Darimi

Some people can be heard stating that during the tragedy of Harrah (63 AH), the call to prayer (adhan) was heard from the blessed grave of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. The authenticity or inauthenticity of any incident, event, or tragedy can be determined by its chain of transmission (isnad). May Allah have mercy on the noble hadith scholars (muhaddithin rahimahumullah), who, in the light of the Qur’an and Sunnah, established just and fair principles for scrutinizing chains of transmission, and then recorded the details of the narrators of these chains in books. This method of verifying the corpus of narrations is a distinguishing feature of Islamic heritage. There is no parallel to this in other religions.

Whether it is the books of hadith or those of biography and history, the scholars have fulfilled their responsibility by mentioning their chains of transmission in them. Now it is up to those who come after them to consider these principles and the details of the narrators when assessing authenticity or to blindly present every narration they find that suits their interests.

Below, the narration regarding the adhan being heard from the Prophet’s grave during the tragedy of Harrah is presented with all its chains and commentary. Judge for yourself!

Narration No.: ➊

SA Sa’id ibn Abd al-Aziz Tanukhi rahimahullah (d. 90 AH) narrates:

«لما كان أيام الحرة لم يؤذن فى مسجد النبى صلى اللہ عليه وسلم ثلاثا، ولم يقم، ولم يبرح سعيد بن المسيب المسجد، وكان لا يعرف وقت الصلاة، إلا بهمهمة، يسمعها من قبر النبى صلى اللہ عليه وسلم .»

“During the tragedy of Harrah, for three days there was neither adhan nor iqamah in the Prophet’s Mosque. During those days, Imam Sa’id ibn al-Musayyib rahimahullah was residing in the Prophet’s Mosque itself. He would know the time for prayer only from the voice that was heard from the blessed grave of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.” [مسند الدارمي : 44/1] EA
SH Commentary: EH

Its chain is “disconnected” (inqita’), thus it is “weak” (da’if).
The tragedy of Harrah occurred long before the birth of the narrator, Sa’id ibn Abd al-Aziz Tanukhi rahimahullah. Furthermore, Sa’id ibn Abd al-Aziz rahimahullah never met Imam Sa’id ibn al-Musayyib rahimahullah. The incident of Harrah took place in 63 AH, and Imam Sa’id ibn al-Musayyib rahimahullah died in 94 AH, while Sa’id ibn Abd al-Aziz rahimahullah was born in 90 AH.
Moreover, Imam Sa’id ibn al-Musayyib rahimahullah died in Madinah, while Sa’id ibn Abd al-Aziz rahimahullah was born in Syria. So how is it possible that Sa’id ibn Abd al-Aziz rahimahullah heard this narration directly from Sa’id ibn al-Musayyib rahimahullah? It is not known from whom he heard this. Therefore, due to this disconnection, the narration is “weak.”

Narration No.: ➋

SA Imam Ibn Sa’d rahimahullah has narrated this incident as follows:

«أخبرنا محمد بن عمر، قال : حدثني طلحة بن محمد بن سعيد، عن أبيه، قال : كان سعيد بن المسيب أيام الحرة فى المسجد،...، قال : فكنت إذا حانت الصلاة أسمع أذانا يخرج من قبل القبر، حتٰي أمن الناس .»

“Imam Sa’id ibn al-Musayyib rahimahullah was residing in the Prophet’s Mosque during the days of the tragedy of Harrah... He narrates that whenever the time for adhan would come, I would hear the adhan from the Prophet’s grave. This continued until peace was restored.” [الطبقات الكبرٰي : 132/5] EA
SH Commentary: EH

This is a fabricated story, because in its chain:

➊ Muhammad ibn Umar al-Waqidi is considered “weak” (da’if) and “abandoned” (matruk) by the majority of the hadith scholars.

➋ The second narrator, Talhah ibn Muhammad ibn Sa’id, is “unknown” (majhul).

◈ About him, Imam Abu Hatim rahimahullah says:

«لا اعرف» “I do not know him.” [الجرح والتعديل لابن أبي حاتم : 486/4]

➌ The third narrator, Muhammad ibn Sa’id ibn al-Musayyib, has been declared “acceptable” (maqbul, i.e., unknown status) by Hafiz Ibn Hajar rahimahullah. [تقريب التهذيب : 5913]

Imam Ibn Hibban rahimahullah mentioned him in his book [الثقات 421/7], but no reliable imam has authenticated him.

➌ In [الطبقات الکبری لابن سعد(131/5)], [تاریخ ابن ابی خیثمہ(2011)], [دلائل النبوۃ لابی نعیم الاصبہانی(510)], and [مثیر العزم الساکن لابن الجوزی(476)], the chain mentioned includes the narrator Abd al-Hamid ibn Sulayman al-Madani, who is considered “weak” by the majority of hadith scholars. Regarding him:

◈ Imam Yahya ibn Ma’in rahimahullah says:

«ليس بشيئ .» “He is a worthless narrator.” [تاريخ ابن معين برواية العباس الدوري : 160/3]

◈ Imam Ali ibn al-Madini rahimahullah declared him “weak.” [سؤالات ابن أبي شيبة لعليّ المديني : 117]

◈ Imam Abu Zur’ah al-Razi rahimahullah says:

«ضعيف الحديث .» “The hadith he narrates is weak.” [الجرح والتعديل لابن أبي حاتم : 14/6]

◈ Imam Abu Hatim al-Razi rahimahullah says:

«ليس بقوي .» “He is not strong at all.” [الجرح والتعديل لابن أبي حاتم : 14/6]

◈ Imam al-Daraqutni rahimahullah mentioned him in [كتاب الضعفاء والمتروكين351].

◈ Imam Ya’qub ibn Sufyan al-Fasawi rahimahullah included him among those narrators whose narrations are not worthy of attention, and then says that he heard from his fellow hadith scholars that they call him “weak.” [المعرفة والتاريخ : 150/3]

◈ Imam al-Nasa’i rahimahullah also declared him “weak.” [كتاب الضعفاء والمتروكين : 397]

◈ Imam Ibn Hibban rahimahullah says:

«لا شيئ .» “He is good for nothing.” [الثقات : 5927]

◈ Hafiz Ibn Hajar rahimahullah also declared him “weak.” [تقريب التهذيب : 3764]

In the face of this majority criticism by the hadith scholars, the statements of Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal rahimahullah «مَا أَرٰي بِهٖ بَأْسًا» [العلل : 194] and Imam Ibn ‘Adi rahimahullah «وهو ممن يكتب حديثه» [الكامل : 319/5] cannot establish his reliability.

Narration No.: ➍

SA Hafiz Abu ‘Abdullah Muhammad ibn Mahmood Ibn Najjar rahimahullah (578–643 AH) narrates:

«أنبأنا ذاكر بن كامل بن أبي غالب الخفاف، فيما أذن لي فى روايته عنه، قال : كتب إلى أبو على الحداد، عن أبي نعيم الـأصبهاني، قال : أنبأنا جعفر بن محمد بن نصير : أخبرنا أبو يزيد المخزومي : أخبرنا الزبير بن بكار : حدثنا محمد بن الحسن (بن زبالة) : حدثني غير واحد منهم، عن عبد العزيز بن أبي حازم، عن عمر بن محمد، أنه لما كان أيام الحرة ترك الـأذان فى مسجد رسول اللہ صلى اللہ عليه وسلم ثلاثة أيام، وخرج الناس إلى الحرة، وجلس سعيد بن المسيب فى مسجد رسول اللہ صلى اللہ عليه وسلم، قال : فاستوحشت، فدنوت من قبر النبى صلى اللہ عليه وسلم، فلما حضرت الصلاة، سمعت الـأذان فى قبر النبى صلى اللہ عليه وسلم .»

“During the days when the incident of Harrah occurred, there was no adhan in the Prophet’s Mosque for three days. People had gone out towards Harrah, but Sa’id ibn al-Musayyib rahimahullah was sitting in the Prophet’s Mosque. He narrates: I began to feel lonely, so I went near the blessed grave of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. When the time for prayer came, I heard the adhan from the blessed grave.” [الدرّة الثمينة فى أخبار المدينة، ص : 159] EA
SH Commentary: EH

This is a blatant lie. Its narrator, Muhammad ibn Hasan ibn Zubalah al-Makhzumi, was a “liar” (kadhdhab) and an enthusiast for fabricating hadith.

Regarding him:

➊ Imam Yahya ibn Ma’in rahimahullah says:

«ليس بثقة، كان يسرق الحديث، كان كذابا، ولم يكن بشيئ .» ?
“He was not trustworthy, he used to steal hadith, he was a liar and a worthless person.” [تاريخ ابن معين برواية العباس الدوري : 511,510/2]

➋ Imam Abu Hatim al-Razi rahimahullah says:

«واهي الحديث، ضعيف الحديث، منكر الحديث، عنده مناكير، وليس بمتروك الحديث .»

“The hadith he narrates are weak, feeble, and rejected. He has strange and odd narrations, but he is not abandoned in hadith.” [الجرح والتعديل لابن أبي حاتم : 228/7]

➌ Imam al-Nasa’i rahimahullah says:

«متروك الحديث .»
“The hadith scholars have abandoned his narrations.” [كتاب الضعفاء والمتروكين : 535]

➍ Imam Abu Zur’ah al-Razi rahimahullah says:

«وهو واهي الحديث .»
“The hadith he narrates is weak.” [الجرح والتعديل : 228/7]

➎ Imam al-Daraqutni rahimahullah also declared him “abandoned” (matruk). [سؤالات البرقاني للدارقطني : 427]

➏ Imam Ibn Hibban rahimahullah says:

«كان يسرق الحديث، ويروي عن الثقات ما لم يسمع منهم، من غير تدليس منهم .»

“He used to steal hadith and would narrate from reliable narrators, without tadlis, narrations which he had not heard from them.” [المجروحين : 275/2]

➐ Hafiz Ibn Hajar rahimahullah says:

«كذبوه .» “According to the hadith scholars, this person was a liar.” [تقريب التهذيب : 8515]

◈ He also says:
«متفق علٰي ضعفه .»

“All the hadith scholars agree on his weakness.” [فتح الباري : 298/11]

↰ This narrator is steeped in criticism; not a single word of authentication is established for him. These are the only four chains in the world regarding the adhan being heard from the Prophet’s grave, and you have seen their condition. The foundation of religion is the chain of transmission; when the chains of a story are false and unreliable, narrating it is an attempt to spread falsehood. Some people derive their beliefs from narrations based on false chains. Consider the following:

SA ◈ The famous philosopher, Janab Zafar Ahmad Uthmani, Deobandi (d. 1369 AH), writes:

«إن النبى صلى اللہ عليه وسلم حي،...، وإنه يصلي فى قبره بأذان وإقامة .»

“Without doubt, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam is alive... and he performs prayer in his blessed grave with adhan and iqamah.” [فتح الملهم : 419/3] EA
The belief that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam performs prayer in his grave with adhan and iqamah is absolutely not established.

You have already seen the reality of the narrations about the adhan from the Prophet’s grave. An exaggerated belief about the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam has been fabricated without reason.

SA ◈ The Shaykh al-Hadith of Darul Uloom Deoband, Janab Anwar Shah Kashmiri, Deobandi (1292–1352 AH), says:

«إن كثيرا من الـأعمال قد تثبت فى القبور كأذان والإقامة عند الدارمي، وقرائ ة القرآن عند الترمذي .»

“Many actions are established in the graves, as in Sunan al-Darimi adhan and iqamah are established, and in Sunan al-Tirmidhi the recitation of the Qur’an.” [فيض الباري : 183/1] EA
The status of the narration in al-Darimi has already been clarified; now consider the narration in al-Tirmidhi:

SA ◈ The following statement is attributed to Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Abbas radi Allahu anhuma:

«ضرب بعض أصحاب النبى صلى اللہ عليه وسلم خبائ ه علٰي قبر، وهو لا يحسب أنه قبر، فإذا فيه إنسان يقرأ سورة ﴿تبارك الذى بيده الملك﴾ حتٰي ختمها، فأتي النبى صلى اللہ عليه وسلم، فقال : يا رسول اللہ ! إني ضربت خبائي علٰي قبر، وأنا لا أحسب أنه قبر، فإذا فيه إنسان يقرأ سورة تبارك الملك، حتٰي ختمها، فقال رسول اللہ صلى اللہ عليه وسلم : هي المانعة، هي المنجية، تنجيه من عذاب القبر .»

“A Companion unknowingly pitched his tent over a grave. In it, a man was reciting Surah al-Mulk. He recited the entire surah. The Companion came to the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and said: O Messenger of Allah! I unknowingly pitched my tent over a grave, and in it a man was reciting Surah al-Mulk; he recited the whole surah. Upon this, the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: Surah al-Mulk prevents punishment from its reciter and saves him from the punishment of the grave.” EA
SH Commentary: EH
Its chain is extremely “weak,” because:

➊ Its narrator Yahya ibn Amr ibn Malik al-Nakari is “weak.” Regarding him:

◈ Imam Ibn Hibban rahimahullah says:

«كان منكر الرواية عن أبيه .»

“He used to narrate rejected (munkar) narrations from his father.” [المجروحين : 114/3]

The above narration is also narrated by Yahya ibn Amr from his father, so this is a detailed criticism. This narrator has also been declared “weak” by Imam Yahya ibn Ma’in, Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Imam Abu Zur’ah al-Razi, Imam al-Nasa’i, Imam al-Daraqutni [كتاب الضعفاء والمتروكين : 850] and others.

The statement attributed to Imam al-Daraqutni rahimahullah «صويلح يعتبر به» about him is not established.

Hafiz Ibn Hajar rahimahullah has also declared him “weak.” [تقريب التهذيب : 7614]

➋ Yahya ibn Amr’s father, Amr ibn Malik al-Nakari (hasan al-hadith), narrates this from Abu al-Jawza’, and his narration from Abu al-Jawza’ is “not preserved” (ghayr mahfuz). [تهذيب التهذيب لابن حجر : 336/1]

This was the evidence of Kashmiri Sahib, and you have seen its outcome. How can it be permissible to make an unestablished narration the basis of one’s belief? Counterfeit coins are of no use. The foundation of religion and belief is only authentic hadith.

Conclusion: It is not established that the adhan was heard from the Prophet’s grave at the time of the incident of Harrah; no narration on this subject reaches the level of proof. Therefore, narrating this story and deriving rulings from it is not in accordance with goodwill towards the religion of Islam.