❀ A Critical Review of the Attribution of “Kitāb aṣ-Ṣalāh” to Imām Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal ❀
Based on: Fatāwā ʿIlmiyyah, Vol. 1, Kitāb aṣ-Ṣalāh, Page 405
❖ Question:
Is Kitāb aṣ-Ṣalāh truly a work authored by Imām Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal رحمه الله?
✿ Research-Based Answer:
Alḥamdulillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu was-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh, Ammā baʿd!
The book “Kitāb aṣ-Ṣalāh”, published in various Arab countries and often attributed to Imām Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, is not authentically proven to be his work.
✦ Statement of Imām al-Dhahabī رحمه الله
Imām al-Dhahabī explicitly refutes this attribution. He writes:
“Wa kitāb ar-Risālah fī aṣ-Ṣalāh — I say: it is fabricated upon the Imām.”
(Siyar Aʿlām an-Nubalāʾ, Vol. 11, p. 330)
This statement clearly indicates that the book is falsely attributed to Imām Aḥmad.
✦ Chain Mentioned in
Qāḍī Abū al-Ḥusayn Muḥammad ibn Abī Yaʿlā mentions a chain of transmission in Ṭabaqāt al-Ḥanābilah:
“Akhbaranā al-Mubārak, Qāla: Akhbaranā Ibrāhīm, Qāla: Akhbaranā Aḥmad ibn al-Qaṭṭān al-Hītī, Qāla: Ḥaddathanā Sahl at-Tustarī, Qurʾiya ʿalā Muhannā ibn Yaḥyā ash-Shāmī: Hādhā kitābun fī aṣ-Ṣalāh…”
However, multiple narrators in this chain are unknown or unreliable, such as:
◈ Ṭayyib
◈ Abū ʿAmr, etc.
Thus, the chain is weak and unestablished.
✦ Misattribution in Darussalam’s First Edition of
The author of the introductory research in “Namāz-e-Nabawī” initially wrote:
“Several scholars have authored books on ṣalāh, such as Abū Nuʿaym al-Faḍl ibn Dukayn (d. 218 AH)…”
(MS Page 1)
However, in the Darussalam publication, this sentence was edited and published as:
“…such as Abū Nuʿaym al-Faḍl ibn Dukayn (d. 218 AH) and Imām Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal (d. 241 AH)’s Kitāb aṣ-Ṣalāh…”
(Namāz-e-Nabawī, p. 18)
This addition of Imām Aḥmad’s name was not by the author but inserted by the editors of Darussalam.
✦ Darussalam’s Written Apology
Later, the director of Maktabah Darussalam issued an official written apology on letterhead:
“This was printed due to editorial oversight. We apologize to the author of the Muqaddimah al-Taḥqīq.”
The original copy of this apology is preserved with the author.
More details can be found in:
Maḥnāmah al-Ḥadīth Hazro, Issue 5, Page 22
✦ Correction in Subsequent Editions
Darussalam corrected this mistake in later editions by removing the additional attribution.
جزاهم الله خيراً for their correction and acknowledgment.
Refer to:
◈ Namāz-e-Nabawī (Corrected & Verified Edition)
◈ al-Ḥadīth, Issue 28
✅ Final Summary:
✔ The book “Kitāb aṣ-Ṣalāh” cannot be authentically attributed to Imām Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal رحمه الله.
✔ Notable scholars like Imām al-Dhahabī have declared it fabricated.
✔ The chain of attribution is weak with unknown narrators.
✔ A mistaken attribution by Darussalam was acknowledged and corrected through a written apology.
ھٰذا ما عندي، واللہ أعلم بالصواب
