( باب )

Chapter: The Scholars' Position on Narrations from Weak Narrators

11 hadith

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Hadith 3958

قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى: وَإِنَّمَا حَمَلَنَا عَلَى مَا بَيَّنَّا فِي هَذَا الْكِتَابِ مِنْ قَوْلِ الْفُقَهَائِ وَعِلَلِ الْحَدِيثِ لأَنَّا سُئِلْنَا عَنْ هَذَا؛ فَلَمْ نَفْعَلْهُ زَمَانًا، ثُمَّ فَعَلْنَاهُ؛ لِمَا رَجَوْنَا فِيهِ مِنْ مَنْفَعَةِ النَّاسِ .

We have mentioned the statements of the jurists and the causes of the hadiths in our book because we were asked about these matters; for a long time, we did not do so. We mentioned the statements of the jurists and the causes of the hadiths for the reason that there is an expectation of benefit for people in this.

لأَنَّا قَدْ وَجَدْنَا غَيْرَ وَاحِدٍ مِنْ الأَئِمَّةِ تَكَلَّفُوا مِنْ التَّصْنِيفِ مَا لَمْ يُسْبَقُوا إِلَيْهِ؛ مِنْهُمْ:

Because we have seen many Imams who engaged in writing and compilation, and no one before them had done this work,
among them are the following scholars:

1- هِشَامُ بْنُ حَسَّانَ،2- وَعَبْدُ الْمَلِكِ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ بْنِ جُرَيْجٍ،3- وَسَعِيدُ بْنُ أَبِي عَرُوبَةَ 4- وَمَالِكُ بْنُ أَنَسٍ،5- وَحَمَّادُ بْنُ سَلَمَةَ،6- وَعَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ الْمَبَارَكِ.7- وَيَحْيَى بْنُ زَكَرِيَّا بْنِ أَبِي زَائِدَةَ،8- وَوَكِيعُ بْنُ الْجَرَّاحِ،9- وَعَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ مَهْدِيٍّ، وَغَيْرُهُمْ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ وَالْفَضْلِ صَنَّفُوا فَجَعَلَ اللَّهُ فِي ذَلِكَ مَنْفَعَةً كَثِيرَةً؛ فَنَرْجُو لَهُمْ بِذَلِكَ الثَّوَابَ الْجَزِيلَ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ لِمَا نَفَعَ اللَّهُ بِهِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ؛ فَهُمْ الْقُدْوَةُ فِيمَا صَنَّفُوا.

1- Hisham bin Hassan,
2- Abdul Malik bin Abdul Aziz Ibn Jurayj,
3- Saeed bin Abi Aroubah,
4- Malik bin Anas,
5- Hammad bin Salamah,
6- Abdullah bin Mubarak,
7- Yahya bin Zakariya bin Abi Za'idah,
8- Wakee' bin Al-Jarrah,
9- Abdur Rahman bin Mahdi and others,
people of knowledge and virtue.
These distinguished ones undertook the work of writing and compilation, so Allah Almighty placed great benefit in their books. Our prayer is that Allah Almighty grants them immense reward for those deeds by which He benefited the Muslims. In the field of compilation, these Imams are our leaders.

وَقَدْ عَابَ بَعْضُ مَنْ لا يَفْهَمُ عَلَى أَهْلِ الْحَدِيثِ الْكَلامَ فِي الرِّجَالِ، وَقَدْ وَجَدْنَا غَيْرَ وَاحِدٍ مِنْ الأَئِمَّةِ مِنْ التَّابِعِينَ قَدْ تَكَلَّمُوا فِي الرِّجَالِ مِنْهُمْ: الْحَسَنُ الْبَصْرِيُّ، وَطَاوُسٌ تَكَلَّمَا فِي مَعْبَدٍ الْجُهَنِيِّ.

Some ignorant people have criticized the Ahl al-Hadith for criticizing the narrators of hadith, whereas we have seen that some of the Imams among the Tabi‘in have spoken about the narrators of hadith; among them, Hasan al-Basri and Tawus spoke about Ma‘bad al-Juhani.

وَتَكَلَّمَ سَعِيدُ بْنُ جُبَيْرٍ فِي طَلْقِ بْنِ حَبِيبٍ.

Saeed bin Jubair criticized Talq bin Habib.

وَتَكَلَّمَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ النَّخَعِيُّ وَعَامِرٌ الشَّعْبِيُّ فِي الْحَارِثِ الأَعْوَرِ.

And Ibrahim Nakha'i and Amir Sha'bi criticized Harith A'war.

وَهَكَذَا رُوِيَ عَنْ أَيُّوبَ السَّخْتِيَانِيِّ، وَعَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَوْنٍ، وَسُلَيْمَانَ التَّيْمِيِّ، وَشُعْبَةَ بْنِ الْحَجَّاجِ، وَسُفْيَانَ الثَّوْرِيِّ، وَمَالِكِ بْنِ أَنَسٍ، وَالأَوْزَاعِيِّ، وَعَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ الْمُبَارَكِ، وَيَحْيَى بْنِ سَعِيدٍ الْقَطَّانِ، وَوَكِيعِ بْنِ الْجَرَّاحِ، وَعَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ مَهْدِيٍّ وَغَيْرِهِمْ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ أَنَّهُمْ تَكَلَّمُوا فِي الرِّجَالِ وَضَعَّفُوا.

In the same way, it is reported about Ayyub Saktiani, Abdullah bin Awn, Sulaiman Taimi, Shu’bah bin Al-Hajjaj, Sufyan Thawri, Malik bin Anas, Awza’i, Abdullah bin Al-Mubarak, Yahya bin Sa’eed Al-Qattan, Wakee’ bin Al-Jarrah, and Abdur Rahman bin Mahdi, and other scholars of knowledge, that they spoke about the narrators of hadith and declared some of them weak.

وَإِنَّمَا حَمَلَهُمْ عَلَى ذَلِكَ عِنْدَنَا -وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ- النَّصِيحَةُ لِلْمُسْلِمِينَ. لا يُظَنُّ بِهِمْ أَنَّهُمْ أَرَادُوا الْطَعْنَ عَلَى النَّاسِ أَوْ الْغِيبَةَ، إِنَّمَا أَرَادُوا عِنْدَنَا أَنْ يُبَيِّنُوا ضَعْفَ هَؤُلائِ؛ لِكَيْ يُعْرَفُوا.

In our view, it was the spirit of goodwill towards the Muslims that motivated them to take this step, and Allah knows best. One should not think about these Imams that they criticized people or backbit them.

لأَنَّ بَعْضَ الَّذِينَ ضُعِّفُوا كَانَ صَاحِبَ بِدْعَةٍ، وَبَعْضَهُمْ كَانَ مُتَّهَمًا فِي الْحَدِيثِ، وَبَعْضَهُمْ كَانُوا أَصْحَابَ غَفْلَةٍ وَكَثْرَةِ خَطَإٍ؛ فَأَرَادَ هَؤُلائِ الأَئِمَّةُ أَنْ يُبَيِّنُوا أَحْوَالَهُمْ شَفَقَةً عَلَى الدِّينِ وَتَثْبِيتًا؛ لأَنَّ الشَّهَادَةَ فِي الدِّينِ أَحَقُّ أَنْ يُتَثَبَّتَ فِيهَا مِنْ الشَّهَادَةِ فِي الْحُقُوقِ وَالأَمْوَالِ.

In our opinion, they mentioned the weakness of the narrators so that people would be aware of them, because: 1- some weak narrators were among the people of innovation, 2- and some were accused of lying in the matter of narrating hadith, 3- some were negligent and made many mistakes. These Imams described the conditions of these narrators out of religious zeal, because testimony regarding religion deserves more investigation and verification than testimony regarding rights and wealth.

قَالَ: و أَخْبَرَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى بْنِ سَعِيدٍ الْقَطَّانُ، حَدَّثَنِي أَبِي، قَالَ: سَأَلْتُ سُفْيَانَ الثَّوْرِيَّ، وَشُعْبَةَ، وَمَالِكَ بْنَ أَنَسٍ، وَسُفْيَانَ بْنَ عُيَيْنَةَ عَنْ الرَّجُلِ تَكُونُ فِيهِ تُهْمَةٌ أَوْ ضَعْفٌ؛ أَسْكُتُ أَوْ أُبَيِّنُ؟ قَالُوا: بَيِّنْ.

Yahya bin Saeed Al-Qattan says: I asked Sufyan Thawri, Shu’bah, Malik bin Anas, and Sufyan bin ‘Uyaynah about a narrator who is accused of lying or has weakness, should I remain silent or mention it? All of them said: Mention it.

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ رَافِعٍ النَّيْسَابُورِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ آدَمَ، قَالَ: قِيلَ لأَبِي بَكْرِ بْنِ عَيَّاشٍ: إِنَّ أُنَاسًا يَجْلِسُونَ وَيَجْلِسُ إِلَيْهِمْ النَّاسُ، وَلا يَسْتَأْهِلُونَ؟! قَالَ: فَقَالَ أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ عَيَّاشٍ: كُلُّ مَنْ جَلَسَ؛ جَلَسَ إِلَيْهِ النَّاسُ، وَصَاحِبُ السُّنَّةِ إِذَا مَاتَ أَحْيَا اللَّهُ ذِكْرَهُ، وَالْمُبْتَدِعُ لايُذْكَرُ.

Yahya bin Adam says that it was said to Abu Bakr bin Ayyash: Some people sit to give lessons, and people come and sit with them, but they are not qualified to teach. So Abu Bakr bin Ayyash said: Whoever sits to give lessons, people will sit with him. When a person of Sunnah (one with correct belief) dies, Allah makes his mention widespread, and the mention of an innovator is erased.

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَلِيِّ بْنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ شَقِيقٍ، أَخْبَرَنَا النَّضْرُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الأَصَمُّ، حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ زَكَرِيَّا، عَنْ عَاصِمٍ، عَنْ ابْنِ سِيرِينَ قَالَ: كَانَ فِي الزَّمَنِ الأَوَّلِ لايَسْأَلُونَ عَنْ الإِسْنَادِ؛ فَلَمَّا وَقَعَتْ الْفِتْنَةُ سَأَلُوا عَنْ الإِسْنَادِ؛ لِكَيْ يَأْخُذُوا حَدِيثَ أَهْلِ السُّنَّةِ، وَيَدَعُوا حَدِيثَ أَهْلِ الْبِدَعِ.

Muhammad bin Sirin says: In the earlier times, people did not ask about the chain of narration of hadith, but since the turmoil began 1, people started asking about the chain so that they could take hadith from the people of Sunnah and leave the hadith of the people of innovation 2.

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَلِيِّ بْنِ الْحَسَنِ، قَال: سَمِعْتُ عَبْدَانَ يَقُولُ: قَالَ عَبْدُاللَّهِ بْنُ الْمُبَارَكِ: الإِسْنَادُ عِنْدِي مِنْ الدِّينِ؛ لَوْلا الإِسْنَادُ؛ لَقَالَ مَنْ شَائَ مَا شَائَ؛ فَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُ: مَنْ حَدَّثَكَ؟ بَقِيَ.

Abdullah bin Mubarak says: In my view, the chain of narration is part of the religion; if there were no chain, anyone could say whatever they wished. When someone is asked, "Who narrated this hadith to you?" he becomes silent.

قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى: يَعْنِي أَنَّهُ ضَعَّفَ إِسْنَادَهُ.

Tirmidhi says: That is, Ibn Mubarak has declared its chain weak.

حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عَبْدَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا وَهْبُ بْنُ زَمْعَةَ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ الْمُبَارَكِ أَنَّهُ تَرَكَ حَدِيثَ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ عُمَارَةَ، وَالْحَسَنِ بْنِ دِينَارٍ، وَإِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ الأَسْلَمِيِّ، وَمُقَاتِلِ بْنِ سُلَيْمَانَ، وَعُثْمَانَ الْبُرِّيِّ، وَرَوْحِ بْنِ مُسَافِرٍ، وَأَبِي شَيْبَةَ الْوَاسِطِيِّ، وَعَمْرِو بْنِ ثَابِتٍ، وَأَيُّوبَ بْنِ خُوطٍ، وَأَيُّوبَ بْنِ سُوَيْدٍ، وَنَصْرِ بْنِ طَرِيفٍ -هُوَ أَبُو جَزْئٍ- وَالْحَكَمِ. وَحَبِيبٍ الْحَكَمُ رَوَى لَهُ حَدِيثًا فِي كِتَابِ الرِّقَاقِ، ثُمَّ تَرَكَهُ. وَقَالَ: حَبِيبٌ لا أَدْرِي.

Wahb bin Zam’ah says that Abdullah bin al-Mubarak abandoned the hadiths of Hasan bin ‘Ammarah, Hasan bin Dinar, Ibrahim bin Muhammad Aslami, Muqatil bin Sulayman, ‘Uthman Bura, Ruh bin Musafir, Abu Shaybah Wasiti, ‘Amr bin Thabit, Ayyub bin Khawt, Ayyub bin Suwayd, Abu Juza’ Nasr bin Tarif, Hakam, and Habib. Abdullah bin al-Mubarak narrated only one hadith of Hakam in the Book of Zuhd and Riqaq, then abandoned it. And he said: I do not know Habib.

قَالَ أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عَبْدَةَ: وَسَمِعْتُ عَبْدَانَ قَالَ: كَانَ عَبْدُاللَّهِ بْنُ الْمُبَارَكِ قَرَأَ أَحَادِيثَ بَكْرِ بْنِ خُنَيْسٍ؛ فَكَانَ أَخِيرًا إِذَا أَتَى عَلَيْهَا أَعْرَضَ عَنْهَا، وَكَانَ لايَذْكُرُهُ.

Abdan says: Abdullah bin Mubarak had read the ahadith of Bakr bin Khunais, but later when he came upon those ahadith, he would overlook them and would not mention Bakr.

قَالَ أَحْمَدُ: حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو وَهْبٍ، قَالَ: سَمَّوْا لِعَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ الْمُبَارَكِ رَجُلا يُتَّهَمُ فِي الْحَدِيثِ؛ فَقَالَ: لأَنْ أَقْطَعَ الطَّرِيقَ أَحَبُّ إِلَيَّ مِنْ أَنْ أُحَدِّثَ عَنْهُ.

Abu Wahb says: People mentioned to Abdullah bin Mubarak the name of a narrator accused of lying in hadith, so he said: "It is better for me to commit highway robbery than to narrate hadith from him."

قَالَ: أَخْبَرَنِي مُوسَى بْنُ حِزَامٍ، قَال: سَمِعْتُ يَزِيدَ بْنَ هَارُونَ يَقُولُ: لا يَحِلُّ لأَحَدٍ أَنْ يَرْوِيَ عَنْ سُلَيْمَانَ بْنِ عَمْرٍو النَّخَعِيِّ الْكُوفِيِّ.

Yazid bin Harun says: It is not permissible for anyone to narrate from Sulaiman bin Amr Kufi.

حَدَّثَنَا مَحْمُودُ بْنُ غَيْلانَ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُويَحْيَى الْحِمَّانِيُّ،قَال: سَمِعْتُ أَبَاحَنِيفَةَ يَقُولُ: مَا رَأَيْتُ أَحَدًا أَكْذَبَ مِنْ جَابِرٍ الْجُعْفِيِّ، وَلا أَفْضَلَ مِنْ عَطَائِ بْنِ أَبِي رَبَاحٍ.

Abu Yahya Hammani says that I heard Abu Hanifa say: I have not seen any narrator more dishonest than Jabir Ju'fi, nor have I seen anyone more virtuous than Ata bin Abi Rabah.

قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى: و سَمِعْت الْجَارُودَ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ وَكِيعًا يَقُولُ: لَوْلا جَابِرٌ الْجُعْفِيُّ لَكَانَ أَهْلُ الْكُوفَةِ بِغَيْرِ حَدِيثٍ، وَلَوْلا حَمَّادٌ لَكَانَ أَهْلُ الْكُوفَةِ بِغَيْرِ فِقْهٍ .

Jarud says: I heard Waki’ bin Jarrah say: If it were not for Jabir Ju’fi, the people of Kufa would be without hadith, and if it were not for Hammad bin Abi Sulayman, the people of Kufa would be without fiqh.

قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى: و سَمِعْت أَحْمَدَ بْنَ الْحَسَنِ يَقُولُ: كُنَّا عِنْدَ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ حَنْبَلٍ؛ فَذَكَرُوا مَنْ تَجِبُ عَلَيْهِ الْجُمُعَةُ؛ فَذَكَرُوا فِيهِ عَنْ بَعْضِ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ مِنْ التَّابِعِينَ وَغَيْرِهِمْ؛ فَقُلْتُ: فِيهِ عَنْ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ حَدِيثٌ؛ فَقَالَ: عَنْ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ؟! قُلْتُ: نَعَمْ، حَدَّثَنَا حَجَّاجُ بْنُ نُصَيْرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا الْمُعَارِكُ بْنُ عَبَّادٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ سَعِيدٍ الْمَقْبُرِيِّ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : "الْجُمُعَةُ عَلَى مَنْ آوَاهُ اللَّيْلُ إِلَى أَهْلِهِ".قَالَ: فَغَضِبَ أَحْمَدُ بْنُ حَنْبَلٍ، وَقَالَ: اسْتَغْفِرْ رَبَّكَ،اسْتَغْفِرْ رَبَّكَ -مَرَّتَيْنِ-.

Tirmidhi says that I heard Ahmad bin Hasan say: We were with Ahmad bin Hanbal when people discussed upon whom Jumu'ah is obligatory. They mentioned statements from some Tabi'in and Tabi' Tabi'in scholars regarding this. So I said: There is a hadith from the Prophet (ﷺ) on this subject. He asked: From the Prophet (ﷺ)? I said: Yes, Hajjaj bin Nasir narrated to us, from Ma'arik bin 'Ubad, from 'Abdullah bin Sa'id Maqburi, from his father Sa'id Maqburi, and Maqburi from Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "Jumu'ah is obligatory upon the one who can reach his home at night." Upon this, Ahmad bin Hanbal became angry and said twice: And he said, "Astaghfirullah," seek forgiveness from your Lord, seek forgiveness from your Lord.

قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى: وَإِنَّمَا فَعَلَ هَذَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ حَنْبَلٍ لأَنَّهُ لَمْ يُصَدِّقْ هَذَا عَنْ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لِضَعْفِ إِسْنَادِهِ، لأَنَّهُ لَمْ يَعْرِفْهُ عَنْ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ، وَالْحَجَّاجُ بْنُ نُصَيْرٍ يُضَعَّفُ فِي الْحَدِيثِ، وَعَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ الْمَقْبُرِيُّ ضَعَّفَهُ يَحْيَى بْنُ سَعِيدٍ الْقَطَّانُ جِدًّا فِي الْحَدِيثِ .

Tirmidhi says: Ahmad bin Hanbal did so because, due to the weakness of the chain, this hadith was not authentic in his view, and he did not know it to be established from the Prophet (peace be upon him). There is weakness in the hadith of Hajjaj bin Nasir, and Abdullah bin Sa‘id Maqbari has been considered very weak in hadith by Yahya bin Sa‘id al-Qattan.

قَالَ أَبُوعِيسَى: فَكُلُّ مَنْ رُوِيَ عَنْهُ حَدِيثٌ مِمَّنْ يُتَّهَمُ أَوْ يُضَعَّفُ لِغَفْلَتِهِ، وَكَثْرَةِ خَطَئِهِ، وَلايُعْرَفُ ذَلِكَ الْحَدِيثُ إِلا مِنْ حَدِيثِهِ، فَلا يُحْتَجُّ بِهِ.

Tirmidhi says: Every narrator from whom a hadith has been narrated, and who is accused of lying, or has been weakened due to negligence and numerous mistakes, and the hadith is known only through his chain, then such a narrator is not to be taken as proof 1.

وَقَدْ رَوَى غَيْرُ وَاحِدٍ مِنْ الأَئِمَّةِ عَنْ الضُّعَفَائِ، وَبَيَّنُوا أَحْوَالَهُمْ لِلنَّاسِ.

Many imams have narrated from the weak narrators and have also explained their conditions to the people.

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ، أَخْبَرَنَا حِبَّانُ بْنُ مُوسَى، قَالَ: ذُكِرَ لِعَبْدِاللَّهِ بْنِ الْمُبَارَكِ حَدِيثٌ؛ فَقَالَ: يُحْتَاجُ لِهَذَا أَرْكَانٌ مِنْ آجُرٍّ.

Hibban bin Musa says: A hadith was mentioned to Abdullah bin Mubarak, so he said: "For this, pillars of solid bricks are needed."

Hadith Reference سنن ترمذي / کتاب العلل / 3958