Appointing a Leader During Travel: Weak Hadith, Ibn Mas‘ud’s Statement, and the Truth About Paper Organizations

Introduction

الحمد لله، والصلاة والسلام علىٰ رسول الله، أما بعد!

Five mursal ahadith have been narrated regarding leadership during travel (i.e., appointing one person as a leader), however, none of these ahadith are proven to be authentic. Below is a detailed analytical research of these narrations.

Hadith:

“حَدَّثَنَا حَسَنٌ، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ لَهِيعَةَ، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ هُبَيْرَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي سَالِمٍ الْجَيْشَانِيِّ ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: “لا يَحِلُّ أَنْ يَنْكِحَ الْمَرْأَةَ بِطَلاقِ أُخْرَى، وَلا يَحِلُّ لِرَجُلٍ أَنْ يَبِيعَ عَلَى بَيْعِ صَاحِبِهِ حَتَّى يَذَرَهُ، وَلا يَحِلُّ لِثَلاثَةِ نَفَرٍ يَكُونُونَ بِأَرْضِ فَلاةٍ إِلاَّ أَمَّرُوا عَلَيْهِمْ أَحَدَهُمْ”

It is narrated from (Sayyiduna) Abdullah bin Amr bin Al-As (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
It is not permissible for three men living in a wilderness or desert except that they appoint one among themselves as a leader; that is, it is not permissible for them to live without a leader.

Analytical Research:

◈ Narrator: Ibn Lahi’ah, who was afflicted with confusion.
◈ Grade of the chain: Weak, because the narration is after the confusion.
◈ Investigation: The mentioned narration from Ibn Lahi’ah was transmitted by Hasan bin Musa Al-Asha’ib, whose hearing before the confusion is not established.
❀ Sheikh Al-Albani, may Allah have mercy on him, also declared this narration weak.

Hadith:

“ثنا أَبُو مُحَمَّدٍ الْقَاسِمُ بْنُ مَالِكٍ الْمُزَنِيُّ، عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ وَهْبٍ، قَالَ: قَالَ عُمَرُ بْنُ الْخَطَّابِ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ: «إِذَا كَانَ نَفَرٌ ثَلاثَةٌ فَلْيُؤَمِّرُوا أَحَدَهُمْ ذَاكَ أَمِيرٌ أَمَّرَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ”

Sayyiduna Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, said: If there are three people, appoint one as an Amir. This is the Amir whom the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, appointed.

Analytical Investigation:

◈ Narrator: Sulayman bin Mihran Al-A’mash, who is a mudallis (one who practices tadlis).
◈ Method of narration: With “an” (عن), meaning without explicit hearing.
◈ Grade of the chain: Weak

Principles regarding narrators who are mudallis:

➊ If there is explicit hearing: then the narration can be sahih or hasan.
➋ If it is among the two Sahihs (Bukhari and Muslim): then the narration is accepted.
➌ If narrated with “an” from non-Sahih narrators: then the narration is weak.

Hadith:

“محمد بن عجلان فرواه مرة عن نافع عن أبي سلمة عَنْ ‏أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ ‏: ‏أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ‏صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ‏قَالَ ‏: ‏إِذَا خَرَجَ ثَلَاثَةٌ فِي سَفَرٍ فَلْيُؤَمِّرُوا أَحَدَهُمْ “

It is narrated from (Sayyiduna) Abu Saeed Al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: When three people set out on a journey, appoint one of them as a leader.

Scholarly Analysis:

◈ Narrator: Muhammad bin Ajlan, who is a mudallis (one who practices tadlis).
◈ Chain of narration method: From ‘an.
◈ Grade of the chain: Weak

Hadith:

‏ “محمد بن عجلان فرواه مرة عن نافع عن أبي سلمة عَنْ ‏أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ‏: ‏أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ ‏: ‏إِذَا كَانَ ثَلَاثَةٌ فِي سَفَرٍ فَلْيُؤَمِّرُوا أَحَدَهُمْ “

It is narrated from (Sayyiduna) Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: If three people set out on a journey, appoint one of them as a leader.

Scholarly Analysis:

◈ Narrator: Muhammad bin Ajlan (mudallis), narrated from ‘an, therefore the chain is weak.

Second chain:

“عَن أَبِي سَلَمَة ، عَن أَبِي هُرَيرة ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِذَا سَافَرْتُمْ فَلْيَؤُمَّكُمْ أَقْرَؤُكُمْ ، وَإِنْ كَانَ أَصْغَرَكُمْ ، وَإِذَا أَمَّكُمْ فَهُوَ أَمِيرُكُمْ”

When you travel, your greatest reciter should lead you in prayer, even if he is the youngest. When he becomes your Imam, he is your leader.

◈ Narrator: Muhammad bin Jamil Jundi, unknown status.
◈ Grade of chain: Weak

Hadith:

“حَدَّثَنَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ الْمُسْتَمِرِّ، ثنا عُبَيْسُ بْنُ مَرْحُومٍ، ثنا حَاتِمُ بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَجْلانَ، عَنْ نَافِعٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ، ‏: ‏أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ ‏: ‏إِذَا كَانَ ثَلَاثَةٌ فِي سَفَرٍ فَلْيُؤَمِّرُوا أَحَدَهُمْ”

It is narrated from (Sayyiduna) Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: When there are three people on a journey, appoint one of them as the leader.

◈ Narrator: Muhammad bin Ajlan (mudallis)
◈ Grade of chain: Weak

Summary of Research:

◈ All Marfu’ Ahadith about appointing a leader during travel are weak, therefore it is not correct to declare it obligatory or Sunnah.
◈ Collecting weak narrations and trying to make them Hasan Lighairihi is merely wishful thinking.
◈ The principle of research is:
❀ A weak narration remains weak even if it has many chains.
❀ A Sahih narration remains Sahih even if it has only one chain.

Narration:

“حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيٌّ، أنا شُعْبَةُ، عَنْ أَبِي إِسْحَاقَ، عَنْ أَبِي الأَحْوَصِ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ: «إِذَا كُنْتُمْ ثَلاثَةً فِي سَفَرٍ، فَأَمِّرُوا أَحَدُكُمْ، وَلا يُنَاجِ الرَّجُلُ الرَّجُلَ دُونَ صَاحِبِهِ”

(Sayyiduna) Abdullah (bin Masood, may Allah be pleased with him) said: If you are three people traveling, then appoint one as the leader.

Research Analysis:

◈ The chain of narration is authentic
◈ It indicates that appointing a leader during travel is permissible.

Important Warning:

◈ The concept of paper organizations and self-appointed leadership, whereby some individuals form an organization or party and declare themselves “leader” and demand allegiance from the public, is based on misunderstanding and deception.
◈ These individuals exploit traditions related to the Caliphate and the supreme leadership for their own purposes.
◈ The statement of Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal, may Allah have mercy on him:

“تجھے کیا پتا ہے کہ امام کسے کہتے ہیں؟ جس پر تمام مسلمانوں کا اجماع ہو جائے، ہر آدمی یہی کہے کہ یہ امام (خلیفہ) ہے۔”

Conclusion:

◈ Appointing someone as a leader during travel is permissible but neither obligatory nor Sunnah according to Shariah.
◈ All mursal hadiths are weak, and only permission is established through mursal effect.
◈ Paper leadership and groups are deception and innovation in religion under the name of Shariah.
◈ Muslims need to be cautious of these organizations.