Clear-Cut Answers for those who Reject Weak Ah̩ãdĩth

Clear-Cut Answers for those who Reject Weak Ah̩ãdĩth Aug 7, 2015 9:28:51 GMT

Post by AbuHumayd on Aug 7, 2015 9:28:51 GMT

Clear-Cut Answers for those who Reject Weak Ah̩ãdĩth (for faḍā’il al-aʿmāl)

Foreword by Shaykh Dr. Abul Hasan Hussain Ahmed

Praise be to Allah that is due from all grateful believers, a fullness of praise for all his favours: a praise that is abundantly sincere and blessed. May the blessings of Allah be upon our beloved Master Muhammad, the chosen one, the Apostle of mercy and the seal of all Prophets (peace and blessings of Allah be upon them all); and upon his descendants who are upright and pure: a blessing lasting to the Day of Judgment, like the blessing bestowed upon the Prophet Ibrahim (alaihis salam) and his descendants. May Allah be pleased with all of the Prophetic Companions (Ashab al-Kiram). Indeed, Allah is most worthy of praise and supreme glorification!

I was forwarded this short epistle in repudiation of the claim that merely weak (da’eef) Ahādīth cannot be used for virtuous actions (faḍā’il al-aʿmāl). It being the compilation of a noble brother and student of the deen by the name of Abu Humayd from England. His riposte was directed at an individual using the screen name – “Ahlul-Isnaad” or ibn Abi Raza, also known as Raza Hassan. A simple internet search lead to the conclusion that he seems to be closely associated with the methodology of the late and controversial Zubair Ali Za’i (d. 2013) of Pakistan when it comes to their understanding of the principles connected to Hadīth, as well as being an admirer of Nasirud-Din al-Albani (d. 1999). He is also linked with similar minded disseminators in England and Pakistan that have been the subject of a few responses from this pen.

With regard to the issue at hand, it is pertinent to follow what the majority of the Muhaddithin (Hadīth scholars) have stated using acknowledged principles, and for the benefit of the readers, the following narrations have been incorporated into this introduction to substantiate the position of the vast majority of the trustworthy Sunni Hadīth scholars of the past. The quotes serve to show the contradistinction between the majority of the profoundly learned scholars of Hadīth and those who pay lip service by claiming to follow their way in this age.

The late al-Albani (see his Tamām al-Minna, p. 35), held the minority stance of rejecting the acting upon of weak type of narrations for virtuous actions (faḍā’il al-aʿmāl), and this trend is also seen in the actions of some of his followers, albeit in a zealous manner, in printed literature, masjids, internet sites, forums, social media or on the streets. These folk are reminded to study the following quotes to see where the truth lies and what was the real way of the majority of the Imams of the Salaf and their successors (khalaf) in this matter of acting on weak Ahādīth connected to virtuous actions (faḍā’il al-aʿmāl) and the like that have been mentioned in this work.

In this regard, the well-known Imam from the Salaf known as Abdur Rahman Ibn Mahdi (d. 198 AH), has been attributed with the following statement as reported by Imam Abu Abdullah al-Hakim (d. 405 AH) in his Mustadrak (1/490), and in his al-Madkhal ala Kitab al-Iklil (p. 4):

فَإِنِّي سَمِعْتُ أَبَا زَكَرِيَّا يَحْيَى بْنَ مُحَمَّدٍ الْعَنْبَرِيَّ ، يَقُولُ : سَمِعْتُ أَبَا الْحَسَنِ مُحَمَّدَ بْنَ إِسْحَاقَ بْنِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ الْحَنْظَلِيَّ ، يَقُولُ : كَانَ أَبِي يَحْكِي عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ مَهْدِيٍّ ، يَقُولُ : إِذَا رَوَينَا عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فِي الْحَلاَلِ ، وَالْحَرَامِ ، وَالأَحْكَامِ ، شَدَّدْنَا فِي الأَسَانِيدِ ، وَانْتَقَدْنَا الرِّجَالَ ، وَإِذَا رَوَينَا فِي فَضَائِلِ الأَعْمَالِ وَالثَّوَابِ ، وَالْعِقَابِ ، وَالْمُبَاحَاتِ ، وَالدَّعَوَاتِ تَسَاهَلْنَا فِي الأَسَانِيدِ

Ibn Mahdi said:

“If reports are related to us from the Prophet ﷺ concerning what is lawful (halal) and forbidden (haram), and legal rulings (al-Ahkām), we are severe with the chains of transmission (asānid) and we disparage the narrators. But if we are told reports concerning the virtuous actions (faḍā’il al-aʿmāl), their rewards (thawāb) and punishments [in the Hereafter], permissible things or devout invocations, we are lenient with the chains of transmission (asānid).”

There is a similar report from Ibn Mahdi in al-Khatib al-Baghdadi’s (d. 463 AH) al-Jami’ li Akhlaq al-Rāwi wa Adab al-Sāmi‘ (2/91 no. 1267). Imam Badrud-Din al-Zarkashi (d. 794 AH) has also mentioned in his Nukat ala Ibn al-Salah (2/308) that the same report from ibn Mahdi has been recorded by Imam al-Bayhaqi (d. 458 AH) in his al-Madkhal.

Imam Abdullah ibn al-Mubarak (d. 181 AH) has been reported to have said that one may narrate from a weak (da’eef) narrator those type of narrations connected to good conduct (adab), admonition (maw’iza) and sobriety (zuhd). See Kitab al-Jarh wa al-Ta’dil of ibn Abi Hatim al-Razi (2/30) under the following chapter heading for Ibn al-Mubarak’s report:

باب في الآداب والمواعظ أنها تحتمل الرواية عن الضعاف

Meaning:

“Chapter on (narrations regarding) good manners and admonitions: they may be carried forth as a report from weak narrators.”

Imam al-Bukhari (d. 256 AH) has incorporated into his al-Adab al-Mufrad a number of weak Ahadīth which fall under the realm of virtuous actions (faḍā’il al-aʿmāl). The same can be noticed from the Kitab al-Zuhd of Imam Ahmed ibn Hanbal and the Kitab al-Zuhd of Imam Abdullah ibn al-Mubarak, as stated by Shaykh Abdul Fattah Abu Ghudda (d. 1997) in his editing of Shaykh Abdul Hayy al-Laknawi’s (d. 1304 AH) Zafar al-Amāni (p. 185). Shaykh Abdal Fattah Abu Ghudda also responded to the claims of Shaykh Jamalud-Din al-Qāsimi (d. 1914) and his own teacher, Shaykh Muhammad Zāhid al-Kawthari (d. 1951), that Imam al-Bukhari did not allow acting on weak Hadīth in an absolute manner on the same page of his editing of Zafar al-Amani.

Shaykh Abdal Fattah also quoted al-Hafiz ibn Hajar al-Asqalani’s Hadi al-Sāri while inferring Imam al-Bukhari’s methodology on incorporating less authentic Hadīth. This was mentioned with regard to a narrator who was weakened by some while praised by most scholars, and was known by the name Muhammad ibn Abdur Rahman al-Tufawi and his transmission of the narration: “Be in this world as if you are a stranger (kun fi al-dunyā ka’annaka gharīb).” See the above reference to Zafar al-Amāni for details.

Of the later Hadīth compilations containing certain weak Ahādīth connected to virtuous actions (faḍā’il al-aʿmāl), or exhorting to do good and instilling fear (al-Targhib wa al-Tarhib), were works by Imams like Ibn Shāhin (d. 385 AH) in his al-Targhib fi Faḍā’il al-Aʿmāl, Abul Qasim al-Asbahāni (d. 525 AH) in his Faḍā’il al-Aʿmāl, Abdul Azim al-Mundhiri (d. 656 AH) in his famous al-Targhib wa al-Tarhib, Diya al-Maqdisi (d. 643 AH) in his Kitab Faḍā’il al-Aʿmāl and other works. All of the named works are now in print.

Some scholars have also claimed that Imam Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj (d. 261 AH) rejected the use of weak narrations in any matter based on their readings of his introduction (Muqaddima) to Sahih Muslim. This point was contended by the leading Syrian Muhaddith, Shaykh Nurud-Din Itr, in his editing of Imam Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali’s (d. 795 AH) Sharḥ ʿIlal al-Tirmidhī (1/76), where he said that Imam Muslim was in line with the majority of the scholars of Hadīth in allowing the use of weak Hadīths (using certain principles) related to virtuous actions (faḍā’il al-aʿmāl) and the like.

What indicates this further is the fact that Imam al-Nawawi (d. 676 AH) wrote one of the most famous commentaries to Sahih Muslim, and as will be seen below he too not only said it was permissible to act upon weak narrations for virtuous actions (faḍā’il al-aʿmāl); but he stated in some of his works that there was agreement of the Hadīth scholars and others to do so.

Al-Khatib al-Baghdadi (d. 463 AH) was one the leading experts of Hadīth in his time. In his al-Kifāya fi 'Ilm al-Riwāya (1/133), he said:

بَابُ التَّشَدُّدِ فِي أَحَادِيثِ الْأَحْكَامِ ، وَالتَّجَوُّزِ فِي فَضَائِلِ الْأَعْمَالِ : قَدْ وَرَدَ عَنْ غَيْرِ وَاحِدٍ مِنَ السَّلَفِ أَنَّهُ لَا يَجُوزُ حَمْلُ الْأَحَادِيثِ الْمُتَعَلِّقَةِ بِالتَّحْلِيلِ وَالتَّحْرِيمِ إِلَّا عَمَّنْ كَانَ بَرِيئًا مِنَ التُّهْمَةِ ، بَعِيدًا مِنَ الظِّنَّةِ ، وَأَمَّا أَحَادِيثُ التَّرْغِيبِ وَالْمَوَاعِظِ وَنَحْوِ ذَلِكَ فَإِنَّهُ يَجُوزُ كَتْبُهَا عَنْ سَائِرِ الْمَشَايِخِ

Meaning:

“Chapter on strictness in legal Hadīths (Ahādīth al-Ahkām) and the permissibility in the virtuous actions (faḍā’il al-aʿmāl). It has been quoted from many of the pious predecessors (al-Salaf) that it is not permitted to transmit ḥadīths concerning permissibility (Halal) and prohibition (Haram) except from those who are free of accusation, far from suspicion. But as for the ḥadīths of encouragement (targhīb), preaching (mawāʿiẓ) and similar things, it is permitted to record them from other Shaykhs.”

Al-Khatib al-Baghdadi has also mentioned a report with his chain of transmission back to Imam Ahmed ibn Hanbal in his al-Kifāya (1/134) as saying:

ثنا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يُوسُفَ الْقَطَّانُ النَّيْسَابُورِيُّ ، لَفْظًا ، أنا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ الْحَافِظُ،, قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ أَبَا زَكَرِيَّا يَحْيَى بْنَ مُحَمَّدٍ الْعَنْبَرِيَّ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ أَبَا الْعَبَّاسِ أَحْمَدَ بْنَ مُحَمَّدٍ السِّجْزِيَّ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ النَّوْفَلِيَّ يَعْنِي أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ، يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ أَحْمَدَ بْنَ حَنْبَلٍ ، يَقُولُ: «إِذَا رَوَيْنَا عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَّ فِي الْحَلَالِ وَالْحَرَامِ وَالسُّنَنِ وَالْأَحْكَامِ تَشَدَّدْنَا فِي الْأَسَانِيدِ ، وَإِذَا رَوَيْنَا عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَّ فِي فَضَائِلِ الْأَعْمَالِ وَمَا لَا يَضَعُ حُكْمًا وَلَا يَرْفَعُهُ تَسَاهَلْنَا فِي الْأَسَانِيدِ»

Meaning:

Ibn Hanbal said: If reports are related to us from the Prophet ﷺ concerning what is lawful (halal), forbidden (haram), the Sunnas and legal rulings, we are severe with the chains of transmission (asānid). But if reports are related to us from the Prophet ﷺ concerning virtuous actions (faḍā’il al-aʿmāl), and what does not place a judgement and not raised back, we are lenient with the chains of transmission (asānid).”

Some scholars have weakened the above narration back to ibn Hanbal due to the weakness of the sub-narrators Abul Abbas Ahmed ibn Muhammad al-Sijzi and al-Nawfali. The same narration was also recorded by Imam Abu Abdullah al-Hakim (d. 405 AH) in his al-Madkhal ala Kitab al-Iklil.

Nevertheless, al-Hafiz ibn Hajar al-Asqalani (d. 852 AH) has mentioned the following point in his al-Qawl al-Musaddad (p. 11):

وَقد ثَبت عَن الإِمَام أَحْمد وَغَيره من الْأَئِمَّة أَنهم قَالُوا إِذا روينَا فِي الْحَلَال وَالْحرَام شددنا وَإِذا روينَا فِي الْفَضَائِل وَنَحْوهَا تساهلنا

Meaning:

“It has been established from Imam Ahmed (ibn Hanbal) and others from the Imams that they said: If reports are related to us [from the Prophet ﷺ] concerning what is permitted (halal) and forbidden (haram), we are strict; and if reports are related to us on the virtues (al- faḍā’il) or the like, we show our leniency.”

It may be that Ibn Hajar knew of an authentic chain of transmission going back to ibn Hanbal to establish what was attributed to him in the above quote from al-Khatib al-Baghdadi and al-Hakim.

Another contemporary scholar who lived in the time of Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani was the Syrian Muhaddith, al-Hafiz Ibn Nasirud-Din al-Dimashqi (d. 842 AH). In his work on the prayer known as Salatul Tasbih, entitled al-Tarjih li Hadīth Salatil-Tasbih (p. 36), he has mentioned that Ibn al-Mubarak, Ibn Mahdi and ibn Hanbal were lenient on the transmission of weak narrations to do with instilling virtue and inspiring fear (al-Targhib wa al-Tarhib), stories (qisas), parables (amthal), admonitions (mawa’iz) and virtuous actions (faḍā’il al-aʿmāl), and that the majority of scholars permit acting upon such narrations.

Later scholars like al-Hafiz ibn Hajar have stipulated three conditions for acting on such weak type of narrations (see later).

There are some examples where ibn Hanbal allowed the use of such narrations not connected to legal rulings. An example is mentioned in al-ʿIlal wa Maʿrifat al-Rijāl (p. 93) of ibn Hanbal as transmitted by his student, al-Marrudhi, as follows:

218 - وَسُئِلَ عن النَّضْر بن إِسْمَاعِيْل أَبِي المُغِيْرَة؟ فَقَاَلَ: قَدْ كتبنا عنه، لَيْسَ هو بقوي، يعتبر بحديثه، ولكن ما كَاَنَ من رقائق وكَاَنَ أكثر حديثًا من ابن السَّمَّاك

“And I asked him (Ibn Hanbal) about al-Nadr ibn Isma’il Abi al-Mughira. He said: ‘We have written [Hadīths] from him; he is not strong; his ḥadīths are considered, but only in raqā’iq. Most of his Hadīths are from ibn al-Sammak.’”

Raqā’iq or riqāq are those type of narrations that are considered to be heart softeners in terms of their meanings.

A contemporary of ibn Hanbal’s was the famous expert on Hadīth narrators known as Imam Abū Zakariyya Yahya Ibn Ma’īn (d. 233 AH). Imam Ibn Sayyid al-Nās (d. 734 AH) has claimed in the beginning of his Uyun al-Athar that Ibn Ma’īn did not permit any type of weak narration to be used in any matter. This claim does not seem to be accurately proven from Ibn Ma’īn as the following examples show.

Imam Abū Ahmed Ibn ʿAdī (d. 365 AH) has recorded the following in his al-Kāmil fi Du’afa al-Rijāl (10/216, Rushd edition) from Ibn Ma’īn on his standing on a weak type of narrator, and his narration being acceptable for raqā’iq type of narrations:

17241 -حَدثنا علي بن أحمد، حَدثنا ابن أبي مريم، سمعت يحيى بن مَعين يقول: أَبو معشر المدني ضعيف يكتب من حديثه الرقاق، وكان رجلاً أُميا يتقى أن يرْوَى من حديثه المسند

Ibn Ma’īn said: “Abu Ma’shar al-Madani is weak, but his ḥadīths on riqāq can be recorded. He was an illiterate man, and one should fear narrating his musnad Hadīths.”

Ibn ʿAdī has recorded the following also in his al-Kāmil fi Du’afa al-Rijāl (9/515):

15993 - حَدثنا علان، حَدثنا ابن أبي مريم، سألت يَحيى، عن موسى بن عبيدة الربذي؟ فقال: ضَعيف، إلا أنه يكتب من حديثه الرقاق

Ibn Ma’īn was asked about the narrator known as Musa ibn Ubayda al-Rabadhi and he said: “Weak (in Hadīth), except that his Hadīth on riqāq may be written down.”

The last narration was also recorded by Imam Abū Ja’far Al-Uqayli (d. 322 AH) in his Kitab al-Du’afa (4/1314).

Ibn ʿAdī has also recorded the following in his al-Kāmil fi Du’afa al-Rijāl (2/235):

2319 - حَدثنا علي بن أحمد بن سليمان، حَدثنا أحمد بن سعد بن أبي مريم، قال: سمعتُ يَحيى بن مَعين يقول: إدريس بن سنان يكتب من حديثه الرقاق

Ibn Ma’īn said about the narrator known as Idris ibn Sinan: “His Hadīth on riqāq may be written down.”

Idris ibn Sinan was declared to be overall weak by Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani in his Taqrib al-Tahdhib (no. 294)

Two more contemporaries to al-Khatib al-Baghdadi who touched on this matter were the two Huffāz of Hadīth, Abu Umar ibn Abd al Barr al-Maliki (d. 463 AH) and al-Bayhaqi (d. 458 AH).

Ibn Abd al-Barr said in his al-Tamhīd li-mā fī al-Muwaṭṭa’ min al-Maʿānī wa’l-Asānīd (1/127), after mentioning a narration via an unknown narrator named Abu Abdul Ghani:

وأهل العلم ما زالوا يسامحون أنفسهم في رواية الرغائب والفضائل عن كل أحد وإنما كانوا يتشددون في أحاديث الأحكام

Meaning:

“The People of Knowledge have always been tolerant in narrating reports on devout aspirations (al-raghā’ib) and virtues (al-faḍā’il) from everybody. They were stringent only on ḥadīths regarding legal rulings (Ahādīth al-Ahkām).”

Al-Bayhaqi reported the following from Imam Ahmed ibn Hanbal (d. 241 AH) in his Shu’ab al-Imān (3/428, no. 1914):

قَالَ أَحْمَدُ: " وَقَدْ رُوِيَ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فِي دُعَاءِ الْخَتْمِ حَدِيثٌ مُنْقَطِعٌ بِإِسْنَادٍ ضَعِيفٍ وَقَدْ تَسَاهَلَ أَهْلُ الْحَدِيثِ فِي قَبُولِ مَا وَرَدَ مِنَ الدَّعَوَاتِ وَفَضَائِلِ الْأَعْمَالِ، مَتَى مَا لَمْ تَكُنْ مِنْ رِوَايَةِ مَنْ يُعْرَفُ بِوَضْعِ الْحَدِيثِ أَوِ الْكَذِبِ فِي الرِّوَايَةِ "

Meaning:

“And a broken chained (munqati) Hadīth has been reported from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ on the supplication of completing (the Qur’an), with a weak (da’eef) chain of transmission. The People of Ḥadīth (Ahlul-Hadīth) have been lenient (tasāhala) in accepting what has appeared regarding devout supplications (al-da’awāt) and the virtuous actions (faḍā’il al-aʿmāl), as long as no one (in the isnād) was a known forger of Hadīth, or a liar in the narration.”

Imam Abu Amr ibn al-Salah (d. 643 AH) said in his famous Muqaddima (p. 98, Nurud-Din Itr edn) on Hadīth terminology:

اعْلَمْ أَنَّ الْحَدِيثَ الْمَوْضُوعَ شَرُّ الْأَحَادِيثِ الضَّعِيفَةِ، وَلَا تَحِلُّ رِوَايَتُهُ لِأَحَدٍ عَلِمَ حَالَهُ فِي أَيِّ مَعْنًى كَانَ إِلَّا مَقْرُونًا بِبَيَانِ وَضْعِهِ، بِخِلَافِ غَيْرِهِ مِنَ الْأَحَادِيثِ الضَّعِيفَةِ الَّتِي يُحْتَمَلُ صِدْقُهَا فِي الْبَاطِنِ، حَيْثُ جَازَ رِوَايَتُهَا فِي التَّرْغِيبِ وَالتَّرْهِيبِ، عَلَى مَا نُبَيِّنُهُ قَرِيبًا إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى

The above has been presented in the English edition under the title “An Introduction to the Science of Hadīth” (p. 77) as follows:

“The forged Hadīth is the fabricated, made-up Hadīth. Be aware that the forged Hadīth is the worst kind of the weak Hadīth. It is not permissible under any circumstance for someone who is aware that a Hadīth is forged to relate it, unless coupled with a declaration that it is forged. This is different from the other kinds of weak Hadīth - which may possibly be fundamentally truthful - in as much as it is permissible to transmit the other kinds of weak Hadīth to instill virtue and inspire fear (al-targhib wa-l-tarhib), as we will explain shortly, God (He is exalted) willing.”

Ibn al-Salah also said in his Muqaddima (p. 103):

يَجُوزُ عِنْدَ أَهْلِ الْحَدِيثِ وَغَيْرِهِمُ التَّسَاهُلُ فِي الْأَسَانِيدِ وَرِوَايَةِ مَا سِوَى الْمَوْضُوعِ مِنْ أَنْوَاعِ الْأَحَادِيثِ الضَّعِيفَةِ مِنْ غَيْرِ اهْتِمَامٍ بِبَيَانِ ضَعْفِهَا فِيمَا سِوَى صِفَاتِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى وَأَحْكَامِ الشَّرِيعَةِ مِنَ الْحَلَالِ وَالْحَرَامِ وَغَيْرِهَا. وَذَلِكَ كَالْمَوَاعِظِ، وَالْقِصَصِ، وَفَضَائِلِ الْأَعْمَالِ، وَسَائِرِ فُنُونِ التَّرْغِيبِ وَالتَّرْهِيبِ، وَسَائِرِ مَا لَا تَعَلُّقَ لَهُ بِالْأَحْكَامِ وَالْعَقَائِدِ. وَمِمَّنْ رُوِّينَا عَنْهُ التَّنْصِيصَ عَلَى التَّسَاهُلِ فِي نَحْوِ ذَلِكَ عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ مَهْدِيٍّ، وَأَحْمَدُ بْنُ حَنْبَلٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا.

The above has been presented in the English edition (p. 80) as follows:

“In the opinion of the scholars of Hadīth and others, some laxity is tolerated in the provision of isnāds and in the transmission of Hadīth from the various categories of weak Hadīth - with the exception of forged Hadīth - without bothering to explain their weakness. This applies in topics other than the characteristics of God (He is exalted) and legal rulings concerning the permitted and forbidden, and so forth.

It is valid, for instance, for sermons, stories, the descriptions of the rewards associated with the performance of various religious acts, the other types of Hadīth inspiring virtue and instilling fear, and the Hadīth on other matters having no connection to legal rulings and theological issues. ʿAbd al-Rahman b. Mahdi and Ahmad b. Hanbal (God be pleased with them) are some of those we heard from who totally forbade laxity in Hadīth like these.”

As for the last portion from the English translation of ibn al-Salah’s above work, the translator published it as: “Abd al-Rahman b. Mahdi and Ahmad b. Hanbal (God be pleased with them) are some of those we heard from who totally forbade laxity in Hadīth like these.”

What they forbade laxity on was acting on and using narrations to do with legal rulings (Ahkam al-Shari’a) which were not proven authentic. The same would apply to theological issues connected to creedal issues (aqa’id).

A better translation would be: “Among those from whom we narrate such a requirement of laxity on such matters are Abdur Rahman ibn Mahdi and Ahmed ibn Hanbal – May Allah be pleased with both of them."

Within this article, quotes have been provided earlier on from Ibn Mahdi and his student ibn Hanbal allowing laxity on acting on narrations to do with virtuous actions (faḍā’il al-aʿmāl) if the narrations are weak overall.

The above point from Ibn al-Salah was reported similarly by Imam Jalalud-Din al-Suyuti (d. 911 AH) in his Tahdhir al-Khawass (pp. 74-75), and straight after it al-Suyuti said:

وَقد أطبق على ذَلِك عُلَمَاء الحَدِيث فجزموا بِأَنَّهُ لَا تحل رِوَايَة الْمَوْضُوع فِي أَي معنى كَانَ إلا مَقْرُونا بِبَيَان وَضعه ، بِخِلَاف الضَّعِيف فإنه تجوز رِوَايَته فِي غير الْأَحْكَام والعقائد ، وَمِمَّنْ جزم بذلك : شيخ الإسلام محيي الدّين النَّوَوِيّ فِي كِتَابيه الإرشاد والتقريب ، وقاضي الْقُضَاة بدر الدّين ابْن جمَاعَة في المنهل الروي ، وَالطِّيبِي فِي الْخُلَاصَة ، وَشَيخ الإسلام سراج الدّين البُلْقِينِيّ فِي محَاسِن الِاصْطِلَاح ، وحافظ عصره الشَّيْخ زيد الدّين أَبُو الْفضل عبد الرَّحِيم الْعِرَاقِيّ فِي ألفيته وَشَرحهَا وَعبارَة الألفية

Meaning:

“On this the scholars of Hadīth correspond one and all, and they firmly assert that it is impermissible to relate a fabrication in any sense of any kind except together with the elucidation of its being fabricated, contrary to the weak Hadīth, which it is permitted to relate in other than legal rulings (ahkām) and creedal issues (aqā’id).

Amongst those who have positively affirmed this is Shaykh al-Islam Muhyud-Din al-Nawawi (d. 676 AH) in his two books, al-Irshād and al-Taqrīb; Qadi al-Qudāt Badrud-Din ibn Jama’ah (d. 733 AH) in al-Manhal al-Rāwi; al-Tībi (d. 743 AH) in al-Khulasa; Shaykh al-Islam Sirajud-Din al-Bulqini (d. 805 AH) in Mahāsin al-Istilah; and the Hadīth master (Hafiz) of his age, Shaykh Zaynud-Din Abul Fadl Abdur Rahim al-Iraqi (d. 806 AH) in his Alfiyya and its commentary.”

Imam al-Nawawi (d. 676 AH) said in his Kitab al-Adhkar (p. 8):

قال العلماءُ من المحدّثين والفقهاء وغيرهم: يجوز ويُستحبّ العمل في الفضائل والترغيب والترهيب بالحديث الضعيف ما لم يكن موضوعاً. وأما الأحكام كالحلال والحرام والبيع والنكاح والطلاق وغير ذلك فلا يُعمل فيها إلا بالحديث الصحيح أو الحسن

Meaning:

“The scholars from the Hadīth experts (muhaddithin), the jurisprudents (fuqaha) and others said: It is permitted and praiseworthy to act on (Hadīths on the) virtues (fada’il), exhortation to do good (targhib) and instilling fear (tarhib), with the weak (da’eef) Hadīth if it is not fabricated.

As for the legal rulings like the Halal (permitted) and Haram (forbidden), sale (of goods), marriage, divorce and other than that, one should not act on them except with authentic (Sahih) or good (Hasan) Hadīth.”

Imam al-Nawawi said in his al-Tarkhīs fi al-Ikram bi al-Qiyam li Dhawi al-Fadl wa al-Maziyya min Ahl al-Islam (pp. 17-18, 1st edition):

ولكن هذا الحديث من باب الفضائل ، وقد اتفق أهل الحَدِيث وَغَيرهم على الْعَمَل فِي الْفَضَائِل وَنَحْوهَا من القصص وشبهها مما ليس فيه حكم ولا شىء من العقائد وصفات ألله تعالى بالحديث الضعيف ، والله أعلم

Meaning:

“But this Hadīth is from the chapter on virtues, and the People of Hadīth (Ahlul-Hadīth) and others are agreed on the acting on such to do with virtues and so on, from stories which are like it, provided they are not to do with a legal ruling, and nothing from creedal beliefs and the Attributes of Allah most High, with weak Hadīth, and Allah knows best.”

Imam al-Nawawi said in his introduction to his well-known al-Arba’un al-Nawawiyya:

وقد اتفق العلماء على جواز العمل بالحديث الضعيف في فضائل الأعمال

Meaning:

“The scholars are agreed it is permissible to act on a weak (da’eef) Hadīth in virtuous actions (faḍā’il al-aʿmāl).”

Imam al-Nawawi said in his Fatāwa (p. 75, Kitab al Jana’iz) after mentioning a Hadīth on talqin (instructing the deceased Muslim)

وهو حديث ضعيف، ولكن يُستأنس به، وقد اتفق علماء الحديث وغيرهم على المسامحة في أحاديث الفضائل والترغيب والترهيب

Meaning:

“It is a weak (da’eef) Hadīth, but one feels content with it. The scholars of Hadīth and others agree on indulgence towards Ahadīth on virtues (al-Fada’il), exhortation and instilling fear.”

Imam al-Nawawi has also mentioned acting on weak Ahadīth for faḍā’il al-aʿmāl in various places of his al-Majmu Sharh al-Muhadhhab (see 2/94, 3/248 and 8/261). As part of a discussion on a Hadīth found in Sunan Abi Dawud, he said in al-Majmu (3/122):

فَهُوَ حَدِيثٌ ضَعِيفٌ لَكِنَّ الضَّعِيفَ يُعْمَلُ بِهِ فِي فَضَائِلِ الْأَعْمَالِ بِاتِّفَاقِ الْعُلَمَاءِ

“For it is a weak Hadīth, but the weak (Hadīth) is acted upon in faḍā’il al-aʿmāl (virtuous actions) by agreement of the scholars.”

Imam al-Nawawi also said in his al-Tibyān fi ādāb Hamalat al-Qur’an (p. 4):

واعلم أن العلماء من الحديث وغيرهم جوزوا العمل بالضعيف في فضائل الأعمال

Meaning:

“Know that the scholars of Hadīth and others permit acting on weak (Hadīth) in virtuous actions (faḍā’il al-aʿmāl).”

Imam al-Nawawi has also discussed the acting upon of weak Ahadīth on virtuous actions in his Sharh on Sahih Muslim known as al-Minhāj (see 1/125, 1st edition 1929 CE/1347 AH).

Al-Hafiz Zaynud-Din al-Iraqi (d. 806 AH) said in his poem on Hadīth terminology known as the Alfiyya:

255 - وَسَهَّلُوا في غَيْرِ مَوْضُوْعٍ رَوَوْا ... مِنْ غَيْرِ تَبْيِينٍ لِضَعْفٍ، وَرَأوْا

256 - بَيَانَهُ في الحُكْمِ وَالعَقَائِدِ ... عَنِ (ابنِ مَهْدِيٍّ) وَغَيْرِ وَاحِدِ

Meaning:

And they eased (the criteria) in narrating other than the forged narration
Without having to indicate its weakness, but this they consider
In explaining what pertains to legal judgements and doctrinal issues
As related from Ibn Mahdi and more than one (scholar of Hadīth)

Al-Iraqi mentioned the following in his own commentary to the Alfiyya that was published under the title Sharh al-Tabsira wa al-Tadhkira (1/325):

وأمّا غيرُ الموضوعِ فجوّزوا التساهُل في إسنادِهِ وروايتِهِ من غيرِ بيانٍ لضَعْفِهِ إذا كانَ في غيرِ الأحكامِ والعقائدِ. بلْ في الترغيبِ والترهيبِ، من المواعظِ والقصصِ، وفضائلِ الأعمالِ، ونحوِها. أما إذا كانَ في الأحكامِ الشرعيةِ من الحلالِ والحرامِ وغيرِهما، أو في العقائدِ كصفاتِ اللهِ تَعَالَى، وما يجوزُ ويستحيلُ عَلَيْهِ، ونحوِ ذلكَ، فَلَمْ يَرَوا التساهلَ في ذَلِكَ. وممَّنْ نصَّ عَلَى ذَلِكَ من الأئمةِ عبدُ الرحمنِ بنُ مهديٍّ، وأحمدُ بنُ حنبلٍ، وعبدُ اللهِ بنُ المباركِ، وغيرُهُمْ. وقدْ عقدَ ابنُ عديٍّ في مقدّمةِ " الكاملِ "، والخطيبُ في " الكفايةِ " باباً لذلكَ

Meaning:

“As for what is besides the fabricated narration, they permitted lenience in the chain of transmission and its transmission without explaining its weakness. That is, if it is besides that related to legal rulings (ahkām) and creedal beliefs, like in exhorting to do good and instilling fear (al-Targhib wal Tarhib), from preaching, stories, and virtuous actions (faḍā’il al-aʿmāl) and so on.

As for what is to do with Shari’a-based rulings from what is permitted (halal), forbidden (haram) and so on, or that to do with beliefs pertaining to the Attributes of Allah most High, it may be not possible to allow that, and so on. They did not see this lenience on that. As for the Imams who have a textual saying on this, they are Abdur Rahman ibn Mahdi, Ahmed ibn Hanbal, Abdullah ibn al-Mubarak and others from them. Ibn Adi and al-Khatib (al-Baghdadi) have a chapter on this in the introduction to al-Kāmil (fi Du’afa al-Rijāl) and in al-Kifāya (fi 'Ilm al-Riwāya) respectively.”

Note, in the earlier part of this article, the points from Ibn Mahdi, Ibn Hanbal and ibn al-Mubarak have all been provided. The last quote was also mentioned with similar wording by al-Hafiz al-Sakhawi (d. 902 AH) in his commentary on the above-named Alfiyya under the title, Fath al-Mugith (1/349), as well as by Imam Ibn al-Wazir (d. 840 AH) in his Tanqīḥ al-anẓār fī maʿrifat ʿulūm al-āthār (pp. 185-186)

Imam Ali al-Qāri al-Hanafi (d. 1014 AH) said in his al-Asrar al-Marfu’a (no. 434) after mentioning the weakness of a narration on wiping the neck during ablution:

وَالضَّعِيفُ يُعْمَلُ بِهِ فِي فَضَائِلِ الْأَعْمَالِ اتِّفَاقًا وَلَذَا قَالَ أَئِمَّتُنَا إِنَّ مَسْحَ الرَّقَبَةِ مُسْتَحَبٌّ أَوْ سُنَّةٌ

Meaning:

“And the weak Hadīth is put into practice by agreement in virtuous actions (faḍā’il al-aʿmāl). Hence our (Hanafi) Imams said that wiping the neck is desirable or a Sunna.”

Ali al-Qāri also mentioned in his Mirqāt al-Mafātih (2/806, no. 1019):

لِأَنَّ غَايَتَهُ أَنَّهُ كَالضَّعِيفِ، وَهُوَ يُعْمَلُ بِهِ فِي فَضَائِلِ الْأَعْمَالِ اتِّفَاقًا

Meaning:

“For its end result is like that of the weak (hadith), and it is acted upon in virtuous actions (faḍā’il al-aʿmāl) by agreement”

He also quoted his teacher (Imam Ibn Hajar al-Haytami) as saying, in his Mirqāt al-Mafātih (3/880, no. 1144) about a broken chained (munaqti) narration which is technically weak (da’eef), the following point:

قَالَ ابْنُ حَجَرٍ: رَوَاهُ التِّرْمِذِيُّ بِسَنَدٍ مُنْقَطِعٍ وَمَعَ ذَلِكَ يُعْمَلُ بِهِ فِي فَضَائِلِ الْأَعْمَالِ

Meaning:

“Ibn Hajar said: ‘Al-Tirmidhi related it with a broken chain (munqati) of transmission; with that, it may be acted upon in virtuous actions (faḍā’il al-aʿmāl).’”

He also said in Mirqāt al-Mafātih (3/895):

مَعَ أَنَّهُمْ أَجْمَعُوا عَلَى جَوَازِ الْعَمَلِ بِالْحَدِيثِ الضَّعِيفِ فِي فَضَائِلِ الْأَعْمَالِ

Meaning:

“With that, they agreed on the permissibility to act on a weak Hadīth in virtuous actions (faḍā’il al-aʿmāl).”

He also quoted his teacher Ibn Hajar as saying in his Mirqāt al-Mafātih (3/969):

لَكِنْ يَعْمَلُ بِالْحَدِيثِ الضَّعِيفِ فِي فَضَائِلِ الْأَعْمَالِ بِاتِّفَاقِ الْعُلَمَاءِ

“But a weak Hadīth is acted on in virtuous actions (faḍā’il al-aʿmāl) by agreement of the scholars (ittifaq al-ulama).”

He also said in his Mirqāt al-Mafātih (4/1603, no. 2313):

إِسْنَادُهُ ضَعِيفٌ، لَكِنْ يُعْمَلُ بِهِ فِي فَضَائِلِ الْأَعْمَالِ

“Its chain of transmission is weak, but it is acted upon in virtuous actions (faḍā’il al-aʿmāl).”

He also said in Mirqāt al-Mafātih (8/3117, no. 4976):

وَعَلَى تَقْدِيرِ ضَعْفِهِ يُعْمَلُ بِهِ فِي فَضَائِلِ الْأَعْمَالِ إِجْمَاعًا

“And on assessment of its weakness, it is acted upon in virtuous actions (faḍā’il al-aʿmāl) by agreement (ijma).”

There are several more examples where Ali al-Qāri spoke about the permissibility to act on weak narrations in virtuous actions in his Mirqāt al-Mafātih.

Indeed, Imam ibn Hajar al-Haytami (d. 974 AH) mentioned in his al-Fatawa al-Hadīthiyya (p. 132) while answering a question with regard to Imam al-Nawawi’s Kitab al-Adhkar, the following with regard to acting on certain types of weak narrations connected to virtuous actions:

لأن الحديث الضعيف والمرسل والمعضل والمنقطع يعمل به في فضائل الأعمال اتفاقا بل إجماعا على ما فيه

Meaning:

“Because the weak (da’eef) Hadīth, the mursal, mu’dal, munqati, are acted upon in virtuous actions (faḍā’il al-aʿmāl) by agreement (ittifaq), rather by consensus (ijma) upon it.”

The ruling of al-Hafiz ibn Hajar al-Asqalani (d. 852 AH) on acting on weak Ahadīth for faḍā’il al-aʿmāl was mentioned by his student, al-Hafiz al-Sakhawi (d. 902 AH) in his al-Qawl al-Badi‘ fi al-Salat wa al-Salam ‘ala [al-Habib] al-Shafi‘ (p. 255) as part of the following discussion:

قال شيخ الإسلام أبو زكريا النووي - رحمه الله - في الأذكار قال العلماء من المحدثين والفقهاء وغيرهم يجوز ويستحب العمل في الفضائل والترغيب والترهيب بالحديث الضعيف ما لم يكن موضوعاً وأما الأحكام كالحلال والحرام والبيع والنكاح والطلاق وغير ذلك فلا يعمل فيها إلا بالحديث الصحيح أو الحسن إلا أن يكون في احتياط في شيء من ذلك كما إذا أورد حديث ضعيف بكراهة بعض البيوع أو الأنكحة فإن المستحب أن يتنزه عنه ولكن لا يجب، انتهى.

وخالف ابن العربي المالكي في ذلك فقال إن الحديث الضعيف لا يعمل به مطلقاً وقد سمعت شيخنا مراداً يقول وكتبه لي بخطه أن شرائط العمل بالضعيف ثلاثة، الأول متفق عليه أن يكون الضعف غير شديد فيخرج من انفرد من الكذابين والمتهمين بالكذب ومن فحش غلطه، الثاني أن يكون مندرجاً تحت أصل عام فيخرج ما يخترع بحيث لا يكون له أصل أصلاً، الثالث أن لا يعتقد عند العمل به ثبوته لئلا ينسب إلى
النبي - صلى الله عليه وسلم - ما لم يقله قال والأخيران عن ابن السلام وعن صاحبه ابن دقيق العيد والأول نقل العلائي الإتفاق عليه،

قلنا وقد نقل عن الإمام أحمد أنه يعمل بالضعيف إذا لم يوجد غيره ولم يكن ثم ما يعارضه وفي رواية عنه ضعيف الحديث أحب إلينا من رأى الرجال

Meaning:

“Shaykh al-Islam Abu Zakariyya al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy upon him) said in the (Kitab) al-Adhkar:

‘The scholars from the experts of Hadīth and the jurisprudents and others have said it is permitted and praiseworthy that acts on virtuous actions (faḍā’il al-aʿmāl), exhortation to good and deterrence from evil (al-targhib wa al-tarhib) be based (even) on weak Hadīth so long as it is not fabricated (mawdu`). As for legal rulings (ahkâm) such as what is allowed (halal), and what is forbidden (haram), trade, marriage, divorce and other than that: one's practice is not based upon anything other than authentic (sahih) or good (hasan) Hadīth, except as a precaution in some issue related to one of the above, for example, if a weak (da’eef) Hadīth was mentioned about the abhorrence (karahat) of certain kinds of trades or marriages. In such circumstances what is recommended is to avoid such trades and marriages, but it is not obligatory."

Disagreeing with this, ibn al-‘Arabi al-Maliki said:

‘Absolutely no practice is based on weak Hadīth.’

I have heard my Shaykh (al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani) maintain on the following, and he put it to me in writing himself:

‘The conditions for acting on weak Hadīth are three:

The first is unanimously agreed upon: that the weakness must not be very severe (ghayr shadid). This eliminates the narrations singly recorded by liars, or those accused of lying, and those who make gross errors.

The second is that there be a general legal basis for it. This eliminates what is made up and has no legal basis to start with.

Thirdly, that one not consider, while acting on the basis of it, that it has been established as true. This is in order that no words which the Prophet did not say be ascribed to him.’

(Ibn Hajar said further):

‘The last two conditions are from Ibn Abd al-Salam and his companion Ibn Daqiq al-Eid. Abu Sa’eed al-Ala'i reported agreement over the first condition.’

I say (al-Sakhawi): It has been conveyed from Imam Ahmed (ibn Hanbal) that one may act on a weak Hadīth if there is no other Hadīth to that effect, and also if there is no Hadīth that opposes it. In one account, he is reported to have said: ‘I prefer weak Hadīth better than the opinion of men.’" End of quote.

Note that the third point that al-Sakhawi quoted from Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani was also elucidated by the latter in his Tabyīn al-ʿajab bi-mā warada fī faḍl Rajab (p. 3)

Al-Hafiz ibn Hajar al-Asqalani headed a section in his al-Matalib al-Aliyya (12/659) with the following title:

بَابُ الْعَمَلِ بِالْحَدِيثِ الضَّعِيفِ فِي فَضَائِلِ الْأَعْمَالِ

Meaning:

“Chapter on acting on weak Hadīth with regard to virtuous actions (faḍā’il al-aʿmāl).”

One may see an example of where ibn Hajar stated that a weak Hadīth on the virtue of the town of Asqalan was considered to fall under the faḍā’il al-aʿmāl genre in his al-Qawl al-Musaddad (p. 27, Hadīth no. 8).

Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani narrated a Hadīth in his al-Amāli al-Mutlaqa (p. 134) and after mentioning the agreed upon weakness of a narrator by the name of Uthman Ibn Abdur Rahman Ibn Umar ibn Sa’d Ibn Abi Waqqas, he said:

وَقَدْ رَخَّصُوا فِي رِوَايَةِ الْحَدِيثِ الضَّعِيفِ فِي فَضَائِلِ الْأَعْمَالِ

Meaning:

“And they permitted the narration of weak Hadīth on virtuous actions (faḍā’il al-aʿmāl).”

Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani has also left behind a Forty Hadīth collection known as al-Arba`un fi rad’ al-mujrim ‘an sabb al-muslim (40 Hadīths on deterring the criminal to not abuse a fellow Muslim), and within it are some narrations that have been considered to be weak by later scholars.

This trend of narrating weak Hadīths on either virtuous actions (faḍā’il al-aʿmāl), exhorting to do good and instilling fear (al-Targhib wa al-Tarhib), or heart softening narrations (raqā’iq or riqāq) can also be seen in a number of Forty Hadīth collections by other scholars.

As for what was mentioned about Abu al-`Arabi al-Maliki above, then this seems to be Qadi Abu Bakr ibn al-‘Arabi (d. 543 AH), who wrote a commentary on Jami al-Tirmidhi with the title Aridat al-Ahwadhi Sharh Sunan at-Tirmidhi. His position on not acting upon any weak Hadīth in all circumstances was also mentioned by Imam al-Suyuti in his Tadrib al-Rawi (1/351). Despite what has been ascribed to Ibn al-‘Arabi, he too has allowed acting on some type of weak narrations.

In his Aridat al-Ahwazi (10/205) while mentioning the chain presented by al-Tirmidhi containing an unknown narrator (majhul) he said:

وإن كان مجهولا فإنه يستحب العمل به لأنه دعاء بخير

“Although its (chain has an) unknown narrator, it is preferable to act upon it because it is a supplication (du’a) for well-being.”

This example serves to show that he accepted acting on a technically weak narration, as the chain that has an unknown reporter (majhul) is considered weak in essence.

To conclude, the vast majority of scholars in Sunni Islam have allowed action upon weak narrations not connected to legal rulings or creedal matters, with certain stipulations. One must also mention that primarily one should act on the authentically narrated reports connected to any matter of the Islamic teachings, and if the need arises to act on weak narrations connected to virtuous actions then it is done so on a secondary basis. The common Muslim should look to when they may act upon such weak narrations based on the rulings of authoritative scholars of Hadith and jurisprudence (fiqh). The brother, Abu Humayd, has given some examples in what follows.

Peace and blessings be upon our Master Muhammad.

Abul Hasan
Darul-Tahqiq
London
August 2015/Shawwal 1436 AH

الأجوبة الصريحة لمن أنكر الأحاديث الضعيفة

Clear cut answers for those who reject weak ah̩ãdĩth
Compiled by Abu Humayd

There is a general view from the majority of the ’Ulamã' that acting upon weak ah̩ãdĩth on the topic of virtues is permitted whilst only a handful disagree with them[1][2]. However, saying that, acting upon weak narrations has been met with three conditions[3] as mentioned by the H̩ãfiz̩; Ibn H̩ajar al-’Asqalãnĩ رحمه الله [d. 852 AH], although some could argue that quite a few scholars were less stringent in their conditions of accepting weak narratives on the topic of fadhã'il[4], but for brevity's sake we will stick to the conditions laid out by the H̩ãfiz̩.

There will follow a few examples (the examples will be limited to just give an insight) of some virtuous deeds that meet the conditions laid forth, these examples will be of those that are frequently regurgitated in discussions by the opponents because of their weakness. This should afford us the opportunity to also take into consideration acting upon them (those ah̩adĩth narrated via weak narrators related to the topic of fadhã'il al-a’mãl) - or whether we choose not to act on them - at the least, should not condemn those who do take the initiative in acting upon them.

This will also work to flush out those who make the claim to accept weak narrations that meets the criteria, (but) in reality will expose their lip-service as will be made clear with the examples given. To proceed, the three conditions (shurũt̩) are as follows:

1. The h̩adĩth should not be severely weak (dhu’f shadĩd), to the extent that it contains liars (kãz̩ibĩn) in the chain, or those accused of lying (muttaham bil-kaz̩ib)or even those whose mistakes are very severe (fah̩ish al-ghalat̩).

This first point excludes the following types of narrators:

Those who are majhul [unknown; details of narrators that are not found and those of whom neither have appraisals or criticisms].
Narrators who are generally dha'if [weak; slight weakness in memorisation (hifz) or having less precision (dhabt) in relaying the texts].
It also excludes narrations where there is inqita' in the isnãd [chain] or narrations which are mursal.

وصلى الله على سيدنا محمد

[1] Shaykh al-Islãm, Imãm al-Nawawĩ رحمه الله [d. 676 AH] mentions this in his Majmũ' Sharh̩ al-Muhaz̩z̩ab (3/227):

وقد قدمنا اتفاق العلماء على العمل بالحديث الضعيف في فضائل الأعمال دون الحلال والحرام ، وهذا من نحو فضائل الأعمال

[2] Amongst those who were vocal against even acting upon weak narratives completely [mutlaqan] - even for virtuous actions - was Imãm Ibn al-’Arabĩ رحمه الله [d. 543 AH] as mentioned in Tadrĩb al-Rãwĩ (1/252):

لا يجوز العمل بالحديث الضعيف مُطلقاً لا في فضائل الأعمال ولا في غيرها

[3] This was related by the H̩ãfiz̩ al-Sakhãwĩ رحمه الله [d. 902 AH], who heard his teacher H̩ãfiz̩ Ibn H̩ajar al-’Asqalãnĩ as mentioned in his book al-Qawl al-Badĩ’ (pg. 195):

وقال الحافظ السخاوي:

سمعت شيخنا مراراً يقول: (يعني الحافظ ابن حجر العسقلاني) – وكتبه لي بخطه - إن شرائط العمل بالضعيف ثلاثة:

الأول: متفق عليه، أن يكون الضعف غير شديد فيخرج من انفرد من الكذابين والمتهمين بالكذب ومن فحش غلطه .

الثاني: أن يكون مندرجاً تحت أصل عام ، فيخرج ما يخترع بحيث لا يكون له أصل أصلاً .

الثالث: أن لا يعتقد عند العمل به ثبوته لئلا ينسب إلى النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم ما لم يقله.

[4] H̩ãfiz̩ Ibn al-S̩alãh̩ رحمه الله [d. 643 AH] in his Muqaddamah (2/310), points out a very general condition that weak hadith cannot be used for h̩ukm or it's like, ’aqã'id or Allãh's sifãt rather only for virtuous actions, according to the consensus of the Scholars:

أجمع أهل الحديث وغيرهم على العمل في الفضائل ونحوها مما ليس فيه حكم ولا شيء من العقائد وصفات الله تعالى بالحديث الضعيف في فضائل الأعمال

Similar report was narrated by the Imãm of the Ahl al-Sunnah Ah̩mad Ibn H̩anbal رحمه الله [d. 241 AH] as related in al-Qawl al-Musaddad (pg. 11) of Ibn H̩ajar al-’Asqalãnĩ, that narrations relating to H̩alãl and H̃arãm he would be more critical in it's analysis, where as if it related to virtuous deeds he would be easy on it's analysis of the chain:

وقد ثبت عن الإمام أحمد وغيره من الأئمة أنهم قالوا : إذا روينا في الحلال والحرام شددنا ، وإذا روينا في الفضائل ونحوها تساهلنا

Indeed, as Ibn H̩ajar mentions others from the a'immah held the same opinion, one of them being the great traditionalist ’Abd al-Rah̩mãn Ibn Mahdĩ رحمه الله [d. 198 AH] as related in the Mustadrak of al-H̩ãkim (2/160 #1844):

عبد الرحمن بن مهدي ، يقول : إذا روينا ، عن النبي صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم في الحلال ، والحرام ، والأحكام ، شددنا في الأسانيد ، وانتقدنا الرجال ، وإذا روينا في فضائل الأعمال والثواب ، والعقاب ، والمباحات ، والدعوات تساهلنا في الأسانيد

[5] Sunan Ibn Mãjah (1181)

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الصَّبَّاحِ , حَدَّثَنَا عَائِذُ بْنُ حَبِيبٍ , عَنْ صَالِحِ بْنِ حَسَّانَ , عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ كَعْبٍ الْقُرَظِيِّ , عَنْ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ , قَالَ : قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : " إِذَا دَعَوْتَ اللَّهَ , فَادْعُ بِبُطُونِ كَفَّيْكَ , وَلَا تَدْعُ بِظُهُورِهِمَا , فَإِذَا فَرَغْتَ , فَامْسَحْ بِهِمَا وَجْهَكَ "

[6] Jami al-Tirmiz̩ĩ (3386)

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مُوسَى مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى وَإِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ يَعْقُوبَ , وَغَيْرُ وَاحِدٍ ، قَالُوا : حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادُ بْنُ عِيسَى الْجُهَنِيُّ ، عَنْ حَنْظَلَةَ بْنِ أَبِي سُفْيَانَ الْجُمَحِيِّ ، عَنْ سَالِمِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ ، عَنْ عُمَرَ بْنِ الْخَطَّابِ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ ، قَالَ : " كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِذَا رَفَعَ يَدَيْهِ فِي الدُّعَاءِ لَمْ يَحُطَّهُمَا حَتَّى يَمْسَحَ بِهِمَا وَجْهَهُ "

[7] Sunan Abĩ Dãwũd (1492)

حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ ، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ لَهِيعَةَ ، عَنْ حَفْصِ بْنِ هَاشِمِ بْنِ عُتْبَةَ بْنِ أَبِي وَقَّاصٍ ، عَنْ السَّائِبِ بْنِ يَزِيدَ ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ " كَانَ إِذَا دَعَا فَرَفَعَ يَدَيْهِ مَسَحَ وَجْهَهُ بِيَدَيْهِ "

[8] Bulũgh al-Marãm, Ibn H̩ajar al-’Asqalãnĩ (pg. 264), and his words are:

وله شواهد منها حديث ابن عباس عند أبي داود ومجموعها يقتضي أنه حديث حسن

[9] Mus̩annaf of ’Abd al-Razzãq (3234/3235)

عن معمر عن الزهري قال : كان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يرفع يديه عند صدره في الدعاء ثم يمسح بهما وجهه

قال عبد الرزاق : وربما رأيت معمرا يفعله وأنا أفعله

[10] Jami al-Tirmiz̩ĩ (3372)

حدثنا أحمد بن منيع حدثنا مروان بن معاوية عن الأعمش عن ذر عن يسيع عن النعمان بن بشير عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال الدعاء هو العبادة

[11] Tafsĩr Ibn Kathĩr (7/85)

قال : ( ألا لله الدين الخالص ) أي : لا يقبل من العمل إلا ما أخلص فيه العامل لله ، وحده لا شريك له

[12] Sunan Abĩ Dãwũd (113)

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عِيسَى ، وَمُسَدَّدٌ ، قَالَا : حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْوَارِثِ ، عَنْ لَيْثٍ ، عَنْ طَلْحَةَ بْنِ مُصَرِّفٍ ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ ، عَنْ جَدِّهِ ، قَالَ : " رَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَمْسَحُ رَأْسَهُ مَرَّةً وَاحِدَةً حَتَّى بَلَغَ الْقَذَالَ وَهُوَ أَوَّلُ الْقَفَا "

[13] Mentioned in Tah̩fat al-T̩alabah fĩ Tah̩qĩq Mas-h̩ ’alã al-Raqabah, Imãm ’Abd al-H̩ayy al-Laknawĩ (pg. 11):

روى الديلمى فى مسند الفردوس من حديث ابن عمر رضى الله تعالى عنهما مسح الرقبة امان من الغل يوم القيامة

[14] al-Mu’jam al-Kabĩr (10/59 #118)

حدثنا بشر بن موسى ، ثنا محمد بن حجر بن عبد الجبار بن وائل الحضرمي حدثني عمي سعيد بن عبد الجبار ، عن أبيه ، عن أمه أم يحيى ، عن وائل بن حجر قال : " حضرت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم وقد أتي بإناء فيه ماء ، فأكفأ على يمينه ثلاثا ، ثم غمس يمينه في الإناء فأفاض بها على اليسرى ثلاثا ، ثم غمس اليمنى في الماء فحفن حفنة من ماء فتمضمض بها واستنشق ، واستنثر ثلاثا ، ثم أدخل كفيه في الإناء فحمل بهما ماء فغسل ، وجهه ثلاثا ، وخلل لحيته ، ومسح باطن أذنيه ، ثم أدخل خنصره في داخل أذنه ، ليبلغ الماء ، ثم مسح رقبته

[15] al-Talkhĩs̩ al-H̩abĩr, Ibn H̩ajar al-’Asqalãnĩ (1/163-164)

عن عبد الرحمن بن مهدي ، عن المسعودي ، عن القاسم بن عبد الرحمن ، عن موسى بن طلحة قال : { من مسح قفاه مع رأسه وقي الغل يوم القيامة }.

[16] Ibid.

قلت : فيحتمل أن يقال : هذا وإن كان موقوفا فله حكم الرفع ، لأن هذا لا يقال من قبل الرأي ، فهو على هذا مرسل

[17] Tah̩fat al-T̩alabah fĩ Tah̩qĩq Mas-h̩ ’alã al-Raqabah, Imãm ’Abd al-H̩ayy al-Laknawĩ (pg. --):

والحقُّ في هذا البابِ ما اختارَهُ أولو الألباب من أَنَّهُ مستحبٌّ، مَن فعلَهُ أحسنَ، ومَن لم يفعلْهُ لا بأس عليه.والأحاديثُ الواردةُ فيه وإن كانت ضعيفةً ،لكنها تكفي لإثبات الفضيلةِ

[18] S̩ah̩ĩh Muslim 368:

وحَدَّثَنِي هَارُونُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ الأَيْلِيُّ ، حَدَّثَنِي ابْنُ وَهْبٍ ، أَخْبَرَنِي عَمْرُو بْنُ الْحَارِثِ ، عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ أَبِي هِلَالٍ ، عَنْ نُعَيْمِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ، " أَنَّهُ رَأَى أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ يَتَوَضَّأُ ، فَغَسَلَ وَجْهَهُ وَيَدَيْهِ حَتَّى كَادَ يَبْلُغُ الْمَنْكِبَيْنِ ، ثُمَّ غَسَلَ رِجْلَيْهِ حَتَّى رَفَعَ إِلَى السَّاقَيْنِ ، ثُمَّ قَالَ : سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ، يَقُولُ : إِنَّ أُمَّتِي يَأْتُونَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ غُرًّا مُحَجَّلِينَ مِنْ أَثَرِ الْوُضُوءِ ، فَمَنِ اسْتَطَاعَ مِنْكُمْ أَنْ يُطِيلَ غُرَّتَهُ ، فَلْيَفْعَلْ "

[19] Ibid.

[20] This was mentioned by H̩ãfiz̩, Ibn Daqĩq al-’Ĩd رحمه الله [d. 702 AH] in his Ih̩kãm al-Ih̩kãm Sharh̩ ’Umdat al-Ah̩kãm (1/96) under the narration of Abũ Hurayrah رضي الله عنه:

وفي الرجلين : بغسل بعض الساقين وليس في الحديث تقييد ولا تحديد لمقدار ما يغسل من العضدين والساقين . وقد استعمل أبو هريرة الحديث على إطلاقه وظاهره في طلب إطالة الغرة فغسل إلى قريب من المنكبين .

ولم ينقل ذلك عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم ولا كثر استعماله في الصحابة والتابعين رضي الله عنهم فلذلك لم يقل به كثير من الفقهاء

[21] Sunan Abĩ Dãwũd (1273)

حَدَّثَنَا سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْحَمِيدِ الْبَهْرَانِيُّ ، قَالَ : قَرَأْتُهُ فِي أَصْلِ إِسْمَاعِيلَ يَعْنِي ابْنَ عَيَّاشٍ ، حَدَّثَنِي ضَمْضَمٌ ، عَنْ شُرَيْحٍ ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو ظَبْيَةَ ، أَنَّ أَبَا بَحْرِيَّةَ السَّكُونِيّ حَدَّثَهُ ، عَنْ مَالِكِ بْنِ يَسَارٍ السَّكُونِيِّ ثُم الْعَوْفِيّ ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ، قَالَ : " إِذَا سَأَلْتُمُ اللَّهَ فَاسْأَلُوهُ بِبُطُونِ أَكُفِّكُمْ وَلَا تَسْأَلُوهُ بِظُهُورِهَا " . قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُد : وقَالَ سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْحَمِيدِ : لَهُ عِنْدَنَا صُحْبَةٌ ، يَعْنِي مَالِكَ بْنَ يَسَارٍ .

[22] al-Mu’jam al-Kabĩr (21092)

حَدَّثَنَا سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ الْحَسَنِ الْعَطَّارُ ، قَالَ : حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو كَامِلٍ الْجَحْدَرِيُّ ، قَالَ : حَدَّثَنَا الْفُضَيْلُ بْنُ سُلَيْمَانَ ، قَالَ : حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ أَبِي يَحْيَى ، قَالَ : رَأَيْتُ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ الزُّبَيْرِ ، وَرَأَى رَجُلًا رَافِعًا يَدَيْهِ يَدْعُو قَبْلَ أَنْ يَفْرَغَ مِنْ صَلاتِهِ ، فَلَمَّا فَرَغَ مِنْهَا ، قَالَ : " إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لَمْ يَكُنْ يَرْفَعُ يَدَيْهِ ، حَتَّى يَفْرَغَ مِنْ صَلاتِهِ "

[23] Majma’ al-Zawã'id, H̩ãfiz̩ Nũr al-Dĩn al-Haythamĩ (10/22 #17345):

رواه الطبراني ، وترجم له فقال : محمد بن أبي يحيى الأسلمي ، عن عبد الله بن الزبير ، ورجاله ثقات

[24] Full name of the work; al-Ah̩ãdĩth al-Jiyãd al-Mukhtãrah min mã laysa fĩ S̩ah̩ĩh̩ayn, H̩ãfiz̩ Dhiyã' al-Dĩn al-Maqdisĩ (3165)

وَبِهِ أبنا وَبِهِ أبنا سُلَيْمَانُ الطَّبَرَانِيُّ ، ثنا سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ الْحَسَنِ الْعَطَّارُ ، ثنا أَبُو كَامِلٍ الْجَحْدَرِيُّ ، ثنا الْفَضْلُ بْنُ سُلَيْمَانَ ، ثنا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ أَبِي يَحْيَى ، قَالَ : رَأَيْتُ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ الزُّبَيْرِ ، وَرَأَى رَجُلا رَافِعًا يَدَيْهِ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَفْرُغَ مِنْ صَلاتِهِ ، فَلَمَّا فَرَغَ مِنْهَا ، قَالَ : إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لَمْ يَكُنْ يَرْفَعُ يَدَيْهِ حَتَّى يَفْرُغَ مِنْ صَلاتِهِ

[25] Tafsĩr Ibn Kathĩr (2/392)

وقال ابن أبي حاتم : حدثنا أبي ، حدثنا أبو معمر المقري حدثنا عبد الوارث ، حدثنا علي بن زيد ، عن سعيد بن المسيب ، عن أبي هريرة : أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم رفع يده بعدما سلم ، وهو مستقبل القبلة فقال : " اللهم خلص الوليد بن الوليد ، وعياش بن أبي ربيعة ، وسلمة بن هشام ، وضعفة المسلمين الذين لا يستطيعون حيلة ولا يهتدون سبيلا من أيدي الكفار "

[26] Tuh̩fat al-Awh̩az̩ĩ, Muh̩ammad Ibn ’Abd al-Rah̩mãn al-Mubãrakfũrĩ (1/172):

قلت : وفي سند هذا الحديث علي بن زيد بن جدعان وهو متكلم فيه .

[27] Sunan Abĩ Dãwũd (1105)