Research: On the Authenticity of the Narration about the Black Banners from Khurasan
Question:
A narration states:
“When you see black banners emerge from the direction of Khurasan, join that army, even if you have to go crawling over the ice, for in that army will be Mahdi, the last caliph of Allah.”
Answer:
الحمد لله، والصلاة والسلام علىٰ رسول الله، أما بعد!
Its chain of narration and its presence in the books:
This narration is transmitted through the following chain:
“عن سُفْيَانَ الثَّوْرِيِّ، عن خَالِدٍ الْحَذَّاءِ، عن أبي قِلَابَةَ، عن أبي أَسْمَاءَ الرَّحَبِيِّ، عن ثَوْبَانَ”
and it is found in the following books:
➊
➋
– al-Hakim declared it authentic according to the conditions of the two Shaykhs (Bukhari and Muslim), and al-Dhahabi agreed.
➌
➍
– Comment: “Abd al-Razzaq alone narrated it from al-Thawri”
➎
The status of the narrator “Sufyan al-Thawri”:
Imam Sufyan al-Thawri (may Allah have mercy on him) was a meticulous imam, but he was also a well-known mudallis.
Statements of the muhaddithun:
✿ Abu Zur’ah ibn al-Iraqi: “Famous for tadlis”
✿ Ibn al-‘Ajami and al-Suyuti: “Famous as such”
✿ Hafiz Ibn Hibban (may Allah have mercy on him): Only the narrations of those mudallis narrators are accepted as evidence who explicitly state hearing (sama’), such as Sufyan al-Thawri, al-A’mash, Abu Ishaq, etc.
✿ Ayni Hanafi: “The ‘an’ narration of a mudallis is not evidence unless the hearing is explicitly stated”
✿ Ibn al-Turkmani Hanafi: While criticising a narration, he said that it has three defects, one of which is that Sufyan al-Thawri is a mudallis and narrated it with “an”.
📌 The present narration also lacks an explicit statement of hearing, therefore the narration is da’if.
Furthermore, in light of some evidences, it is also incorrect to count Sufyan al-Thawri among the second tier of mudallisin.
The second marfu’ narration from Sayyidina Thawban (may Allah be pleased with him):
“إذا رأيتم الرايات السود خرجت من قبل خراسان فأتوها ولو حبوا، فإن فيها خليفة الله المهدي”
✿ This narration is mawquf, meaning it is a statement of a companion, and its chain is hasan li-dhatihi.
✿ The narrator Abd al-Wahhab ibn ‘Ata’ has explicitly stated hearing (sama’).
✿ Yahya ibn Abi Talib is muwaththaq according to the majority, and is regarded as a narrator of hasan al-hadith.
The lengthy narration from Sayyidina Abdullah ibn Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him):
✿ The mention of black banners is present.
✿ Books of hadith:
✿ Narrator: Yazid ibn Abi Ziyad al-Kufi – according to the majority he is da’if.
A fabricated narration in al-Mustadrak lil-Hakim (4/464, h 8434):
✿ Imam al-Dhahabi said: “Hadha mawdu'” – meaning this narration is fabricated, and it is not permissible to narrate it.
The narration attributed to Sayyidina Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him):
✿ Narrator: Rishdin ibn Sa’d – according to the majority he has been declared da’if.
Kitab al-Fitan (Nu’aym ibn Hammad al-Marwazi):
✿ This book contains many da’if and rejected narrations and reports.
Summary of the research:
✿ This narration is not established as marfu’ from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
✿ However, it is established as mawquf from Sayyidina Thawban (may Allah be pleased with him), i.e., as a statement of the companion.
ما عندي والله أعلم بالصواب
