Fabricated Tafsir Attributed to Ibn Abbas on Raf al-Yadayn

The command of Allah Almighty is: ﴿‏ الَّذِينَ هُمْ فِي صَلَاتِهِمْ خَاشِعُونَ﴾
“And those who are humbly submissive in their prayers.”

Some people say that in the explanation of this noble verse, Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Abbas Radi Allahu Anhuma states: ولا يرفعون أيديهم فى الصلوة “And they do not raise their hands in prayer.”

Some people translate the above phrase as:
“Those who do not raise their hands during prayers.”

It is stated that this entire tafsir is fabricated and forged; it is not established from Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas Radi Allahu Anhuma at all.
At the beginning of this tafsir, the following chain of narration is written:

أخبرنا عبدالله الثقة ابن المأمور الهروي قال : أخبرنا أبى قال: أخبرنا أبو عبدالله قال أخبرنا أبو عبيد الله محمود بن محمد الرازي قال : أخبرنا عمار بن عبدالمجيد الهروي قال: أخبرنا على بن إسحاق السمرقندي عن محمد بن مروان عن الكلبي عن أبى صالح عن ابن عباس قال

The two main narrators of this chain of narration of this tafsir, ➊ Muhammad ibn Marwan al-Suddi and ➋ Muhammad ibn al-Sa’ib al-Kalbi, are both liars.

The following are some statements of the Muhaddithin about Muhammad bin Marwan Al-Suddi:
① Imam Bukhari said: سكتوا عنه He is abandoned.

لا يكتب حديثه البتة، His hadith is never recorded.

② Yahya bin Ma’in said: ليس بثقة He is not trustworthy.

③ Abu Hatim Razi said: هو ذاهب الحديث، متروك الحديث، لا يكتب حديثه البتة He is weak in hadith, abandoned, and his hadith is never recorded.

④ An-Nasa’i said: يروي عن الكلبي، متروك الحديث He narrates from Kalbi, he is abandoned in hadith.

⑤ Ya’qub bin Sufyan Al-Faris said: وهو ضعيف غير ثقة

⑥ Ibn Hibban said: كان ممن يروي الموضوعات عن الأثبات، لا يحل كتابة حديثه إلا على جهة الإعتبار ولا الإحتجاج به بحال من الأحوال He narrated fabricated hadiths from trustworthy narrators, but without them, it is not permissible to write his narration. Under no circumstances is it permissible to take proof from him.

⑦ Ibn Numeir said: He is a liar.

Note that in Al-Du’afaa Al-Kabir, by mistake, Ibn Numeir was printed as Ibn Nasir.
⑧ Hafiz Haithami said: وهو متروك

أجمعوا على ضعفه There is consensus on his weakness.

⑨ Hafiz Dhahabi said: كوفي متروك متهم

⑩ Hafiz Ibn Hajar said: متهم بالكذب

According to the Deobandi circle, the contemporary “Imam Ahl al-Sunnah” Sarfaraz Khan Safdar Sahib writes: “And listen to the condition of Muhammad bin Marwan Al-Suddi Al-Sagheer.”
Imam Bukhari states that his narration can never be recorded.

And Imam Nasa’i says that he is abandoned in hadith.

Allama Dhahabi writes that the great Muhaddithin have abandoned him and some have even accused him of lying. Imam Ibn Ma’in says he is not trustworthy. Imam Ahmad says that he abandoned him. Ibn ‘Adi states that lying is clearly evident in his narration.

Imam Bayhaqi says he is abandoned.

Hafiz Ibn Kathir says he is completely abandoned.

Allama Subki writes that he is weak.

Allama Muhammad Tahir writes that he is a liar.

Jarir bin Abdul Hamid says he is a liar, Ibn Numeir says he is worthless, Ya’qub bin Sufyan says he is weak, Saleh bin Muhammad says he was weak و كان يضع (he used to fabricate hadiths himself). Abu Hatim says he is abandoned in hadith and his hadith can never be recorded.

➊ The same author writes elsewhere:
Sufi Sahib, following his elders, has presented narrations well but they are not beneficial because “Suddi” is worthless in the science of hadith narration. Imam Ibn Ma’in says there is weakness in his narration. Imam Jowzjani says هو كذاب شتام He was a great liar and fabricator. Imam Tabari says that it is not correct to take proof from his narration. For further discussion on this narration see Izalat Al-Rayb. No issue can be established from these lifeless and weak narrations.

➋ Sarfaraz Sahib writes in another book:
Suddi’s name is Muhammad bin Marwan… Imam Ahmad says that he completely abandoned him (It is surprising that a hadith critic like Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal abandons his narration, yet Maulvi Naeemuddin Sahib and his group rely on his narration…)

➌ The same author writes in another book:
“Suddi is a liar and fabricator.”

Al-Sagheer’s name is Muhammad bin Marwan. Imam Jarir bin Abdul Hamid says he is a liar and Saleh bin Muhammad says he used to fabricate hadiths. Other Muhaddithin also severely criticize him. Honestly, what religious issue can be established or proven from the narration of such a liar narrator?

Sarfaraz Khan Safdar Deobandi writes:
“You people are holding onto Suddi’s tail and may this be your blessing.”

Sarfaraz Khan Sahib further says:
You have taken refuge in the house of “Suddi the liar” through Khazin, which is enough for your “scholarly disgrace” and this “stain” will always shine on your forehead.

Warning: In the present era, those who argue against raising hands in supplication using the book “Tafsir Ibn Abbas” have, according to Sarfaraz Khan Safdar Sahib, been holding onto Suddi’s tail and this stain of disgrace is shining on their foreheads.

The following are some statements of the honorable hadith scholars regarding Muhammad bin Al-Saib, Abu Al-Nadr Al-Kalbi:
① Sulayman Al-Taymi said: كان بالكوفة كذابان أحدهما الكلبي There were two liars in Kufa, one of them was Kalbi.

② Qarah bin Khalid said: كانوا يرون أن الكلبي يرزف يعني يكذب People used to think that Kalbi lied.

③ Sufyan Al-Thawri said: Kalbi told us that whatever is narrated from me through the chain from Abu Salih from Ibn Abbas, it is false, do not narrate it.

④ Yazid bin Zurai said: Kalbi was a Sabayi.

⑤ Muhammad bin Mehran said, Kalbi’s tafsir is false.

⑥ Juz Jani said: كذاب ساقط

⑦ Yahya bin Ma’in said: ليس بشيء Kalbi is nothing.

⑧ Abu Hatim Al-Razi said: الناس مجتمعون على ترك حديثه، لا يشتغل به، هو ذاهب الحديث There is consensus among people on abandoning his hadith. Do not waste time with him; he is discarded in hadith.

⑨ Hafiz Ibn Hajar said: المفسر متهم بالكذب ورمي بالرفض

⑩ Hafiz Al-Dhahabi said: ”تركوه“ (Hadith scholars) have abandoned him.

Regarding Kalbi, Sarfaraz Khan Sahib wrote:
Listen to the condition of Kalbi as well… Kalbi’s full name is Muhammad bin Al-Saib bin Bishr Abu Al-Nadr Al-Kalbi. Imam Mu’tamir bin Sulayman narrates from his father that there were two major liars in Kufa, one of them was Kalbi, and Laith bin Abi Sulaym said that there were two major liars in Kufa, one Kalbi and the other Sadi. Imam Ibn Ma’in says that ليس بشي, Imam Bukhari states that Imam Yahya and Ibn Mahdi completely abandoned his narration. Imam Ibn Mahdi said that Abu Juz said: I testify that Kalbi is a disbeliever. When I mentioned this to Yazid bin Zurai, he also said that he heard the same from them that أشهد أنه كافر. When I asked the reason for his disbelief, they said:

يقول كان جبرائيل يوحي إلى النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم فقام النبى لحاجته وجلس على فأوحي إلى علي

Kalbi says that Angel Jibril (Gabriel) used to bring revelation to the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم. Once, the Prophet stood up for some need and Hazrat Ali رضي الله عنه sat in his place, so Jibril عليه السلام sent revelation to him.

(This means Angel Jibril عليه السلام did not recognize the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم as the recipient and source of revelation and mistakenly delivered the revelation to Hazrat Ali رضي الله عنه, thinking him to be the Messenger… and Allah knows best what mistakes this forgetful Jibril عليه السلام might have made and to whom else he might have sent revelation. It is also unknown what he might have said to Hazrat Ali رضي الله عنه in that secret revelation; perhaps it was the revelation of the caliphate without division whispered into Hazrat Ali’s ear. There must be some truth to it. After all, Kalbi’s statement cannot be without reason, and according to Kalbi’s theory, it is possible that Angel Jibril عليه السلام mistakenly heard the name of Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم in the first revelation and the intended person was someone else, possibly Hazrat Ali رضي الله عنه. After all, one of Kalbi’s brothers also holds this view that:
When Jibril came from the Creator without any doubt,
He came before Muhammad but the intended was Ali.

May Allah protect us, I seek forgiveness from Allah, Kalbi has turned Angel Jibril عليه السلام, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم, and revelation into a drama and a game, may Allah protect us. In fact, Kalbi himself said that whenever I narrate any hadith from Abu Salih from Ibn Abbas رضي الله عنهما, فهو كذب (it is false). Imam Abu Hatim says that all the great hadith scholars agree that his hadith is abandoned. Presenting any narration from him is not correct. Imam Nasai says he is not trustworthy and his narration cannot be recorded. Ali bin Al-Junaid, Hakim Abu Ahmad, and Darqutni say his hadith is abandoned. Juz Jani says he is a liar and rejected. Ibn Hibban says his narration is clearly false and cannot be used as evidence. Saji says he is abandoned and very weak because he was an extremist Shia. Hafiz Abu Abdullah Al-Hakim says he narrated false hadiths from Abu Salih. Hafiz Ibn Hajar writes:

وقد اتفق ثقات أهل النقل على ذمه وترك الرواية عنه فى الأحكام والفروع

All the trustworthy scholars agree on condemning him and also agree that none of his narrations in rulings and jurisprudence are acceptable.

And Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal said that Kalbi’s tafsir from beginning to end is all false and it is not permissible to read it.

And Allama Muhammad Tahir Al-Hanafi writes that the weakest narration in the science of tafsir is Kalbi from Abu Salih from Ibn Abbas and فإذا انضم إليه محمد بن مروان السدي الصغير فهي سلسلة الكذب

and in this narration both lions are gathered in goodness.

Also see

The third narrator in this chain, Abu Salih Bazam, is weak.

① Abu Hatim al-Razi said: يكتب حديثه ولا يحتج به

② Nasai said: ضعيف كوفي

③ Bukhari mentioned him in Kitab al-Du’afaa.

④ Hafiz Zahbi said: ” ضعيف الحديث “

⑤ Hafiz Ibn Hajar said: ضعيف يرسل

Some scholars have also authenticated Bazam mentioned above, but this authentication is rejected in comparison to the criticism of the majority of Muhaddithin.
Regarding the chain of transmission of Tanweer al-Miqbas, Hafiz Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti writes:

وأوهى طرقه طريق الكلبي عن أبى صالح عن ابن عباس فإن انضم إلى ذلك رواية محمد بن مروان السدي الصغير فهي سلسلة الكذب

Among all the chains, the weakest chain is ” الكلبي عن أبى صالح عن ابن عباس رضي الله عنه“, and if Muhammad ibn Marwan al-Suddi al-Saghir is also found in the chain of this narration, then this chain is called “Silsilat al-Kadhib” (Chain of Lies).

It should be noted that this chain of transmission is a chain of lies up to Abu Salih ”الصحابة كلهم عدول رضي الله عنهم “. All the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) are all just; this is a general rule. However, it is necessary that the narrators after them be just, trustworthy, and truthful; this is also a general rule.
From this detail, it is clear that this Tafsir (Tanweer al-Miqbas) is not established from Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them), rather it is a fabricated Tafsir by Muhammad ibn Marwan al-Suddi and Kulabi, which they falsely attributed to Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them).
Note: The raising of hands before and after Ruku’ is established from Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them).
Abu Hamza (Imran ibn Abi Ata al-Asadi, Tabi’i), may Allah have mercy on him, said that رأيت ابن عباس يرفع يديه إذا افتتح الصلوة وإذا ركع وإذا رفع رأسه من الركوع I saw (Sayyiduna) Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them) raising his hands at the beginning of the prayer, before Ruku’, and when rising from Ruku’.

This narration is also present in Masa’il al-Imam Ahmad

, Musannaf Abdul Razzaq

, and Juz’ Raf’ al-Yadain by Bukhari

.
Tawus (a Tabi’i) said that he saw Abdullah ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them) raising his hands in prayer.

Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas raising hands in prayer is clear evidence that raising hands in prayer is not against humility and submissiveness.
Note: This subject is also seen in the Okaraavi translation and style of reasoning of this Tafsir.