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Re: Ahadith Regarding The Tawassul Of Our Father Adam (Peace Be Upon Him)

--- In Sunna-Principles, Imran wrote:

> 1) Is it true that Imam al-Dhahabi graded it to be da'if? In the notes
> in al-Shifa' (Dar al-Fayha & Maktaba al-Ghazali edition) the editor
> says that Imam al-Dhahabi graded it mawdu'. Shaykh al-Hadith 'Allama
> Ghulam Rasul al-Sa'idi also states that Imam al-Dhahabi declared it
> mawdu'. So which is it?

The latter.

> 2) In the same note the editor also states that Imam al-Bayhaqi as
> well as Imam al-Suyuti called it weak, and that Hafiz al-Haythami said
> that there were unknown people in it's chain. Yet, the article states
> that all these 'ulama 'explicitly' declared it to be sahih. Imam Ibn
> Kathir also mentions that Imam al-Bayhaqi called it weak in his Qasas
> al-Anbiya'. Which of these sayings is the correct one?

That its chain is da`if according to al-Bayhaqi and others, while
al-Subki and others strengthened the report itself.

> 3) Which 'ulama have explicitly stated that the hadith of hadrat
> Maysara (Allah be pleased with him) with the same general meaning as
> this one is sahih, apart from Imam Ibn al-Jawzi who has mentioned it
> in al-Wafa'? Are there any who have called it weak?

Al-Salihi in Subul al-Huda declares its chain strong and Ibn Taymiyya tends to accept its veracity in his Fatawa.

This is the hadith with its chain:

Al-Ajurri's student and al-Bayhaqi and al-Khatib's shaykh the
trustworthy hafiz Abu al-Husayn `Ali b. Muhammad b. `Abd Allah, known as
Ibn Bishran al-`Adl al-Umawi al-Baghdadi al-Mu`addal (d. 411 or 415) in
his Fawa'id,

from the trustworthy hafiz and Musnid of Baghdad Abu Ja`far Muhammad b.
`Amr b. al-Bakhtari al-Razzaz,

from Ahmad b. Ishaq b. Salih al-Wazzan al-Jurjani (d. 281, la ba'sa bihi
according to al-Daraqutni),

from Muhammad b. Sinan al-`Awqi (d. 223, al-Bukhari's shaykh in the Sahih),

from Ibrahim b. Tahman (one of the narrators of the Sahihayn),

from Budayl b. Maysara (one of Muslim's narrators in his Sahih),

from `Abd Allah b. Shaqiq (ditto),

from the Companion Maysarat al-Fajr radya Allahu `anh:

I said: "Messenger of Allah, when were you made a Prophet?"

He salla Allahu `alayhi wa-Alihi wa-Sallam replied: "When AllAh created
the earth and turned to the heavens, arranging them into seven heavens,
and He created the Throne, He wrote on the leg of the Throne: MUHAMMAD
IS THE MESSENGER OF ALLAH AND THE SEAL OF PROPHETS. And Allah created
Paradise in which He made Adam and Hawwa' dwell, then He wrote my name
[there] on the gates, the tree-leaves, the houses and tents, while Adam
was still between the spirit and the body. When Allah Most High brought
him to life, he looked at the Throne and saw my name, whereupon Allah
Most High informed him: 'He is the liege-lord of your offspring.' When
shaytan deceived them, they repented and sought intercession with my
name from Him."

The hadith master al-Salihi cited it in Subul al-Huda wal-Rashad (Beirut
ed. 1:86=Cairo ed. 1:104) and said "Its chain is good and there is no
harm in it." Al-Halabi also cited it in his Sira (1:355).

The grading is confirmed by `Abd Allah al-Ghumari in Murshid al-Ha'ir
(p. 37) and al-Radd al-Muhkam (p. 138-139) as well as his student Mahmud
Mamduh in Raf` al-Minara (p. 247-249).

Al-Bayhaqi narrates with the above chain only the reply "While Adam was
still between the spirit and the body" in his Dala'il al-Nubuwwa (1:84)
while Ibn Taymiyya cites the entire wording with the full chain in
Majmu` al-Fatawa (2:150-151) but he adds "from Muhammad b. Salih"
between Ahmad b. Ishaq al-Wazzan and Ibn Sinan al-`Awqi. If correct,
this additional link could be either the trustworthy hafiz Muhammad b.
Salih b. `Abd al-Rahman al-Anmati al-Sufi known as Kaylaja (d. 271) or
Muhammad b. Salih al-Wasiti Ka`b al-Dhira` who is also trustworthy, so
the chain remains a strong chain although longer by one link, and Allah
knows best.

> 4) And what of the fact that some of the 'ulama that mention the
> narration of 'Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd, declare it weak, but still did
> mention it - is it then correct to state that they thought it's
> meaning correct, even though there was some weakness in the chain?

Yes, because (i) 'Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd was in fact a major mufassir and
al-Dhahabi himself strengthens his case in al-Muqiza, declaring him only
"slightly short of the level of hasan" while Ibn `Adi said his
narrations were overall fair; and (ii) the overall account of that
specific tawassul is related with three different routes: the two you
mentioned, and one from Ibn `Abbas, Allah be well-pleased with him and
his father.

--
Q: 
Could you please provide with information regarding the source of the
narration of Sayyiduna Ibn 'Abbas (Allah be pleased with them both)?

A:
See: https://www.livingislam.org/ir/d/_img-d/Tawassul_h_IbnAbbas.jpg

Al-Khallal narrated in al-Sunna (1:261 para:316):

Al-Fadl b. Muslim al-Muharibi [unknown] narrated to us:

Muhammad b. `Isma [al-Karabisi al-Balkhi, 
mastur per Misbah al-Arib§4806] narrated to us:

Jundul [b. Waliq, thiqa per al-Haythami] narrated to us:

`Amr b. Aws al-Ansari [mastur per al-Dhahabi] narrated to us:

from Sa`id b. Abi `Aruba:

from Qatada:

from Sa`id b. al-Musayyab [all three trustworthy]:

from Ibn `Abbas, Allah be well-pleased with him and his father:

"Allah Most High revealed to `Isa (`alayhi as-Salam): 'O `Isa, believe
in Muhammad and command whosoever reaches his time among your Community
to believe in him. Were it not for Muhammad, I would not have created
Adam, and were it not for Muhammad, I would not have created Paradise or
Hellfire. Indeed, I created the Throne on top of the water and it shook,
so I inscribed upon it LA ILAHA ILLA ALLAH MUHAMMADUN RASULULLAH,
whereupon it stood still.'"

Al-Khallal said: "I read it to Abu `Abd Allah Muhammad b. Bishr b.
Sharik and he concurred with it and said he had the same narrated by
Jundul ibn Waliq."

Al-Hakim similarly narrated in the Mustadrak (2:614-615=2:271): `Ali b.
Hamshadh al-`Adl (258-338) [Abu al-Hasan al-Naysaburi, a major
trustworthy hafiz] narrated to us by dictation: Harun b. al-`Abbas
al-Hashimi (208-275) [thiqa per al-Khatib] narrated to us: Jundul b.
Waliq narrated to us, to the end of the above chain and text. Al-Hakim
said: "This is a sound-chained hadith but al-Bukhari and Muslim did not
narrate it."

Also Abu al-Shaykh in Tabaqat al-Asfahaniyyin according to al-Lacknawi
in al-Aathaar al-Marfu`a (p. 44), and Abu Sa`d al-Naysaburi in Sharaf
al-Mustafa (1:163-165 para:15).

The above chains show that the makhraj (top of the chain) apepars to be
quite strong for this narration; but its rarity is a definite sign of
weakness - it is unlikely only some mastur narator heard this from Ibn
Abi `Aruba - which would be like a sign telling the early muhaddith:
"Stay away from me and narrate something else instead!"

Hence al-Dhahabi in his Talkhis al-Mustadrak and Mizan al-I`tidal (s.v.
`Amr b. Aws) conjectures that Ibn `Abbas's narration is forged
("azunnuhu mawdu`an") but brings no proof, as its chain contains neither
a liar nor a forger and is an acceptable chain by the Salaf's criteria
for fada'il hadiths as evidenced by al-Khallal's postscript, especially
in light of other versions.

Note: al-Dhahabi has a similar reaction against the report of Imam Ahmad
weeping and fainting at the discourse of the Sufi master al-Muhasibi, on
the one hand declaring its chain sahih, on the other rejecting the
report's veracity. The latter report is narrated with a sound chain by
al-Khatib in Tarikh Baghdad (8:214) and Ibn al-Jawzi in Manaqib Ahmad
(p. 185-186) cf. Ibn Muflih, Furu` (5:238), Ibn Badraan, Madkhal (p.
101) and al-Dhahabi in the Siyar and Mizan (1:430), saying: "The chain
is sound, but I can't believe this on the part of Imam Ahmad!"

Allah Most High knows best.


GF Haddad 
2009-03-12/13