61.'Uthman b. 'Abd al-Rahman al-Dimashqi Ibn al- Salah, 'Ulum al-Hadith (commonly known as
Muqaddimah, ed. al-Tabbakh, Halab, 1350), p. 116.
62.'Ali b. 'Abdullah b. Ja'far Ibn al-Madini, Kitab al-'Ilal, p. 58. Ibn Hajar al-'Asqalani mentions that
the Imams of Hadith have agreed that al-Hasan al-Basri did not hear a single word from 'Ali.
63.Sahih Muslim, 4:2149 (English transl., IV:1462, Sharh Nawawi, 17:133).
64.Ibn Taimiyyah, Majmu' Fatawa (37 vols., ed. 'Abd al-Rahman b. Qasim & his son Muhammad,
Riyad, 1398), 18:18f. Ibn Taimiyyah mentions that Imam Muslim's authentication of this hadith is
supported by Abu Bakr al-Anbari & Ibn al- Jauzi, whereas al-Baihaqi supports those who
disparaged it. Al-Albani says that it was Ibn al-Madini who criticised it, whereas Ibn Ma'in did not
(the latter was known to be very strict, both of them were shaikhs of al-Bukhari). He further says
that the hadith is sahih, and does not contradict the Qur'an, contrary to the probable view of the
scholars who criticised the hadith, since what is mentioned in the Qur'an is the creation of the
heavens and the earth in six days, each of which may be like a thousand years, whereas the hadith
refers to the creation of the earth only, in days which are shorter than those referred to in the
Qur'an (Silsilah al-Ahadith as-Sahihah, no. 1833).
65.al-Dhahabi, p. 27.
66.al-Shafi'i, p. 370f (Eng. trans., pp. 239- 240).
67.al-Dhahabi, p. 24.
68.al-Nawawi, Muqaddimah, p. 14.
69.al-Tibi, al-Husain b. 'Abdullah, al-Khulasah fi Usul al-Hadith (ed. Subhi al-Samarra'i, Baghdad,
1391), p. 36.
70.ibid., p. 38.
71.al-Nawawi, Muqaddimah, p. 43.
72.al-Dhahabi, p. 26.
73.ibid., pp. 32-33.
74.al-Albani, Silsilah al-Ahadith al-Sahihah, no. 62.
75.al-Jaza'iri, p. 149.
76.al-Sakhawi, 1:99.
77.al-Dhahabi, pp. 33-34.
78.ibid., p. 36.
79.al-Sakhawi, 1:264.
80.ibid., 1:275.
81.al-Nawawi, Taqrib, 1:275.
82.see Ibn al-Qayyim, al-Manar al-Munif fi 'l- Sahih wa 'l-Da'if (ed. A.F. Abu Ghuddah, Lahore,
1402/1982), pp. 102-105 for a fuller discussion. Ibn al-Qayyim mentions more than ten clear
indications of the forgery of the document, which the Jews repeatedly attempted to use to deceive
the Muslims over the centuries, but each time a scholar of Hadith intervened to point out the
forgery - such incidents occurred with Ibn Jarir al-Tabari (d. 310), al-Khatib al-Baghdadi (d. 463)
and Ibn Taimiyyah (d. 728), who spat on the document as it was unfolded from beneath its silken
covers.
83.Suhaib Hasan, Criticism of Hadith, pp. 35-44.
84.The Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) allowed such narrations, but they are not
to be confirmed nor denied, except for what is confirmed or denied by the Qur'an and Sunnah. See
e.g. An Introduction to the Principles of Tafseer of Ibn Taimiyyah (trans. M.A.H. Ansari, Al-Hidaayah, Birmingham, 1414/1993), pp. 56-58.
85.ibid., p. 156.
86.see Muqaddimah Ibn al-Salah.
87.Fatawa Ibn Taimiyyah, 6:379-382.
88.Isma'il b. Muhammad al-'Ijlouni, Kashf al- Khafa' (2 vols. in 1, Cairo/Aleppo, N.D.), no. 2016.
89.Al-Albani, Silsilah al-Ahadith al-Da'ifah, no. 282.
90.Kashf al-Khafa', no. 2256.
91.Sahih al-Jami' al-Saghir, no. 2163; Silsilah al-Ahadith al-Sahihah, no. 1691.
92.Kashf al-Khafa', no. 2532; Al-Da'ifah, no. 66.
93.Al-Da'ifah, no. 58.
94.Kashf al-Khafa', no. 1102; Al-Da'ifah, no. 36.
95.Al-Sahihah, no. 1761.
96.Kashf al-Khafa', no. 2130.
97.Kashf al-Khafa', no. 618.
98.Da'if al-Jami' al-Saghir, nos. 1410, 1416.
99.Kashf al-Khafa', no. 1078; Al-Da'ifah, no. 593.
100.Kashf al-Khafa', no. 1665; Sahih al-Jami' al- Saghir, nos. 3913-4.
101.Al-Da'ifah, no. 416; Da'if al-Jami' al- Saghir, nos. 1005-6.
102.Kashf al-Khafa', no. 2276.
103.Kashf al-Khafa', no. 1362.
FURTHER BRANCHES OF MUSTALAH AND RIJAL AL-HADITH (classification
of hadith and their reporters)
The above-mentioned classification of ahadith plays a vital role in ascertaining the authenticity of a
particular narration. Ibn al- Salah mentions sixty-five terms in his book, of which twenty-three have
been discussed above. Two further types not included by Ibn al-Salah, mu'allaq and mutawatir, have
been dealt with from other sources. The remaining forty-two types follow in brief, which help further
distinguish between different types of narrations.
1.Knowledge of i'tibar ("consideration"), mutaba'ah ("follow-up") and shawahid ("witnesses").
Traditionists are always in search of strengthening support for a hadith which is reported by one
source only; such research is termed i'tibar. If a supporting narration is not found for a particular
hadith, it is declared as fard mutlaq (absolutely singular) or gharib. For example, if a hadith is
reported through the following isnad: Hammad b. Salamah - -- Ayyub --- Ibn Sirin --- Abu
Hurairah --- the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), research would be done to
ascertain whether another trustworthy reporter has narrated it from Ayyub; if so, it will be called
mutaba'ah tammah (full follow-up); if not, a reporter other than Ayyub narrating from Ibn Sirin
would be sought: if so, it will be called mutaba'ah qasirah (incomplete follow-up). Whereas
mutaba'ah applies to the isnad, i.e. other narrations from the same reporters, a narration which
supports the text (meaning) of the original hadith, although it may be through a completely
different isnad, is called a shahid ("witness").85
2.Afrad (singular narrations).
3.The type of character required in an acceptable reporter.
4.The way a hadith is heard, and the different ways of acquiring ahadith.
5.How a hadith is written, and punctuation marks used.
6.The way a hadith is reported.
7.The manners required in traditionists.
8.The manners required in students of Hadith.
9.Knowledge of a higher or lower isnad (i.e. one with less or more reporters respectively).
10.Knowledge of difficult words.
11.Knowledge of abrogated ahadith.
12.Knowledge of altered words in a text or isnad.
13.Knowledge of contradictory ahadith.
14.Knowledge of additions made to an isnad (i.e. by an inserting the name of an additional reporter).
15.Knowledge of a well-concealed type of mursal hadith.
16.Knowledge of the Companions.
17.Knowledge of the Successors.
18.Knowledge of elders reporting from younger reporters.
19.Knowledge of reporters similar in age reporting from each other.
20.Knowledge of brothers and sisters among reporters.
21.Knowledge of fathers reporting from their sons.
22.Knowledge of sons reporting from their fathers.
23.Knowledge of cases where e.g. two reporters report from the same authority, one in his early life
and the other in his old age; in such cases the dates of death of the two reporters will be of
significance.
24.Knowledge of such authorities from whom only one person reported.
25.Knowledge of such reporters who are known by a number of names and titles.
26. Knowledge of unique names amongst the Companions in particular and the reporters in general.
27.Knowledge of names and by-names (kunyah).
28.Knowledge of by-names for reporters known by their names only.
29.Knowledge of nicknames (alqab) of the traditionists.
30.Knowledge of mu'talif and mukhtalif (names written similarly but pronounced differently), e.g.
Kuraiz and Kariz.
31.Knowledge of muttafiq and muftariq (similar names but different identities), e.g. "Hanafi": there
are two reporters who are called by this name; one because of his tribe Banu Hanifah; the other
because of his attribution to a particular Madhhab (school of thought in jurisprudence).
32.Names covering both the previous types.
33.Names looking similar but they differ because of the difference in their father's names, e.g. Yazid
b. al-Aswad and al-Aswad b. Yazid.
34.Names attributed to other than their fathers, e.g. Isma'il b. Umayyah; in this case Umayyah is the
mother's name.
35.Knowledge of such titles which have a meaning different from what they seem to be, e.g. Abu
Mas'ud al-Badri, not because he witnessed the battle of Badr but because he came to live there;
Mu'awiyah b. 'Abdul Karim al- Dall ("the one going astray"), not because of his beliefs but
because he lost his way while travelling to Makkah; and 'Abdullah b. Muhammad al-Da'if ("the
weak"), not because of his reliability in Hadith, but due to a weak physique.
36.Knowledge of ambiguous reporters by finding out their names.
37.Knowledge of the dates of birth and death of reporters.
38.Knowledge of trustworthy and weak reporters.
39.Knowledge of trustworthy reporters who became confused in their old age.
40.Knowledge of contemporaries in a certain period.
41.Knowledge of free slaves (mawali) amongst the reporters.
42.Knowledge of the homelands and home towns of reporters.86
Appendix & Endnotes
APPENDIX
Verdicts on the ahadith mentioned in the Foreword
1.Mutawatir, as declared by many scholars, including Ibn Taimiyyah, al-Suyuti, Najm al-Din alIskandari
(d.981) and al-'Ijlouni (d.1162).About this hadith,al-Daraqutni said, "It is the most authentic one regarding the virtues of any surah."It is related by al-Bukhari,Muslim and others.
2.The following is the sahih hadith of al- Bukhari, Muslim, al-Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah and Ibn 'Asakir:
"Verily, Allah has Ninety-Nine Names which if a person safeguards them, he will enter the
Garden." In some narrations of this hadith found in al-Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah, al-Hakim and others,
the names are listed at the end; however, at least three different listings are given, e.g. one list
being, "He is Allah, besides whom there is no other deity, the Merciful, the Compassionate, ..., the
Forbearing" while another is "Allah, the Unique, the Absolute, ..., the One who has nothing like
unto Him." It is agreed that these latter narrations are da'if, and this is why al-Bukhari and Muslim
did not include them in their Sahihs. Al-Tirmidhi says in his Sunan, "This (version of the) hadith
is gharib; it has been narrated from various routes on the authority of Abu Hurairah, but we do not
know of the mention of the Names in the numerous narrations, except this one." Ibn Taimiyyah
says, "Al-Walid (one of the narrators of the hadith) related the Names from (the saying of) one of
his Syrian teachers ... specific mention of the Names is not from the words of the Prophet (may
Allah bless him and grant him peace), by the agreement of those familiar with Hadith."87 Ibn
Kathir says in his Tafsir, under verse 180 of Surah al- A'raf, that these narrations are mudraj. Ibn
Hajar takes a similar view in his commentary on Sahih al-Bukhari. Various scholars have given
different lists of 99 Names from their study of the Qur'an and Sunnah, including Ja'far al- Sadiq,
Sufyan b. 'Uyainah, Ibn Hazm, al-Qurtubi, Ibn Hajar and Salih b. 'Uthaimin.
3.Ibn Taimiyyah says, "It is not from the words of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him
peace), and there is no known isnad for it, neither sahih nor da'if"; al-Zarkashi (d. 794), Ibn Hajar,
al-Suyuti and others agreed with him. Al-Qari says, "But its meaning is correct, deduced from the
statement of Allah, I have not created the Jinn and Mankind, except to worship Me, i.e. to
recognise/know me, as Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) has explained." These
statements are mentioned by al-'Ijlouni, who adds, "This saying occurs often in the words of the
Sufis, who have relied on it and built upon it some of their principles."88
4.Al-'Ijlouni says, "Al-Saghani (d. 650) said: Maudu'. I say: But its meaning is correct, even if it is
not a hadith." no. 2123. 'Ali al- Qari says, "But its meaning is correct, for al- Dailami has related
from Ibn 'Abbas as marfu': 'that Jibril came to me and said: O Muhammad! Were it not for you,
the Garden would not have been created, and were it not for you, the Fire would not have been
created', and in the narration of Ibn 'Asakir: 'Were it not for you, the world would not have been
created'." Al- Albani also quotes al-Saghani's verdict, and comments on alQari's
words thus,"It is not appropriate to certify the correctness of its meaning without establishing the authenticity of the narration from al-Dailami, which is something I have not found any of the scholars to have addressed.Personally,although I have not come across its isnad,I have no doubt about its weakness; enough of an indication for us is that al-Dailami is alone in reporting it. As for the narration of Ibn 'Asakir, Ibn al-Jauzi also related it in a long marfu' hadith from Salman and said 'It is maudu',and al-Suyuti endorsed this in al-La'ali."89
5.Sahih - related by al-Bukhari and Muslim.
6. Al-'Ijlouni says, "Al-Ghazali mentioned it in Ihya' 'Ulum al-Din with the wording, Allah says, "Neither My heaven nor My earth could contain Me, but the soft, humble heart of my believing slave can contain Me." Al-'Iraqi said in his notes on Al-Ihya', "I do not find a basis (i.e. isnad) for it", and al-Suyuti agreed with him, following al-Zarkashi. Al-'Iraqi then said, "But in the hadith of Abu 'Utbah in al-Tabarani there occurs: ... the vessels of your Lord are the hearts of His righteous slaves, and the most beloved to Him are the softest and most tender ones." Ibn Taimiyyah said, "It is mentioned in the Israelite traditions, but there is no known isnad from the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) for it." Al-Sakhawi said in Al- Maqasid, following his shaykh al Suyuti in Al- La'ali, "There is no known is nad from the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) for it, and its meaning is that his heart can contain belief in Me, love of Me and gnosis of Me. But as for the one who says that Allah incarnates in the hearts of the people, then he is more of an infidel than the Christians,who specified that to Christ alone.It seems that Ibn Taimiy yah's mention of Israelite tradition refers to what Ahmad has related in Al-Zuhd from Wahb
b.Munabbih who said that Allah opened the heavens for Ezekiel until he saw the Throne,so Ezekiel said,
'How Perfect are You! How Mighty are You, O Lord!'So Allah said, 'Truly,the heavens and the earth were too weak to contain Me,but the soft, humble heart of my believing slave contains Me'."He also quoted from al-Zarkashi's writing that one of the scholars said that it is a false hadith, fabricated by a renegade (from the
religion),and that it is most-often quoted by a preacher to the masses,'Ali
b.Wafa, for his own purposes,who says at the time of spiritual rapture and dance,"Go round the House of
your Lord." He further said that al-Tabarani has related from Abu 'Utbah al-Khawlani as marfu', "Truly, Allah has vessels from amongst the people of the earth, and the vessels ofyour
Lord are the hearts of his righteous slaves,and the most beloved of them to Him are the softest and most tender ones"; in its isnad is Baqiyyah
b.al Walid, a mudallis, but he has clearly stated hearing the hadith."90 Al-Albani rates this last hadith mentioned as hasan.91
7.Al-Nawawi said, "It is not established." Ibn Taimiyyah said, "Maudu'." Al-Sam'ani said, "It is not
known as marfu', but it is quoted as a statement of Yahya b. Mu'adh al-Razi." Al- Suyuti endorsed
al-Nawawi's words, and also said, "This hadith is not authentic." Al- Fairozabadi said, "It is not a
Prophetic statement, although most of the people think it is a hadith, but it is not authentic at all.
In fact, it is only related in the Israelite traditions: O Man! Know yourself: you will know your
Lord." Ibn al-Gharas said, after quoting al-Nawawi's verdict, "... but the books of the Sufis, such
as Shaykh Muhi al-Din Ibn 'Arabi and others, are filled with it, being quoted like a hadith." Ibn
'Arabi also said, "This hadith, although it is not proved by way of narration, is proved to us by
way of Kashf ('unveiling', while in a trance)."92
Regarding this methodology, al-Albani says,
"Authenticating ahadith by way of Kashf is a wicked innovation of the Sufis, and depending upon
it leads to the authentication of false, baseless ahadith ... This is because, even at the best of times,
Kashf is like opinion, which may be right or wrong - and that is if no personal desires enter into it!
We ask Allah to save us from it, and from everything with which He is not pleased."93
8.Sahih. Related by Malik in Al-Muwatta', al- Shafi'i in Al-Risalah (p. 110, Eng. trans.) and Muslim
(1:382; Eng. trans. 1:272). This was the first of two questions which the Prophet (may Allah bless
him and grant him peace) put to a slave-girl to test her faith, the second one being, "Who am I?"
She answered, "Above the heaven" and "You are the Messenger of Allah" respectively, to which
he said, "Free her, for she is a believer." Her first answer, which is found in the Qur'an (67:16-17,
the word fi can mean 'above/on', as in 6:11, 20:71 & 27:8), means that Allah is above and separate
from His creation, not mixed in with it, the erroneous belief which leads to worship of creation.
9.Maudu', as stated by al-Saghani and others. Scholars differ as to whether its meaning is correct or
not, in what way, and to what extent.94
It is sometimes used to justify divisive, anti- Islamic
nationalism and patriotism!
10.Sahih. Related by Malik as mursal/mu'allaq/balaghat (depending on choice of terminology), and
related twice as musnad by al Hakim.
The meaning of the hadith is contained in the Qur'an, in the mention of the Book and Wisdom (2:129, 2:151, 2:231, 3:164,4:113,33:34 & 62:2);al-Shafi'i says,"I have heard the most knowledgeable people about the Qur'an say that the Wisdom is the Sunnah" (Al-Risalah, Eng. trans., p. 111).
11.Sahih. Related by al-Tirmidhi, Ahmad, Ibn Abi 'Asim, al-Hakim, al-Tabarani, al-Dailami and al-
Tahawi.95 The phrase Ahl al-Bayt (members of the house) refers: (i) primarily to the Prophet's
wives (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), from the clear context of the relevant verse of
the Qur'an (33:33); (ii) to 'Ali, Fatimah, Hasan & Husain, from the "hadith of the garment" (cf.
Sahih Muslim, Book of the Virtues of the Companions). It is imbalanced and unjust to exclude
either of these categories from the hadith.
12.A sahih hadith related by Abu Dawud, al- Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah & Ahmad, and well-known
amongst the people. The fullest narration is, "Abu Bakr will be in the Garden; 'Umar will be in the
Garden; 'Uthman will be in the Garden; 'Ali will be in the Garden; Talhah will be in the Garden;
al-Zubair will be in the Garden; 'Abd al-Rahman b. 'Auf will be in the Garden; Sa'd b. Abi
Waqqas will be in the Garden; Sa'id b. Zaid will be in the Garden; Abu 'Ubaidah b. al-Jarrah will
be in the Garden."
13.Related by Ishaq b. Rahawaih and al-Baihaqi with a sahih isnad as a statement of 'Umar. It is also
collected by Ibn 'Adi and al-Dailami from Ibn 'Umar as marfu', but in its isnad is 'Isa b. Abdullah,
who is weak. However, it is strengthened by another narration of Ibn 'Adi, and also supported by
the hadith in the Sunan that a man saw in a dream that Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant
him peace) was weighed against Abu Bakr, and was found to be heavier; then Abu Bakr was
weighed against everyone else ...96
14.Related by al-Hakim, al-Tabarani and others. It is also related by al-Tirmidhi with the wording, "I
am the House of Wisdom, and 'Ali is its Door". A lDaraqutni labelled the hadith as mudtarib,both in isnad and text; al-Tirmidhi said it is gharib and munkar; al-Bukhari said that it has no sahih narration; Ibn Ma'in said that it is a baseless lie.Similar dismissals of the hadith are reported from Abu Zur'ah, Abu Hatim and Yahya
b.Sa'd. Al-Hakim declared the original hadith as sahih in isnad, but Ibn al-Jauzi regarded both versions as ',and al-Dhahabi agreed with him.
Several of the later scholars,including Ibn Hajar al-'Asqalani,Ibn Hajar al-Makki and al-Suyuti declared it hasan due to its various routes of narration.Al-'Ijlouni says,"...none of this devalues the consensus of the Adherents to the Sunnah from the Companions,the Successors and those after them, that the best of the Companions overall is Abu Bakr, by 'Um.",and quotes this view from Ibn 'Umar and 'Ali Himself, as recorded in Sahih Al-Bukhari.97 Al-Albani declares the hadith to be maudu'.98
15.A da'if or maudu' hadith, as stated by Ahmad b. Hanbal, Ibn 'Abd al-Barr, al-Bazzar and many
others. Ibn Hazm states that not only is the isnad unsound, but the hadith cannot be true for two
further reasons: (i) the Companions were not infallible, and hence made mistakes, so it would be
wrong to say that following any of them leads to guidance; (ii) the comparison with the stars is
wrong, for not every star guides one through every journey! There is a different, authentic
comparison with the stars given in Sahih Muslim: the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him
peace) said, "The stars are the custodians of the sky, so when the stars depart, there will come to
the sky what is promised for it (i.e. on the Day of Judgment). I am the custodian of my
Companions, so when I depart, there will come to my Companions what is promised for them (i.e.
great trials and tribulations). My Companions are the custodians for my Ummah, so when my
Companions depart, there will come to my Ummah what is promised for it (i.e. schisms, spread of
innovations, etc.)." (4:1961, Eng. trans. IV:1344)
16.No isnad exists for this hadith: al-Subki (d. 756) said, "It is not known to the scholars of Hadith,
and I cannot find an isnad for it, whether sahih, da'if, or maudu'." It, along with the previous one,
is often used to justify the following two extremes: (i) blind following of the views of men, with
no reference to the Qur'an and Sunnah; (ii) conveniently following whichever scholar holds the
easiest view, or that most agreeable to one's desires, again without reference to the fundamental
sources.
17.Numerous narrations of this hadith are found in the collections of Abu Dawud, al-Tirmidhi, Ibn
Majah, al-Hakim, Ahmad and others: they vary in being sahih, hasan, or da'if, but the hadith is established. Among those who have authenticated this hadith are al-Tirmidhi, al- Hakim, alShatibi,
Ibn
Taimiyyah,
Ibn
al-Qayyim,
al-Dhahabi,
Ibn
Kathir,
Ibn
Hajar
and
al-'Iraqi.
Most
narrations
mention
the
splitting-up
of
the
Jews
and
the
Christians
into
seventy-one
or
seventy-two
sects,
all
being
in
the
Fire
except
one,
prior
to
mention
of
the
Muslims
dividing
even
more.
In
some
of
the
narrations,
the
Prophet
(may
Allah
bless
him
and
grant
him
peace)
describes
the
Saved
Sect
variously
as
"the
Jama'ah
(community,
congregation,
main
body)",
"the
largest
body
(al-sawad
al-a'zam)"
and
"that
which
follows
what
I
and
my
Companions
are
upon."
The
hadith
does
not
mean
that
the
majority
of
Muslims
will
be
in
the
Hellfire,
for
most
of
them
("the
masses")
are
not
involved
in
intentional,
divisive
innovation;
further,
mention
of
the
Fire
does
not
necessarily
imply
that
the
seventy-two
sects
will
remain
there
forever,
or
that
those
sects
are
disbelievers.
18.Although the Mahdi is not mentioned explicitly in the collections of al-Bukhari and Muslim,
numerous sahih ahadith, which are mutawatir in meaning, speak of the coming of the Mahdi, a
man named Muhammad b. 'Abdullah and a descendant of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and
grant him peace) through Fatimah, who will be the Leader (Imam, Khalifah) of the Muslims, rule
for seven years and fill the world with justice and equity after it had been filled with tyranny and
oppression. He will also fight the Dajjal along with Jesus son of Mary. The author, in his The
Concept of the Mahdi among the Ahl al-Sunnah, has named 37 scholars who collected ahadith
about the Mahdi with their own isnads and 69 later scholars who wrote in support of the concept,
compared to 8 scholars who rejected the idea. The ahadith prophesying the Dajjal (False Christ), a
one-eyed man who will have miraculous powers and will be followed by the Jews, and the return
of Jesus Christ son of Mary (peace be upon them), who will descend in Damascus and pray
behind the Mahdi, kill the Dajjal at the gate of Lod in Palestine, break the Cross, kill the Pig,
marry and have children and live for forty years before dying a natural death, are mutawatir in
meaning. They have been collected by al-Bukhari and Muslim, as well as other traditionists.
19.Mutawatir in meaning, and collected by al- Bukhari, Muslim and others.
20.Mutawatir in meaning, and collected by al- Bukhari, Muslim and others. Mention of the
inadmissibility of intercession on the Day of Judgment in the Qur'an, e.g. 2:48 2:123, must be
understood in the light of other verses, e.g. 20:109 and sahih ahadith. The reward of seeing Allah
for the believers is referred to in the Qur'an, e.g. 75:22-23 and 83:15. These ahadith and those of
the previous two categories were generally rejected by the classical Mu'tazilah (Rationalists), as
well by those influenced by them today, on one or more of the following bases: (i) they contradict
the Qur'an (in their view); (ii) they contradict Reason (in their view), and (iii) they are ahad, not
mutawatir, and hence not acceptable in matters of belief (a flawed argument). Hence, the scholars
who wrote the 'aqidah (creed) of the Ahl al-Sunnah included these concepts in it, to confirm their
denial of the wrong ideas of the Mu'tazilah. Other authentic ahadith rejected by the Mu'tazilah are
many, and include those describing the Prophet's Mi'raj (ascension to the heavens), which are
again mutawatir in meaning.
21.The hadith with this wording is da'if, but its meaning is contained in the hadith of Ibn Majah and
al-Nasa'i that a man came to the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) and said, "O
Messenger of Allah! I intend to go on a (military) expedition, but I have come to ask your advice."
He said, "Is your mother alive?" He said, "Yes." He said, "Then stay with her, for the Garden is
under her feet." This latter hadith is declared to be sahih by al-Hakim, al-Dhahabi and alMundhiri.99
22.A sahih hadith, collected by al-Bukhari, Muslim and others.
23.This hadith has many chains of narration on the authority of more than a dozen Companions,
including twenty Successors apparently reporting from Anas alone. They are collected by Ibn
Majah, al-Baihaqi, al-Tabarani and others, but all of them are da'if, according to Ahmad b.
Hanbal, Ishaq b. Rahuwaih, Ibn 'Abd al-Barr, al- Bazzar and others, although some scholars
authenticated a few of the chains. Al-Baihaqi said that its text is mashhur while its isnad is da'if,
while al-Hakim and Ibn al-Salah regarded it as a prime example of a mashhur hadith which is not sahih. However, it is regarded by later scholars of Hadith as having enough chains of narration to
be strengthened to the level of hasan or sahih, a view which is stated by al- Mizzi, al-'Iraqi, Ibn
Hajar, al-Suyuti and al- Albani.100
24.This additional statement is found in a few of the (weak) narrations of the previous hadith, and is
declared as maudu' by Ibn Hibban, Ibn al- Jauzi, al-Sakhawi and al-Albani.101
25.Mentioned by al-Manjaniqi in his collection of ahadith of older narrators reporting from younger
ones, on the authority of al-Hasan al- Basri. Al-Khatib al-Baghdadi said that it is maudu' as a
narration from the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), but that it is a statement of
al-Hasan al-Basri.102
26.Related as marfu' by al-Baihaqi with a da'if isnad, according to al-'Iraqi. Ibn Hajar said that it is
actually a saying of Ibrahim b. Abi 'Ablah, a Successor.103
*NB: The scholars of Hadith agree that a da'if or maudu' hadith must not be attributed to the Prophet
(may Allah bless him and grant him peace), e.g. by saying, "The Prophet said: ...", even if the meaning
is considered to be correct or if it is actually the saying of a Muslim scholar, for that would be a way of
lying about the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace).
ENDNOTES
1.Ar. Sunnah: Way, Path, Tradition, Example. See An Introduction to the Sunnah by Suhaib Hasan
(Understanding Islam Series no. 5, published by Al-Quran Society), for Qur'anic proofs of
revelation besides the Qur'an, the importance of the Sunnah, and a brief history of the collections
of Hadith. See also Imam al- Shafi'i's al-Risalah for the authoritative position of the Sunnah (Eng.
trans., pp. 109- 116).
2.related by Imam Muslim in the Introduction to his Sahih - see Sahih Muslim (ed. M.F. 'Abdul
Baqi, 5 vols., Cairo, 1374/1955), 1:15 & Sahih Muslim bi Sharh an-Nawawi (18 vols. in 6, Cairo,
1349), 1:87. The existing English translation of Sahih Muslim, by Abdul Hamid Siddiqi, does not
contain this extremely valuable Introduction.
3.Ibn Abi Hatim al-Razi, Al-Jarh wa l-Ta'dil (8 vols., Hyderabad, 1360-1373), 1:20.
4.Sahih Muslim, 1:15. See Suhaib Hasan, Criticism of Hadith among Muslims with reference to
Sunan Ibn Maja (Ta Ha publishers / Al-Quran Society, London, 1407/1986), pp. 15-17 for
discussion of this statement of Ibn Sirin.
5.Remarks like these are exceptions from the basic Islamic prohibition of backbiting (ghibah)
another Muslim, even if the statement is true. Such exceptions are allowed, even obligatory in
some cases, where general benefit to the Muslim public is at stake, such as knowing which
ahadith are authentic. See e.g. Riyad al- Salihin of al-Nawawi, Chapter on Backbiting, for the
justification for certain types of backbiting from the Qur'an and Sunnah.
6.Muhammad Adib Salih, Lamahat fi Usul al-Hadith (2nd ed., al-Maktab al-Islami, Beirut, 1389), p.
143.
7.Tahir b. Ahmad al-Jaza'iri, Taujih al-Nazar ila Usul al-Nazar (Maktaba 'Ilmiyyah, Madinah,
N.D.), p. 68.
8.Muhammad b. 'Abdullah al-Hakim, Ma'rifah 'Ulum al-Hadith (ed. Mu'azzam Husain, Cairo,
1937), p. 17.
9.ibid.
10.Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti, Tadrib al-Rawi (ed. A.A. Latif, 1st ed., Cairo, 1379/1959), 1:197.
11.Al-Dhahabi, Talkhis al-Mustadrak (printed with Mustadrak al-Hakim, 4 vols., Hyderabad), 3:176.
12.Abu 'l-Fida' 'Imad al-Din Ibn Kathir, Tafsir al-Qur'an al-Azim (4 vols., Cairo, N.D.), 1:80.
13. Yusuf b. 'Abdullah Ibn 'Abdul Barr, Tajrid al- Tamhid lima fi l-Muwatta' min al-Asanid (Cairo, 1350), 1:2.
14.ibid.
15.al-Suyuti, 1:198.
16.For the discussion in detail, see al-Shafi'i, al-Risalah (ed. Ahmad Shakir, Cairo, 1358/1940, pp.
461-470; English translation: M. Khadduri, 2nd ed., Islamic Texts Society, Cambridge, 1987, pp.
279-284, where the mursal hadith has been translated as "interrupted tradition").
17.al-Suyuti, 1:199; Muhammad b. Mustafa al- Ghadamsi, Al-Mursal min al-Hadith (Darif Ltd.,
London, N.D.), p.71.
18.Ibn al-Qayyim, I'lam al-Muwaqqi'in (2nd ed., 4 vols. in 2, Dar al-Fikr, Beirut, 1397/1977), 1:31.
19.Ibn Hazm, Al-Ihkam fi Usul al-Ahkam (Matba'ah al-Sa'adah, Cairo, 1345), 2:135.
20.Al-Hazimi, Shurut al-A'immah al-Khamsah (ed. M.Z. al-Kauthari, Cairo, N.D.), p. 45.
21.According to the different interpretations of this verse, "they" here could refer to those who stay
behind, or those who go forth.
22.al-Hakim, p. 26.
23.ibid.
24.Al-Khatib al-Baghdadi, Al-Kifayah fi 'Ilm al- Riwayah (Hyderabad, 1357), p. 387.
25.ibid., pp. 411-413.
26.Zain al-Din al-'Iraqi, Al-Taqyid wa 'l-Idah Sharh Muqaddimah Ibn al-Salah (al-Maktabah al-
Salafiyyahh, Madinah, 1389/1969), p. 72
27.Ibn Taymiyyah, Minhaj al-Sunnah an-Nabawiyyah fi Naqd Kalam al-Shi'ah wa 'l-Qadariyyah (al-
Maktabah al-Amiriyyah, Bulaq, 1322), 4:117.
28.Al-Dhahabi, Al-Muqizah (Maktab al-Matbu'at al- Islamiyyah, Halab, 1405), p. 40.
29.al-Jaza'iri, p. 33.
30.ibid.
31.Ibn Hajar al-'Asqalani, Sharh Nukhbah al-Fikr (ed. M. 'Aud & M.G. Sabbagh, Damascus,
1410/1990), pp. 8-9.
32.al-Jaza'iri, p. 49; Muhammad b. Isma'il al- Amir al-San'ani, Taudih al-Afkar (2 vols. ed. M.M.
'Abdul Hamid, Cairo, 1366), 2:405.
33.al-San'ani, 2:409.
34.al-Hakim, pp. 96-102.
35.al-San'ani, 2:455.
36.al-'Iraqi, p. 268.
37.al-San'ani, 2:406.
38.al-'Iraqi, p. 96.
39.ibid.
40.Ibn Hajar, Tabaqat al-Mudallisin (Cairo, 1322), p. 7f.
41.al-'Iraqi, p. 98.
42.al-Hakim, pp. 30-34.
43.ibid., p. 119.
44.Ibn Kathir, Ikhtisar 'Ulum al-Hadith (ed. Ahmad Shakir, 2nd imp., Cairo, 1951), p. 57.
45.al-Suyuti, 1:235; M. A. Salih, p. 260.
46.al-San'ani, 2:3.
47.ibid., 2:6.
48.al-Khatib, p. 431.
49.Ibn Kathir, Tafsir, 4:349.
50.Ibn Kathir, Ikhtisar, p. 62.
51.al-Suyuti, 1:248.
52.al-Hakim, p. 39.
53.al-'Iraqi, p. 129f.
54.al-Suyuti, 1:274.
55. Ibn Kathir, Ikhtisar,
p. 72. 56.ibid.
57.Ibn 'Abdul Barr, Al-Tamhid, 3:32, as quoted by Luqman al-Salafi, Ihtimam al-Muhaddithin bi
Naqd al-Hadith, p. 381f.
58.Ibn Kathir, Ikhtisar, p. 88.
59.ibid., p. 87.
60.Shams al-Din Muhammad b. 'Abd al-Rahman al- Sakhawi, Fath al-Mughith Sharh Alfiyyah al-
Hadith li 'l-'Iraqi (Lucknow, N.D.), 1:278.
61.'Uthman b. 'Abd al-Rahman al-Dimashqi Ibn al- Salah, 'Ulum al-Hadith (commonly known as
Muqaddimah, ed. al-Tabbakh, Halab, 1350), p. 116.
62.'Ali b. 'Abdullah b. Ja'far Ibn al-Madini, Kitab al-'Ilal, p. 58. Ibn Hajar al-'Asqalani mentions that
the Imams of Hadith have agreed that al-Hasan al-Basri did not hear a single word from 'Ali.
63.Sahih Muslim, 4:2149 (English transl., IV:1462, Sharh Nawawi, 17:133).
64.Ibn Taimiyyah, Majmu' Fatawa (37 vols., ed. 'Abd al-Rahman b. Qasim & his son Muhammad,
Riyad, 1398), 18:18f. Ibn Taimiyyah mentions that Imam Muslim's authentication of this hadith is
supported by Abu Bakr al-Anbari & Ibn al- Jauzi, whereas al-Baihaqi supports those who
disparaged it. Al-Albani says that it was Ibn al-Madini who criticised it, whereas Ibn Ma'in did not
(the latter was known to be very strict, both of them were shaikhs of al-Bukhari). He further says
that the hadith is sahih, and does not contradict the Qur'an, contrary to the probable view of the
scholars who criticised the hadith, since what is mentioned in the Qur'an is the creation of the
heavens and the earth in six days, each of which may be like a thousand years, whereas the hadith
refers to the creation of the earth only, in days which are shorter than those referred to in the
Qur'an (Silsilah al-Ahadith as-Sahihah, no. 1833).
65.al-Dhahabi, p. 27.
66.al-Shafi'i, p. 370f (Eng. trans., pp. 239- 240).
67.al-Dhahabi, p. 24.
68.al-Nawawi, Muqaddimah, p. 14.
69.al-Tibi, al-Husain b. 'Abdullah, al-Khulasah fi Usul al-Hadith (ed. Subhi al-Samarra'i, Baghdad,
1391), p. 36.
70.ibid., p. 38.
71.al-Nawawi, Muqaddimah, p. 43.
72.al-Dhahabi, p. 26.
73.ibid., pp. 32-33.
74.al-Albani, Silsilah al-Ahadith al-Sahihah, no. 62.
75.al-Jaza'iri, p. 149.
76.al-Sakhawi, 1:99.
77.al-Dhahabi, pp. 33-34.
78.ibid., p. 36.
79.al-Sakhawi, 1:264.
80.ibid., 1:275.
81.al-Nawawi, Taqrib, 1:275.
82.see Ibn al-Qayyim, al-Manar al-Munif fi 'l- Sahih wa 'l-Da'if (ed. A.F. Abu Ghuddah, Lahore,
1402/1982), pp. 102-105 for a fuller discussion. Ibn al-Qayyim mentions more than ten clear
indications of the forgery of the document, which the Jews repeatedly attempted to use to deceive
the Muslims over the centuries, but each time a scholar of Hadith intervened to point out the
forgery - such incidents occurred with Ibn Jarir al-Tabari (d. 310), al-Khatib al-Baghdadi (d. 463)
and Ibn Taimiyyah (d. 728), who spat on the document as it was unfolded from beneath its silken
covers.
83.Suhaib Hasan, Criticism of Hadith, pp. 35-44.
84.The Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) allowed such narrations, but they are not
to be confirmed nor denied, except for what is confirmed or denied by the Qur'an and Sunnah. See
e.g. An Introduction to the Principles of Tafseer of Ibn Taimiyyah (trans. M.A.H. Ansari, Al-Hidaayah, Birmingham, 1414/1993), pp. 56-58.
85.ibid., p. 156.
86.see Muqaddimah Ibn al-Salah.
87.Fatawa Ibn Taimiyyah, 6:379-382.
88.Isma'il b. Muhammad al-'Ijlouni, Kashf al- Khafa' (2 vols. in 1, Cairo/Aleppo, N.D.), no. 2016.
89.Al-Albani, Silsilah al-Ahadith al-Da'ifah, no. 282.
90.Kashf al-Khafa', no. 2256.
91.Sahih al-Jami' al-Saghir, no. 2163; Silsilah al-Ahadith al-Sahihah, no. 1691.
92.Kashf al-Khafa', no. 2532; Al-Da'ifah, no. 66.
93.Al-Da'ifah, no. 58.
94.Kashf al-Khafa', no. 1102; Al-Da'ifah, no. 36.
95.Al-Sahihah, no. 1761.
96.Kashf al-Khafa', no. 2130.
97.Kashf al-Khafa', no. 618.
98.Da'if al-Jami' al-Saghir, nos. 1410, 1416.
99.Kashf al-Khafa', no. 1078; Al-Da'ifah, no. 593.
100.Kashf al-Khafa', no. 1665; Sahih al-Jami' al- Saghir, nos. 3913-4.
101.Al-Da'ifah, no. 416; Da'if al-Jami' al- Saghir, nos. 1005-6.
102.Kashf al-Khafa', no. 2276.
103.Kashf al-Khafa', no. 1362.
