Question: A preacher from the Deobandi Tabligh movement has often been heard relating this incident: when Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with her) fell ill, Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) had gone somewhere for some work. Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with her) told her servant to keep water and clothes ready for her ghusl. The servant prepared the water and Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with her) performed ghusl. She said: “Bring out my such-and-such clothes.” She wore black clothes and said: “Place my bed in the middle of the room.” It was placed in the middle of the room, and she lay down facing the qibla and said: “Now I am dying. Tell Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) that my ghusl has already been done, and my shoulder should not be exposed.” When Ali came and the message was delivered, he said: “It will be acted upon.” Then she was buried just as she had instructed. (Muhammad Usman Pind Dadan Khan Qamar)
Answer: This is a da’if and munkar narration.
Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal (may Allah have mercy on him) narrated it through the chain of محمد بن إسحاق عن عبيد الله بن على بن أبى رافع عن أبيه عن أم سلمي.
This chain is da’if and munkar.
Muhammad ibn Ishaq ibn Yasar is a mudallis, and the narration is through his “an” (عن) form.
Ubayd Allah ibn Ali ibn Abi Rafi’: layyin al-hadith (da’if).
I am not aware of any authentication (tawthiq) of Ali ibn Abi Rafi’.
The same narration has been reported by Ibn Sa’d
, Umar ibn Shabbah
, Ibn Shahin
, and Ibn al-Jawzi
through the chain of محمد بن إسحاق عن عبيد الله ( عبد الله)( علي) بن على( فلان) بن أبى رافع عن أبيه عن أمه سلميٰ.
In this chain too, Muhammad ibn Ishaq is a mudallis, and Ibn Ali ibn Abi Rafi’ is da’if.
Ibn al-Jawzi said:
هذا حديث لا يصح This hadith is not authentic.
Dhahabi said:
هذا منكر “This is a munkar (narration).”
The Musannaf of Abd al-Razzaq
, Al-Aahad wal-Mathani of Ibn Abi Asim
, Al-Mu’jam al-Kabir of al-Tabarani
, and Hilyat al-Awliya of Abu Nu’aym al-Isfahani
contain a story supporting this account, narrated from Abdullah ibn Muhammad ibn Aqil.
This story is da’if for two reasons.
➊ Abdullah ibn Muhammad ibn Aqil (according to the stronger view) is da’if in the view of the majority of muhaddithun.
➋ Abdullah ibn Muhammad ibn Aqil did not meet the time of Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with her), so this chain is munqati’ (broken).
See Majma’ al-Zawa’id of al-Haythami
and Nasb al-Rayah
.
Note: In the Musannaf of Abd al-Razzaq and Al-Aahad wal-Mathani, the teacher of Abd al-Razzaq is written as Muhammad ibn Rashid, whereas in the other books it is Ma’mar (ibn Rashid). In Nasb al-Rayah
it is also Ma’mar. Muhammad ibn Rashid al-Makhuli and Ma’mar ibn Rashid are both teachers of Abd al-Razzaq and students of Ibn Aqil.
Ibn Kathir (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
وما روي من أنها اغتسلت قبل وفاتها و أوصت أن لا تغسل بعد ذلك فضعيف لا يعول عليه، والله أعلم
“And what has been related, that she performed ghusl before her death and gave a bequest that she should not be washed after that, is da’if; it is not relied upon. And Allah knows best.”
Summary of the research: This narration, with all its chains, is da’if and munkar, and therefore rejected. In contrast, Muhammad ibn Musa (ibn Abi Abdullah al-Fitri, Abu Abdullah al-Madani) said: Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with her) was washed by Ali (may Allah be pleased with him).
The chain of this report is authentic up to Muhammad ibn Musa (saduq), but because it is munqati’, it too is da’if. A similar da’if narration is also related from Asma bint Umays (may Allah be pleased with her). See al-Mustadrak of al-Hakim
, Hilyat al-Awliya
, al-Sunan al-Kubra of al-Bayhaqi
, Tarikh al-Madinah
, and al-Talkhis al-Habir
.
Some scholars’ declaring the narration from Asma bint Umays (may Allah be pleased with her) to be hasan is open to question. (27 Rabi’ al-Thani 1427 AH)
