Tirmidhi

SA Question: Respected Hafiz Sahib! Regarding the hadith about the repayment of debt:
«اللهم اكفني بحلالك عن حرامك واغنني بفضلك عمن سواك» — both your teacher, Hafiz Zubair Ali Zai rahimahullah, and you yourself have graded it as hasan in the research of Hisn al-Muslim. However, a scholar has told me that this narration is weak. What is the actual situation? Please guide me. Jazak Allahu khayran.

EA Answer: The narration you are asking about is transmitted in Sunan al-Tirmidhi (3563), Musnad Ahmad (153/1, no. 1319), Musnad al-Bazzar (al-Bahr al-Zakhar 2/185, no. 563), al-Mustadrak lil-Hakim (1/538), al-Mukhtarah lil-Maqdisi (489), Kitab al-Du‘a’ lil-Tabarani (1042), al-Da‘awat al-Kabir lil-Bayhaqi (303), and others.

There is no doubt that this narration was considered hasan by our respected teacher, Hafiz Zubair Ali Zai rahimahullah, and I (the writer) have also written “its chain is hasan,” as mentioned in Hisn al-Muslim. After your question, I re-examined the matter and found that in the chain of this narration, it is not ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Ishaq al-Madani, but rather ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Ishaq al-Kufi al-Wasiti, who is well-known to be weak.

In Sunan al-Tirmidhi, its chain is as follows:
«حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، أَخْبَرَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ حَسَّانَ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ إِسْحَاق، عَنْ سَيَّارٍ، عَنْ أَبِي وَائِلٍ، عَنْ عَلِيٍّ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ»
Abu Mu‘awiyah al-Darir Muhammad ibn Hazim is present, and among his teachers is ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Ishaq al-Kufi. Similarly, among the teachers of Ibn Ishaq al-Kufi, the name Sayyar ibn Abi al-Hakam is found, whereas among the students and teachers of Ibn Ishaq al-Madani, there is no mention of Abu Mu‘awiyah al-Darir or Sayyar ibn Abi al-Hakam. This makes it clear that this is ‘Abd al-Rahman al-Kufi al-Wasiti, who is considered weak in hadith by the majority. Therefore, it is not permissible to use this narration as evidence.

Both my respected teacher rahimahullah and I, being human, made this error. May Allah have mercy on us, for no human is free from error. Safety lies in immediately turning to the truth when one becomes aware of one’s mistake or error. Therefore, in my view, this narration is now weak.

© There is a supporting narration (shahid) for this hadith in Amali Ibn Bishran (565), but it is weak due to the presence of Muhammad ibn Zakariyya al-Ghallali and Abu al-Husayn ‘Abd al-Baqi ibn Qani‘, who are weak narrators. Therefore, it is also not correct to use this as evidence. «والله اعلم»

© Removal of a misunderstanding
SA It is mentioned in al-Mukhtarah and other sources that this is ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Ishaq al-Qurashi, and he is trustworthy (thiqah), so then this narration would be authentic.

EA The response is that merely identifying him as al-Qurashi is questionable because:

Imam Ibn ‘Adi rahimahullah has also referred to ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Ishaq al-Wasiti (the weak narrator) as al-Qurashi. See: [الكامل لابن عدي 189/7]

Therefore, until it is proven and established by evidence that the narrator in this chain is indeed ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Ishaq al-Madani, this narration will remain weak. «والله اعلم»

[ماهنامه الحديث حضرو، شماره 133، صفحه نمبر: 16]

Explanation:
1:
What is meant is the slave who has made an agreement with his master to pay a specified sum in order to obtain freedom from slavery.

2:
O Allah! Suffice us with what is lawful so that we do not need what is unlawful, and enrich us by Your bounty (provision, wealth and riches) so that we are not dependent on anyone besides You.